The Potter journal and news item. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1872-1874, 1873-03-14
New Richmond, ST. Creix Co. Wis, I
February q, 1873

have no doubt but many of youl
readers, (my old and familiar friends
would be pleased to read few lines
from me respecting the northwest
We have had one of the severest
winters on record so far. and the
prospect is fair for its continuance
for some time yet. We had a storm
yesterday-perhaps the heaviest
snow fall of this winter, which com
plctely blockaded our railroad; and
when the road will be opened is very
uncertain-this is the fifth time. This
road is only sixteen miles in length
and some times it takes q week to
clear the track. The snow is not
more than two feet deep on an aver,
age, but the weather is so cold that
the snow is light and dry and the
wind drives it as it would fog, and
fills every deep cut up level, and the
roads between fences are nearly full.
Much Of the way roads are impass-
able, anG the travel is through fields.
Although the winter set i'll unusually
early and has not abated even to
give us January or February thaw,
there appears to be no complaint as
yet Of scarcity of fodder or grain for
cattle. Our crops in the st. Croix
Valley were good last season, but
unfortunately We had a very wet
harvest, and very much grain was
destroyed. We had two violent
hail storms in the midst of harvest.
accompanied with a perfect gale OF
wind destroying thousands upon
thousands of bushels of the grain in
this valley; and portion of Mime
sofa shared the same fate,
We have shipped an immense guam
tity of wheat, and there still remains
Il great surplus i'll the country. The
present market price for wheat is
$I,O5 for No. l. Times are very
dull, there is very little money stir
ring, and very little property chang
ing hands.
Our Legislature is having a sharp
fight over the St. Croix and Lake
Superior land grant; the same fight
was in congress last winter but by
several decisions of the Supreme
Courts, the land having been granted
to the state of Wisconsin by govern
ment, the state still has the title, and
has right to dispose of it for the
object for which it was granted, aid
no other. There are two companies
fighting for this grant, viz, the West
Wisconsin, and the Milwaukee and
st. Paul. As the West Wisconsin
company has built the North Wiscon-
sin to this place, our people want the
grant turned over to that company.
If the Milwaukee gets the grant we
shall no doubt be cheated out of the
road, for that company does not
want this road 1t all but only want
the grant to prevent this road being
built; for they have already two
roads from the Mississippi to the
lakes, ] hope your Constitutional
Convention will leave the Constitu-
tiOn of Pennsylvania as good at least
as they found it. | think there is
not chance 10 improve it much ex-
cept i'll a very few sentences. | like
the laws and Constitution of Penn
sylvania much better than those OF
Wisconsin. ! am glad to hear that
your optional liquor law is doing so
much to reduce the traffic in intoxi-
eating drinks. Our Legislature at
its last session passed what we sup
posed the most effective prohibition
law We had ever had, that is, making
the seller responsible for all damages
and consequences Of the sale, but
somehow it does not suppress the
traffic III any perceptible degree. The
people are afraid to prosecute for the
reason that in some cases where
prosecutions have been made the
courts have decided that the law is
unconstitutional. There is a great
fight over the law this winter, the
Rummies are doing their best to get
it repealed, and | should not wonder
if they succeeded. The liquor party
is the hardest party, we find, to fight
in Wisconsin. We have many tenn
perance organizations but not suftici-
ent to suppress the liquor traffic to
any great extent. The trouble is, we
have so many foreigners that have
been educated to believe it not only
right but necessary to drink beer and
whisky that the temperance men are
left in the minority. am glad to