The Portland daily press., 1872-06-20
TERMS $500 PER ANNUM, IN ADyANC E.

drawing supplies not only from the wheat
fields Of this State, but at present, during
season OF domestic scarcity, dra wing upon
the product Of States further south, and send
ing the manufactured article to the great cas-
tern markets by rail to Lake Superior, and
thence by water to Buffalo, Ogdensburg and
other lake ports.
BUSINESS DULL.
But there is no Disgusting the fact that
business is dull compared with the last and
few preceding years. Though much building
is being done, trade languishes. The money
markets. ''tight," and the tide of travel and
immigration into and through the city does
not compare favorably with that of last year.
A MIsCHIEvoUs STATEMENT.
A few weeks since noticed mischieyous
paragraph in your columns, credited to the St.
Paul Press, setting forth that though immi-
grafton had commenced earlier than ever be-
fore known, and in larger volumes, yet skill
ed labor was very scarce, so much so that it
was almost impossible to obtain an adequate
supply to meet the demands of business. Ipro-
nOunce the paragraph. referred to mischiev-
Gus, not simply because of its falsity, but be-
cause its tendency and{probable original de-
sign was to make skilled laborers at the East
uneasy, and to beget in them restless spirit,
leading them in many instances to commit
the fatal mistake of not ''letting well enough
alone" 1t is a fact apparent to every intelli-
gent observer in this portion of the State,
that while immigration, like almost every
thing else this season, is unusually late, the
tide of immigration is very small-much small
Ter than in former years. 1t is equally ap-
parent to all that skilled labor, like unskilled,
is fully equal in supply to the demands of
capital, and that an increase of such labor at
the present time would have little effect ex-
cept to depress wages, and add to the general
pressure now weighing down the laboring
classes.
THE KIND OF LABOR WANTED.
The kind of laborers most needed at pres
ent in this State, is that class who are fur
nished with strong hands and endowed with
brave hearts coupled with disposition to go
to the frontier, take up new lands, and culti-
vate and develop the 'broad acres' now ly-
ing waste, but ready to yield bountiful re-
turn for the efforts of the cu.tivator 1t is no
silk-gloyed, lavender-scented men of delicate
nerve and fashionable airs; no fastidious po-
litical economists; no men morbidly sensi-
tive to the developments of mind and the ele-
vation of soul, that the material interests of
the State demand, but it is ''bone and mus
cle," hard hands and sinews like tempered
| steel, stout hearts ready to endure privations,
| to fare hardships, dress coarsely, and grow
children as they would calves,-less for edu-
cation and show than for work; less to ex-
pand the soul capacity than to furnish musl
| cular power; men who are prepared for al
the exposure, hartlships and privation of from
tier life, and who are content to lay the broad
| foundations of a society in the future, in
| which their children's grandchildren may en-
! joy the luxury of schC OILS, and other appenda-
ges of refined taste. Such development will
| give increased growth to our cities by crea-
| ting increased demand for the products of
| their artistic skill and mechanical industry.
At present, however, the cities and towns are
crowded, trade is overdone, the professions
( are full to overflow, and the supply is so much
ahead of the demands of the country that
stagnation is always feared, and success in
business is by no means certain.
THE WHEAT CROP.
At the present time the farmers of Mime
|
rily full and remunerative crops. The wheat
the great crop of the State-promises well,
and if blight and mildew spare the growing
plant, the large yield and prospective full
! price will make the hearts of the producers
leap for joy.
RAILROAD DEVELOPMENT.
have referred to the growth of this city
during the past twenty years, since its first
| settlement. Let me refer to the develop
ment of our railroads within the past five
years. Five years ago ST. Paul and Mime
apolis had railroad connections by a single
line with Chicago, save one gap of forty miles
| by water from WinOna to La Crosse There
was not foot of railroad line from either city
northward or westward except up the east
side of the Mississippi to Sunk Rapids, about
seventy miles, and line up the Minnesota
River to st. Peter. Besides these lines there
was not an inch of road in the whole State
north of st. Anthony Falls. To-day there is
a road from both cities to Lake Superior, a
distance of one hundred and sixty miles; a
road from this city to Saltwater, a distance of
twenty-five miles; road from this city to
Red River of the North at Breckenridge, a
distance of nearly two hundred miles; a road
from this city 10 Carver on the Minnesota
River, twenty-five miles, and thence
via st. Paul and Sioux city road
nearly to the Iowa line in the di-
Iection of Omaha; two completed lines to
Chicago; the Northern Pacific Road from
Lake Superior to Moosehead, on Red River,
and beyond far into Dakota Territory, and
roads are now being graded from Sunk Rap
i to strike the Northern Pacific at Brainerd,
on the Upper Mississippi, and from St. Cloud
with which this city has close connection
to Pembina, clear up to the 10th parallel,
where it will tap the Dominion" of John
Bull. Who will say that Minnesota is not in
process of development?
HOW THE ROADS ARE BUILT.
Your readers may ask where all the money
comes from to build these roads. The aues-
! tion is susceptible of an easy answer. All
these roads with a single exception, are land
grant roads. One half the land in alternate
sections of six hundred and forty acres each,
for from ten to twenty miles on each side OF
the lines of road, is donated by the govern
ment-"State or National-for the building
ofthese roads, the government placing double
price upon the undonated sections. Bonds
based upon and backed by these lands are is
sued by the companies, and the sale of such
bonds in our own and foreign countries af-
fords the money with which to ''make the
(railroad) mare CO." Besides the proceeds of
the sale of bonds large revenue is often OBJ
obtained in the form of bonuses from munie-
ipalities to secure the desired locations of
the lines so as to favor such localities. The
result of such policy has plunged some of
| OuI ClucS dAu GOWnS uctpiy Ill ueDC, the re-
suit of which is among the unsolved problems
of the future.
THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK.
The political sky as yet is tolerably free
from clouds, and the"waters of the great
deep" are comparatively calm. The Cincin-
natl nomination was rather a surprise, but
the indications are that the Democracy of
this State will favor its endorsement at Balti-
more. The result at Philadelphia was ex-
pected so that no peculiar demonstrations
have followed the announcement of that re-
suit. All eyes are turned somewhat anxious
ly towards the Monumental city," and
when the result of the Democratic Sanhe-
drim shall become known, men will assume
more clearly defined positions. Should the
Cincinnati nomination be endorsed there, the
political cauldron will begin to boil. A few
Republicans will then work with earnestness
for the philosopher of the white coat, though
with little expectation of overcoming the
large majority in this State, no matter what
combinations they may be able to effect, or
how solidly the Democrats shall go in for the
''new departure" If straight Democratic
nomination is made at Baltimore, / predict
that few Republicans In the "GOpher state'
will be jostled from the ranks oftheir party
Nous UeTT0ns OBSERVER.
BUSINESS NOTICES