Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-12-17
sglonth's Column.
For the Monitor.
LETTER FBOM THE WEST TO
THE CHILDREN.
AUSTIN. MINI, Oct. o, 1877.


Tuesday evening. by the Chicago, Mil
waukee. and st. Paul railroad. The
last part of the journey seemed like a
ride in some parts of Vermont, the rocks
we're so high and steep. little way |
below the city we crossed the Minnesota
River, which is quite large stream, as
it is navigable for steam boats for more
than hundred miles. and which emp
ties into the Mississippi. Then we
crossed the Mississippi itself, and found
ourselves in st. Paul. The city is built
partly on the low lands close to the riv-
er. and partly on the high hills (or
HatS, as they are called here,) which
rise some little distance away. The
people have taken great deal of pains
to make slopes and terraces on the sides
of the bluffs these give beautiful places
for houses and homes. and there are
some very elegant ones, both on the
higher and in the lower parts of the
city. The State house is large brick
building. not very handsome; and there
are some five churches and other pub
lie buildings here. After day in st.
Paul | took the cars for Minneapolis,
which is only eight miles away. From
the station in St. Paul there are two
-,~I~ ~, -..L;..L - - NJ.
oils, and the trains start in opposite d.
rections; one train will 60 up the river,
aud the next one down. If you will
study the map, and notice how the riv-
err courses, you will understand what l
mean. took the train that started
down. The road leaves the bank of the
river after little, and makes sharp
curve to the left, climbing the bluff and
bringing you up to a beautiful table
land, over which you pass nearly west
for six or seven miles, when you see
another city before you. The train
stops, and the officer calls out "St. An
thony." This is the old part of the
city, and after a short stop you cross
the river on an iron bridge and find
yourself in Minneapolis proper. 1t is a
very beautiful and very busy city.
There are very few lUafers. Everybody
seems to have something important to
do, and to be in a great hurry to have
it done. There are about twenty lum-
Der mills, where the pine legs that are
floated down from the regions above are
worked up into boards and other ma
terial for building. Many millions Of
feet of this river lumber are sent away
every year. Then there are nearly as
many Touring mills, where great guam
titles of wheat are ground. One Of these
is said to be the largest Touring mill in
our country. and turns out one thousand
barrels Of -four every day. These mills
are rather more busy than usual this
year, because Minnesota has raised such
large wheat crop. For the three years
previous, the grasshOppers have hurt the
crop and almost spoiled it; but this
year this State has raised enough wheat
to supply the whole country with bread.
Minneapolis is a great manufacturing
city, comparing we'll with some eastern
cities which have been at work much
longer. About six thousand persons
are constantly employed in the different
manufacturers and when we remember
that the city is only ten years old, it
seems wonderful to think of. The falls
of st. Anthony furnish water power in
great abundance and men of enterprise
and wealth are improving it. The riv-
err falls about fifty feet in the distance
Of one mile, and there is one perpendic-
ular fall of eighteen feet or rather,
there sodS such fall. For a year OF
two the men have been at work ''apron-
ing the fall" as they call it. They found
that the water was wearing the rocks
away so fast that their mills were in dan
ger Of being left without a supply t.
run them ; so they have been putting il
timber and building walls in such {
way as to keep the falls from going
back. II makes the water run down /;
slope instead of falling perpendicularly
1t is great piece of work. but it il
nearly done now. st. Paul and Min
neapOlis have each about forty Thousand
people. and both are growing very fast
Now | am on the road again, goinl
south. A little way from Minneapoli
we passed Fort Smelling, with its higl
walls and threatening look; and W
stopped moment at a station Gale,
"Minnehaha," close by the famous fall
Of that name. There we crossed tn
Minnesota River again, passed th
est. Paul junction." where the trail
from st. Paul joined ours, and now W
are whirling away toward NOrthfel
and Fairbault. AffectiOnately yours,
p.
Boys, hold on to your good name a
all times, for it is of more value tina