The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-09-17
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w. B. MITCHELL, EDITOR
Thursday, Sept. III, 1874.
A PICTURE OF MINNESOTA.
Extract From Private Iette1.
For the month just past, the wealth
er has averaged hotter than I have
ever seen it in any other climate. (D
This is country of great extremes,
both in climateology and meteorolo-
gy. Some fresh horror is continually
happening. Thunder storms Of the
most appalling violence and awe in
spring proximity, occurred at fte-
quent intervals during the months of
June, July and August. California
earthquakes are tame phenomenal ex.
hibitions in comparison. Already half
a dozen or more persons have been
killed this season in Minnesota, beside
a considerable destruction of prop
erty. The winds and rain frequently
come with such swift power as to lay
prostrate the growing crops. Hail
storms Of considerable extent sweep
over the land, more or less, every sea-
son, cutting down such vegetables as
come in their path.(2) Severe frosts
come early in September and continue
until we'll in May. On the 18th of
June ult., we had a frost which killed
corn, beans and all tender plants, al
though the succeeding warm, wet
weather reinstated them to 4 consid-
cradle extent. From the first of No.
vember to the middle of March, the
snow never yields to theinhuenceof the
sun, even in the warmest places, in
the middle of the day; consequently
it does not tread, and we never have
any good sleighing.(3) If there is
wind (Which is almost always the
case), the track behind ones sleigh or
sled fills in about as 1ast a. it 10
made. With the approach Of warm
weather in June, insects in infinite
variety maketheir appearance in in
calculable numbers, making their at
tacks upon men and animals with a
ferocity and voraciousness apparently
much intensified by their long winters
nap. The first Of these afaictions to
put in their appearance is an immense
fly, the size Of the end of your finger.
They attack cattle and horses with
such vigor and fierceness as to make
them below with pain. They (the
cattle) frequently come running home
roaring like wild beasts to seek tho
shelter of a friendly barn, or the pro-
lection of man in some way from their
tormentors. These horrible pests dis
appear in three or four weeks, to be
succeeded by mosquitoes in such vast
swarms as are not to be found in any
other part Of Gods broad earth with
which 1 am personally OF historically
acquainted. 90 Farmers make
"smudges" so called, that is, q great
smoke in their COW yards to protect
their cattle at mig ght, and also in their
houses for personal defence W.
have our doors and windows closely
barred with netting, but notwith-
standing all we can possibly do to
prevent it, they manage to get in
in such numbers as to be very annoy.
ing. My wife has not seen q night
since the approach Of the comet when
she has had the courage to 90 out
doors to behold that strange visitor.
I have mentioned . few Of the
many dispensations and discomtbrts
allotted to- the new Northwest, to1.
getting however to name the liability
Of q grasshopper visitation once in
three or four years.(O lam writing.
it should be observed, in the very
best part Of the country traversed by
the North Pacific r. r. East and
west of this region, extending Z hun.
dred miles, perhaps, I do not consid-
er it profitable country for people
who have enjoyed the delights Of a
New England climate and life. /
have had about as much climatic ex-
perience as most men, and have come
to the conclusion that (always except
ing California; Maine, taking every
thing into consideration, is about the
most desirable place of residence to
be found in the United States. AS
for the West, I think it is the most
undesirable country I have ever seen.
co It will do for Norwegians and
Esquimaux, but mot for Joseph"
D. c.
Detroit, Minn., July It'll, 1874
An indignant subscriber, himself q
former resident of Maine has handed
us the above correspondence, clipped
from the Maine Farmer. It would be
a mental, moral and physical 'impos-
sibiGty to crowd into the same space
more absolute, unqualified and un-
called-for falsehoods than have been
crowded into his letter by this men,
dacious correspondent at Detroit. It
is, space considered, as full of false
hoods and puerilities, as is Minnesota
Of grasshoppers, mosquitoes, feas and
gnats, all combined, according to his
own estimate of the numbers Of these
pests. Let us consider q few Of I'D
C.'s" statements and give the real
facts in the case.
/. The. average temperature Of
Minnesota thissummer was lower than
that of almost any State to the east
ward. The records prove this. And
even during the warmest days of sum
mer there is pleasant breeze, whil'
the nights are always cool enough to
make sleep refreshing. But I'D. c.
will be pretty certain to get into.
country that IL hot-wheze there is'l
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