Connecticut western news., 1877-07-20
Letter From R.B. itchell, Esq.
MORRIS, Stevens Go. Minn. !
 June 5. 1877.

from which point we will now resume. The evening we arrived in Minneapolis was clear and pleasant, but we were somewhat
 fatigued with travelling PIP miles since a.
 m. We went to the Clark house, and af- ter partaking of bountitul supper we felt
 much refreshed and rested.
 Minneapolis is city of some 40,00 in habltants is located on both sides of the Mississippi river, and has some of the most extensive f1ouring mills in America.
 The river has fall of s2 feet within the limits of Minneapolis, and thus furnishes 120, ,O00 horse power. These large flour appolis familiar names in all the principal
 markets of the world. The banks of tha Mississippi below the falls of St. Anthony are rocky and precipitous, and rise to the height of hundred feet, forming rough and rugged view that, when the foliage is green, is extremely wild and picturesque.
 The Minnesota University is located here.
 It is a state institution, aud it's tuition is free, for both ladies and gentlemen, and it
 has library of 10, ,o00 volumes.
 From Minneapolis the drives in varlous directions lead to enchanting spots where pleasant summer day may be passed de. lighttullY. Small lakes surround the beau tiful groves, where picnicers find shady | across level prairie brings the traveller to the celebrated falls of Minnehaha. Two
 large hotels have been built here. which
 furnishes accommodations to all corners.
 the plateau above the waterfall Is level and
 the grounds are laid out and planted with
 evergreens and shade trees. You descend
 steep wooden stairway a hundred feet,
 and you reach the bottom of the gorge.
 Here we obtain a good view of the beauu- ful cascade, as it takes it's leap over the rocky crest to the boiling pool 60 feet be
 low. A path leading to the edge of the
 descending sheet of water taxes you into a
 large chamber formed by the wearing
 away of the soft rock and earth under the
 bed rock of the crest and also the wa. | terfall. There is much more to interest pleasure
 seekers about Minneapolis, but we must
 pass on in order to speak of other places,
 lakes, etc., ere we use up the allotted space
 allowed us by the editor.
 We left Minneapolis Friday morning,
 May "A, on the St. Paul & Pacific railroad,
 at 8, 10 a. m., aud the first point we reach.
 ed, of interest, was Wayzata, at the head of
 Lake Mlnnetouka, and l5 miles from Min.
 neapolIs. Mnnetouka is the name given
 to it by the Indians, and signifying ''Blg
 Water," the body of water being much ! U
 that section of the state. It is IF miles
 long and six miles wide, and It is aaid to be
 one of the best fishing points of the West
 It is formed mostly from springs, and the
 water is very clear. About 800 sail apc
 row boats are kept at the different villages along the lake for hire. Six steamers also
 may be found on the lake plying from
 point to point, during the busy season
 Picnic parties are taken on board and land
 ed at any point desired and called for a , any hour during the day. The fish taker out are rock and black bass. pickerel, perch sun-fish and bullheads. A fine hotel is To- cated only 15O feet from the shore of tn, } lake, and everything about the hotel anC surroundings looked so inviting that W,
 just wished the engine that drew our trair would blow up so we would be compelled TO spend couple of days there, but fat,
 was against us, and we had to go on.
 After leaving Lake Mnnetouka we 500,
 entered what is called the big woods, an(
 for hundred miles we passed througl nothing but large timber, except quite { number of villages or settlements whicl
 have sprung up in the timber. We thel
 again emerged into the open yet rollinI
 prairie, which continues for 200 miles unti it terminated on the west by the Red Rive
 of the north, while the prairies extend frou the British possessions on the north to tn
 far south with no very large ranges of tim her 10 intervene. Yet over all these exten sive prairies along the line Of the road fire wood was only $5 8 core, delivered at you
 door by the railroad company. It was a Wilmar, 100 miles from Minneapolis that VI left the big woods and again entered upor the open prairie. This is very fine town ] It is growing rapidly, and contains 1 1000 in habitants has one bank and several stores four hotels, elevators, etc. Its business quite large, yet there is cloud upon 1t psospects. These western towns are sup g ported by the farmers, and here 1t is W f first saw those pests of the west, the hoppers in quantities, and for the next 80 mile one cannot put his foot down without see ing from ten to fifty hoppers jump to pre- 8 vent being crushed. Some farmers shak their heads ard say, "Its no use, the hop pers are so thick that we cannot destro. them and save our crops;" while others full of pluck and energy, say. "Yes, W : can-let every man get a'd ger and destro l all he can and our crops will be saved. , thus it is all through-while some fee buoyant others feel Respondent. For th 3 next 50 miles the country looks very fine s Wheat is nearly or quite four inches high
 and every one remarks that thelr prospect
 were never better for good crops, if tn hoppers don't take them. Notwithstandin F the doubts and fears about the hoppe plague, emigration is flowing into the cour n try very rapidly. Not day passed tr what we saw from one to fifteen prairi schooners (emigrant wagons) passing owe 3 the prairies, loaded with men, women an l children, and from two to two hundre e head head of horses, cattle and sheep at
 companying each train. These emigrant were seeking homes all along the line 0 |. the Pacific and St. Paul railroad, and als ? far up into the Red River country. On great objection to this section of the coun try we visited was its lack of timber, as n belts could be found under 20 miles, an then they were not extensive. The Wate s is also a drawback, as it is difficult to ge
 good wells, and in this emergency the
 build cisterns and use cistern water fo 5 drinking and cooking. Most of the wate
 is from the surface, and probably the d. e caying vegetable matter on the prairie r through which the water soaks, IS the caus of It's being impure. But on the country being settled up rore, these impurities ma r disappear, and their wells be as good as i any part of the world. Water for stock , found m abundance, as there is not a farr , but what has one or more sloughs in it. D that IS, a marshy piece of ground or depres B sion where the water settles, and Is usual a from ono to three feet deep. The only ot n jection to these sloughs is that. they frees ' solid, and, in some instances, farmers hay to drive their stock two miles to water. ) must be remembered, however, that W have written on the dark side of this wate
 question. We will say few words on th
 brighter side in our next. .
 Respectfully yours,
 l, R. B. MITCHELL. There ia A precooious SIX year old hoy I