Year: 1870

Letter from the Northwest,-No. XVII
ST. ANTHONY FALLS, May 12, 1870.
| To the Editor Of the Press


The forwardness of the season is as remark
abe here as with you. Three years ago vege-


tation here was at least ten days later than in
western Maine, the trees showing no signs of
foliage till past the Goth of May; now the ma
pie, poplar and even the tardy oak are covered
with foliage neatly as dense as in June,
while the plum and other early fruit trees are


out OF bloom. Flowing was done largely in


April, and wheat was sown two or three weeks


earlier than usual. So far as the clements


and natural forces are concerned, all things
look fair for fruitful season.


In this letter wish to saw few wor,ls spe-


cially for the ear of that quite imposing annual


class who feel that they must pull up stakes
liz the East, and drive them anew in some To-


cality in the West, where they fancy they can


discover better prospects of fullness and pros
perity. l have little hope of convincing any
such persons that "all is not gold that glis-
tens" or that fortune is as tickle and capri


cious here as with you, for men generally, and


the class referred too emphatically, possess


great deal of that porcine spirit which makes


every pig in the largest sty stick his nose into


the scaldmg swill though burned nose and


unmistakable squeal are the sure results in


each individual case.


To those who propose to engage in purely
agricultural pursuits, Minnesota possesses


marked advantages, and also some serious


disadvantages. In former letters have par


italy exhibited both sides of this particular


interest. The advantages result from the GEN.


eral fertility Of the soil and the ease with


which it may be cultivated; the disadvantages
from the long distance from and the cost of


transportation to, the great markets of the
country.


1t is very popular error that common la
boring men do better here than with you, or


that less capital is required for engaging sue


cessiuily in business.


|. The point from which l write claims to be


the point of the State; the most active, pros


porous and enterprising of any city North
west OF Milwaukee, and yet while the lum-
bering business is emphatically the great in


terest OF the place, not single saw had COM


menced running one week ago, and but one


lumber mill was in operation as late as the
10th inst By the 1st of November, at latest,
the lumber mills will be as silent as Gold


smiths Deserted Village, six months being


the extreme length of the business season. 1t


may be supposed that business lasting only


six months of the year, must pay extra high
wages to secure the requisite muscle to carry
1t on. This is not SO. am told that head
sawyers and other; foremost hands receive
about the same wages as ON the Penobscot,


while for handling and piling lumber, and all
other work that "green hands" can perform,


Swedes and Norwegians are employed for


the palsry price of one dollar per day! No
Yankee can pay his expenses with such
wages, especially when out of employment a


large percentage of the time.


Masons, carpenters and other leading me-
chanics command good wages, but probably
not so large as in our city, while the expenses


OF living are more than with you, and work is


much more intermittant and fuctuating-


Rents are enormously high, a shanty that
with you would scarcely be deemed rentable,
letting from ten to fifteen dollars per month,
with no conveniences for wood or water, or
other advantages of comfort. Taxes are at


least four per cent, fuel is high and every


thing but bread is at the top figures. When


l inform your readers that money can readily
be loaned, on safe securities, for two per cent.
month or more, and that eighteen per cent.
shave is sometimes exacted even by banks on
good short business paper, shall have afford
ed key that will explain the mystery of
much OF the hard times of which the COM


mon people feel full share.


Disregarding as our people do to a large
extent, those habits of economy and careful
calculation so common in New England, reck-
less in many respects and extrayagant to a
fault, it is no wonder that money-lenders are
numerous and are raid to do the safest and
most lucrative business of any class in our
midst, and think this will be found true as a
general rule in the cities of this State. 1t isa


common remark that the only kinds of bust
ness which have uninterrupted prosperity,


and the fewest ebb tides, are money-lending
and saloon-keeping. The towns and cities
are far ahead OF the growth and devolopement
OF the farming country, that competition
in trade is sharp and often ruinous.-
The professions are all crowded, the two cit
les at this point, containing from fifteen to
twenty thousand inhabitants, having at least
forty to fifty physicians, and quite as many
lawyers, with clergymen of all denomination
al shades of difference; quite as many proba-
without patients, briefs and pastorates as with.


Young men willing to fill genteel positions
for the merest pittance, such as clerks, sales
men etc., are in abundance, while more able
bodied Een with no appreciable employment
are meet with than have ever seen in any
eastern city. I was told last week by an in
telligent laboring man that more than two
hundred men in the place were without en-
ployment, with no reasonable show for chance
even to earn their board.


Scores of families are breaking up and NOV
ing away, some back to the East, some to
States farther South, some to Kansas, Caliior-
mia and Oregon, and yet their places are prob


ably more than made good by new comers.


1t is emphatically State of much discomfort;
as much so as any State populated by that
restless branch OF the genus homo known as
Yankees


have written these things simply because
they are true and because, ii appreciated by
your people, they might have some effect in
quieting their minds and making them salts


fed to stick by State which has greater and


more diversified advantages than any to which
their restlessness may carry them.


Probably if any Minnesotian in your midst,
shall see this, he will pronounce it tissue of


taisehoods; still can confidently avouch for


is substantial correctness, and / think nv


statements will be fully endorsed by nine


tenths OF those of your readers who have re-


turned to the East alter few wears experi-
ence here. Said an esteemed friend to me a


few days since, as he held in his hand a COPY


OF the Transcript of your city, containing
humorous letter from this locality. shat
is an outrage; tits libetlousp He asked me
to read the article for the benefit of few per-
sons present. did so, and then asked my


friend it he ever heard of the old English law


which held that "the greater the truth the
| greater the libelr He saw the point, and
| those for whose edifcation the article had
| been read, unanimously voted the transcripts
| letter to be caes in point. OBSERVER.
MYsrERY-There died Saturday in third
| rate furnished lodging house, where she occu-
pied wretched chamber, a woman who had


attained the great age of 80. Misery seemed
Misery seemed to have made her completely
its own; its livery was was on her back, its
brand was on her face. She was all alone;
no one visited her; not visiting-card or a