Year: 1868

~ LAKs CL1ThERAL, JUxH 24th. 1868.


ED1roR JouRNAL.-Duty requires
short line from me, and I only hayt
to regret that ! am not more competen,
for tho task before mo; for while I an
seated at the desk in our little school
house fronting the beautiful Lake before
it, while the gentle breeze upon its sur.
face gives it the appearance Of mighty
river coursing its way through a distant
valley, and the murmuring sound Of
the rolling waves continually dashing
upon. the sounding shore, while strcaks
of.foam are constantly forming from the
agitated waters as the breeze increases,
and the flashing Of the white caps from
every bursting wave, truly makes it an
inviting scene for the pen of romantic
mind, and doubly SO, when I cast a look
upon the opposite shore and behold the
beautiful rolling prairie resembling a
mighty meadow, from eight to ten miles
square, with not so much as a log cabin
or au acre Of breaking upon the, whole
face Of it; while nearly the whole tract
is rich and fertile, sufficiently soto pro-
duce good aud abundant crops. While
on the south of this beautiful prairie
lies chain Of mountains whose valleys
are interspersed with groves of timber
sufficient to supply the wants Of the
farmer for years, then am left to ask
myself the question, why has this been
SO long uuinhabited? I can only an-
swer the question like this. 1t must
have been the fear of the red man, the
tomahawk and the scalping knife. But
is this always to be tho case? How
long before this beautiful prairie will
be adorned with fine houses, rich plan
tations, and extensive fields of yellow
waving grain, bending beneath their
rich stores, crowning beautiful harvest
to the joy and comfort of the weary far
mer, as we'll as a blessing to mankind.
Think Of this you that are living where
your land is-so poor that it wont raise
white beans, or you, that are toiling
away in some low swampy ground
where the frost cuts your crops both
spring and fall. Think of this you that
are toiling away by days work to sur
port large family, and that perhaps
at fifty cents per day, when you could
take your boys on to finc high piece
Of prairie where the lovely breeze will
keep the frost of, where you can make
from FIVE to ten dollars per day, and at
the same time be doing a great good to
your children, your county, and your
friends. But lest intrudo on the COL
unns Of The JOURNAL, I must return
and speak of our own locality here on
Clitheral. Our crops at present look
6ne and bids fair for bountiful har-
vest. We have nearly double the grain
sowed this spring that we had last,
and last season we raised so that we
had considerable to sell. So with. q
common blessing through this year Of
crop growing, we will be able to supply
the wants of some others as we'll as our
selves. We have had no frost here to
injure us any, and wo have had just
rain enough to keep crops of all kinds
growing nicely. When I write again
I will give you the number Of acres of
produce which we have sowed and
planted. We have some new neigh
bors settling in here this season, or
near US, in the vicinity Of the west end
Of Battle Lake, aud l learn that many
are expected at the German settlement
above Ottcrtail. There is also another
settlement some ten or twelve miles
west of US in this county. So if peace
crowns our country few years longer,
it will begin to have the appearance of
civilization over this side of the Back
bone ridge Cor Leaf mountains) among
the Chippcwas but probably they will
all remove north before that time, as
some are already ON the move this
season. Wclb all matters look favor
able at present, except government
affairs, and l trust that if Grant is
elected it will act US kind of regulator
and get the great machinery to running
more steady. Enough at present.


G, WHITING.