Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-08-15

tIClNSt W YOU 1't iDOtDIl1tbtiVAi a lNUbN
received by me from friend The let
ter was a very interesting one to me, and
although not designed for publication,
have no doubt it will be equally interest
ing to many of your readers.
Respectfully yours,
WALTER c. DUNToN.
In CAMP AT "SUMMT,"
DAKOTA DIV. n. p r. r..
50 MILES WEST OF RED RIVER,
DAKOTA TER, July 20, 1872.
DEAR D.-I remember making you a
promise to write, Just before left Yer
mont, and knowing the interest you
take or used to, in all enterprises in the
far West, will endeavOr to give a few
notes REGARDING this section of country
and the Northern Pacific railroad. When
| came on the road, a year ago, the
track was laid but a few miles west of
Brainerd. and the grading was no where
near finished from there to the Red
River. To-day the track is laid to n
point forty miles west of Red River,and
the grading to James River, 100 miles
west of Red River, is finished, and from
James River to the Missouri it IS two
thirds finished. The iron is now going
down Mt the rate Of two miles per day.
And all this has been done in seven
months, as during last winter cOmpara-
lively little was done The work has been
accomplished too. and is still gong Tor
ward, without parade or Ostcntatlon, no
crushing things as there was IN the
Union Pacific. There is also in course
of rapid construction road from Sank
Rapids and St Cloud, Mimi, to Fort
Garry, Manitoba, connecting with n. +.
K. K. at GlvndOn, ten miles east OF Red
River. A good portion of this road will
be completed this year. and it will bring
an immense traffic to the Northern Pa
citic. As YOU are probably aware this
c0mOanv have purchased or leased the
St. Paul and Pacific rOad-from St
Paul to Breckenridge on Red lGvcr-the
Lake Superior and Mississippi road
from St. Paul to Duluth, and the st
Paul and Pacific branch from st. Paul
10 Sank Rapids. and the latter will soon
be open to Brainerd. A glance at the
man will convince you that Gov. Smith
is running ''big machine out here, and
when YOU add fleet Of a dozen or moro
larcp steamers on the lakes, with his net
work Of railroads in Vermont, New
~
nerticut. it grows to such dimensions
that we wonder one man can manage it
all and live long under the strain. DU-
ring the past week two surveying parties
with n LARGE escort from the 9th infantry
left the Missouri to locate the line into
the Yellowstone River and beyond. The
survey is under the charge OF ID 6. Ljne-
lev. ESQ. the assistant chief engineer of
the road. assisted by Gen. Thomas L.
ROsser. division engineer of Dakota di-
vision. They expect to be gone till
about Let November. We have had as
vet no difficulty with Indians and an
prehpnd none in the future. The lndi
ans have about given mp fighting rail
roads As regards the country. Won
have seen a great deal better, and a
great deal worse. From Duluth to some
thirty miles west of Braincrd the road
passes through a heavily timbered cOun-
try, not worth much for agricultural
purposes. the remainder of the distance
to the Red River the soil is as good as
anywhere in Minnesota, plenty Of tim
Der and water. From the Red River
west the soil is excellent, timber and
water not so plenty, though Of the latter
a supply can be obtained most anywhere |
by digging from ten to twelve feet. |
From my camp | can see grass enough |
to supply all the State Of Vermont for |
one year at least At the rate emigra-
ton is pouring into our country you can |
Judge what the future of this section |
will be as well as myself The town of |
on the Mississippi, named for
Lawrence Brainerd, Of Vermont, is at |
present the most promising town on the |
road. though | look to see towns at sew
eral other points go far ahead of it. 1t |
is at present, and will probably remain
the general headquarters. Here are To-
Gated the offices of the general manager
ticket and freight agents. large machine
shops. car shops, engine house, etc, are
either completed or in course of con-
structiOn Lots there have doubled and
trebled and quadrupled in value in the
past year-and still no appearance OF
decline. The population is increasing
rapidly and it has every appearance of
soon being one Of the busiest and largest
towns in the State In charge of the
company lands at Brainerd is Lyman ?.
White, formerly of Rutland. Of Duluth
It is needless to write. J. Proctor Knott
has made her name 90 over the world.
West of Brainerd there are several
places that are growing rapidly. Oak
Lake, midway between Brainerd and
Red River, will in a few years be the
center of large agricultural population
and the town of Glyndon, situated in the
valley OF the Buffalo river, a tributary
IF the Red River, and at the junction of
he road to Manitoba, promises to be
thriving town.
Moorhead, the terminus of the Mime
,ota division, already numbers some
.welve hundred in population. When l
went there last September, there was
1ut one tent on the present site of the
own. Moorhead is the head of naviga-
ion on the Red River and during the
summer months three steamers make
'egular trips from Ft. Garry to Moor
lead. In the depot at Moorhead, as
freight agent, is p. l.. Goss, formerly
lotel keeper, station agent, postmaster,
md express agent at West Rutland.
Having unfortunately lost his property
he has at sixty years of age,
come out here to begin anew He is in
no wise cast down, but on the contrary,
CHEEKY and happy. As one of the con-
luctors of the mail and passenger train
from Duluth to Moorhead, we have Capt.
Spaulding, formerly of the Rutland &
Washington railroad, and Captain in
the 5th Vt. Volunteers. He is tile popu-