The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-04-30
IRON An OLD sE1rLER.

FROM An OLD sEfTLER.
Nsw ORIHAHs, La, April ~, 1874.
Nh. EDIroR. II have been debating In
my mind what would most interest your
readers, = dissertation on Louisiana, her
politics. soil, climate, productions, spidem-
los and foundations, Or 70 hrst give brisi
sketch Of my 'Roughing It, in Mlnueso.
t., twenty-four years ago. have conelu.
ded to try my hald at tho first. =
To tell story without Z preface ID like
going to the opera without programme.
write for my own divsrsion, on tho same
principle that man whistles for the want
Of thought, also to furnish amusement for
some Of your numerous readers, who may
have leisure to read II. I have never read
Mark Tvain's t'lnnoosnts Abroad" thsrs.
fore cannot be justly charged with pla-
guerism, and for two other reasons there
will be NO similarity In the Language used,
IS hs never adopted my style, and further
that my statements are al facts. am
somewhat puzsled to know, if in desorib.
ing events in which took . prominent
part must DO modest and use the sditori-
phrase '.We." have concluded to COM
promise so o. not to offend the delicate
tastes Of any one, and only use tho person
al Il" 1t tho com menseneut Of any sem
tence except where may wish to use .
small "i," IS desire to keep myself IN
the background Is much Is possible. Some
Of your readers will remember tho writer,
also this popularity Of his character.
Early in tho spring Of 1850 read ex-
tracts from tho st. Paul Pioneer, edited by
the lamented Goodhue. It was then I first
learned Of the enormous size Of the pump
kins, squashes and beets, also that Mime
sofa was tho ''Paradise found" where sick
ness was unknown, and whore death had
no sting" After consulting al the maps
could ind and seeing panorama Of the
Mississippi river. from 81. Lsuls to the
Falls Of st. Anthony, showing tho Indian
villages on the river banks, Fort Shell
ing and tho Falls, accompanied With q
statement that Mr.. FIR auk Steele, white
man, had resided at tho Fort for many
years. and was an accomp lished and hos
pitable gentleman. I came to several con.
illusions with ell these lights before me .
That the North Pole must DO ssme farther
north. That Minnesota would bsoems .
populous State. That St, Anthony would
be the hesd Of navigation. So gathered
together my earthly effects, consisting Of
trunk filed with clothing, . rifle, (sud
thinking1 might have to work for living,
l took with me) . largo tool chest, filed
with tools suitable for building purpose
or making wagons, slsighs, 60. had .
little knowledge Of several mechanics
professions, but was q master Of none.-
These, with eighty dollars in money CON-
stituted my outfit. The enthu siasm which
attended my preparations spread to q
number Of my young friends, who enrolled
themselves, not for .'forlorn hope" but
to 60 to the land of wild plains, where We
could roam and breathe the pure air Of the
new country. As the time approached for
my departure all but oae had concluded to
postpone their trip until ihe next season.
have now to refer to the ono that ad-
hered to his first resolution. Although .
young man, he had received liberal 3D.
ucatlon, being the son Of "wealthy but
honest parents" He had travelled extern
sively, had been around the world, and
was an adventurer by nature and by choice.
He applied to his paternal bead for the
necessary funds to defray his expenses, but
said. PARENT was opposed to any further
migration on his part; therefore his pa
thetic appeal to me to make him pension
er on my stock Of eighty dollars, WAS first
listened to with pity and then embraced.
Having concluded to share my all with my
young friend Jack, whose surname was
Bloomfield, brave generous fellew, gen.
"'o"a t." a fault. vho would - freely give
what belonged to you, as he would freely
give his own, and having every thing ready
on the 18th of May 1850 We took our de-
parture, amid the tears and prayers Of our
friends who then thought that Chicago was
the extreme limit Of daring adventure. 1t
will be remembered ct that day, that there
were no railroads Of any account, west Of
the State of New York. We determined to
take in Niagara Falls on our way. So
our first conveyance was by canal packet
to Oswego on Lake Ontario; thence by
steamer to Lewiston thence by horse car
to the Falls. It required two days to do
up Falls and suspension bridge, and write
heme about the toam, the spray, tho mist,
the laundering noise, &c. You must re-
feet that there has bean quite number Of
essays on that great cataract, since that
day, consequently you will waive IN ao-
count Of the awful wonder in which Jack
and l viewed this great work Of nature.
Our next point was Buffalo, here wss in
tercepted by my uncle who had made .
journey to that place to dissuade me from
my perilous undertaking, who, Ikensd my
going into the wide west, to man leaving
home surrounded by friends, to 60 among
savages, to leaving full grown orchard
bearing fruit, to going into q wild coun-
try, planting trees and waiting many years
for the fruit. I stated I could SEQ fruit
growing in tho orchards Of my rich neigh
bors, but if wanted to taste Of forbidden
fruit, must endanger tho seat of my
trousers if savage bull dog would bs sat-
isfed with that much, and uader the cir
oumstances preferred an orchard of my
own, even il I had to wait for it. Ny Ar
guments were conclusive and he was a.
most persuaded to 70 too, His coming
served good purpose as it delayed our
journey, and the steamer on which W
had engaged our passage in the mean time
sailed and was burned near tho city Of
Erie and every person persisted in the
flames or BY drowning. While in Bnffa1o 7