The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-12-16

From the Chicago Commercial Aduertise''
December 4. :1
I came rs miles up the river from
St. Paul to see 4 beautiful city, and
do not find disappointment. This
city, at the confluence. of the sauk
and Mississippi rivers, has . , popula-
ton of about $500, is the capital Of
stearns county, and for beauty Of lp-
cation and surroundings il: wel1.nigh
peerless. II was settled in 1855, o1 g
year after the organization of ii
county, by J. L. Wilson, and christen q
ed
1t occupies q commanding plain, Or
table land, half = hundred feet above
the bedsot the Mississippi. 3. The tow n
is handsomely laid out, and one halt
Of etf it, along TIE river bank, 3 is embo& J:
cred in the native burr oaks, which!
some singular good fortune has pre-
served from the vandalism Of the aver
age western pioneer I have ,never;
seen loveller places for home bui1dipg pg
than the groves that border the west-
ern shore Of the great river, from the
mouth of the sauk river to Bridg:
mans mill. The up-river scenery,
as far as sauk Rapids, aud for three
miles below the Normal SCHOOL, is
commanded by many of the homes
already built, and is far more attfac7
tive than some of the landscapes i'm:
mortalized by the modern masters.
The eastern shore, too, is admirably
suited for pleasant forest homes,
though few are yet, planted there.
Further back are long reaches Of open
plain and prairie, atfording the finest
natural pasturage. West Of the
town there Is some extent Of prairie
and some fine openings, but the couIh' m
try is mostly well timbered,, is admir-; '!o
ably, suited to wheat and domestic
grasses. Amongthe |
- -,
] name "mire|,d: farming :frst, bee.qs*
that is the first; and last resource ID
most portions of the west. Here It IL
in til infancy. Not one.twentieth |o'
the lands in the tributary country ar,
in culture. Wheat is q sure apd
abundant crop west Of the river
corn Aourishes best on the east side
aPasturage is splendid, and almost i'll
limitable. Sheep thrivehere beyond
any country I have visited. Th,
pasturage now going to feed the an
nual fires between St. Cloud and Min
neapolis would support a .millio or
sheep through the whole year. Their
is scarcely a limit to the quantity d
butter and cheese that might be mad
here. The pure waters, fine, swee
grasses, and rare atmosphere Of thi
region are just the conditions for sue
cessful dairying. There are few dai
rymen here, and butter making is nj
more matter of care than othel
phases Of the slip-shod and thriftles
husbandry that obtains through al
this beautiful and fertile land; apt
yet it is a rare thing to find poor but
ter upon public or private table
The speculative feeling has run hig1
through this northern country, an,
men could not wait patiently for cel
tain and substantial results 'fol
grain and stock growing. Farming
has been only inedentol. Speculation
in town lots, lands, pine timber. AN
trading in furs. government contract,
land. grants, road and bridge ic4n
tracts, mules, jack:knives, warrants |ps
scrip, steel Il! traps, + f., and hounds the 1rE1
The few made money, the many los
it. Some never had any to lose. Oh
panic came and put a period to thi
unnatural condition, and now "
12'':+'-. = Il a NEW ORDER
'lof things is being established. hi
1.-THE order Of prod,tetso.,, u whiic
every man may bear an honorabl
lnG.1 I'll Ini -r,i e :rn ~ ;esdi1laS " y,