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diff --git a/4981-0.txt b/4981-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e6f812e --- /dev/null +++ b/4981-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7384 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 4981 *** + + + + + MINNESOTA AND DACOTAH: + + IN + + Letters descriptive of a Tour through the North-West, + + IN THE AUTUMN OF 1856. + + WITH + + INFORMATION RELATIVE TO PUBLIC LANDS, + + AND + + A TABLE OF STATISTICS. + + By C. C. ANDREWS, + + COUNSELOR AT LAW; EDITOR OF THE OFFICIAL OPINIONS OF THE ATTORNEYS GENERAL + OF THE UNITED STATES. + + "From the forests and the prairies, + From the great lakes of the Northland, + From the land of the Ojibways, + From the land of the Dacotahs." + + LONGFELLOW + + SECOND EDITION. + W A S H I N G T O N: + ROBERT FARNHAM + 1857 + _______ + + Entered, according to act of Congress, in the year 1857, by + + C. C. ANDREWS, + + In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, in and + for the District of Columbia. + _______ + + PHILADELPHIA: + + STEREOTYPED BY E. B. MEARS. + + PRINTED BY C. SHERMAN & SON. + _______ + + THESE + + "Trivial Fond Records" + + ARE + + RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED + + TO THE + + YOUNG MEN OF MINNESOTA. + _______ + + INTRODUCTION. + _______ + + THE object of publishing these letters can be very briefly stated. + +During the last autumn I made a tour into Minnesota, upwards of a +hundred and thirty miles north-west of St. Paul, to satisfy myself as +to the character and prospects of the territory. All I could learn +from personal observation, and otherwise, concerning its society and +its ample means of greatness, impressed me so favorably as to the +advantages still open to the settler, that I put down in the form of +letters such facts as I thought would be of general interest. Since +their publication-- in the Boston, Post-- a few requests, which I +could not comply with, were made for copies of them all. I was led to +believe, therefore, that if I revised them and added information +relative to unoccupied lands, the method of preemption, and the +business interests of the territory, they would be worthy of +publication in a more permanent form. Conscious that what I have +written is an inadequate description of that splendid domain, I shall +be happy indeed to have contributed, in ever so small a degree, to +advance its growth and welfare. + +Here I desire to acknowledge the aid which has been readily extended +to my undertaking by the Delegate from Minnesota-- Hon. HENRY M. +RICE-- whose faithful and unwearied services-- I will take the liberty +to add-- in behalf of the territory, merit the highest praise. I am +also indebted for valuable information to EARL S. GOODRICH, Esq., +editor of the Daily Pioneer (St. Paul) and Democrat. + +In another place I give a list of the works which I have had occasion +to consult or refer to. + + C. C. ANDREWS. + +Washington, January 1, 1857. + _______ + + LIST OF WORKS WHICH HAVE BEEN CONSULTED OR REFERRED TO IN THE + PREPARATION OF THIS WORK. + +Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi, by Major Z. M. PIKE vol. +Philadelphia; 1807. + +Travels to the Source of the Missouri River, by Captains LEWIS and +CLARKE. 3 vols. London: 1815. + +Expedition to the Source of the St. Peter's River, Lake Winnepek, &c., +under command of Major STEPHEN H. LONG 2 vols. Philadelphia: 1824. + +British Dominions in North America. By JOSEPH BOUCHETTE, Esq. 3 vols. +London: 1832. + +History of the Colonies of the British Empire. By R. M. MARTIN, Esq. +London; 1843. + +Report on the Hydrographical Basin of the Upper Mississippi, by J. N. +NICOLLET. Senate Document 237, 2d Session, 26th Congress. Washington: +1843. + +Report, of an Exploration of the Territory of Minnesota, by Brevet +Captain JOHN POPE, Corps Topographical Engineers. Senate Document 42, +1st Session, 31st Congress. Washington: 1850. + +Sketches of Minnesota. By E. S. SEYMOUR. New York: 1850. + +Report on Colonial and Lake Trade, by ISRAEL D. ANDREWS, Consul +General of the United States for the British Provinces. Executive +Document 112, 1st Session, 32d Congress. Washington: 1852. + +History of the Discovery and Exploration of the Mississippi River. By +J. G. SHEA. New York: 1852. + +Minnesota and its Resources. By J. WESLEY BOND. New York: 1853. + +Discovery of the Sources of the Mississippi River. By HENRY R. +SCHOOLCRAFT. Philadelphia: 1855. + +Exploration and Surveys for a Railroad Route from the Mississippi +River to the Pacific Ocean, made under the direction of the Secretary +of War in 1853-4, (including Reports of Gov. Stevens and others.) +Washington: 1855. + +The Emigrant's Guide to Minnesota By an Old Resident. 1 vol. St. +Anthony: 1856. + _______ + + CONTENTS. + _______ + + LETTER I. BALTIMORE TO CHICAGO. + +Anecdote of a preacher-- Monopoly of seats in the cars-- Detention in +the night-- Mountain scenery on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad-- +Voting in the cars-- Railroad refreshments-- Political excitement-- +The Virginian and the Fremonters-- A walk in Columbus-- Indianapolis-- +Lafayette-- Michigan City-- Chicago + + LETTER II. CHICAGO TO ST. PAUL. + +Railroads to the Mississippi-- Securing passage on the steamboat-- The +Lady Franklin-- Scenery of the Mississippi-- Hastings-- Growth of +settlements + + LETTER III. CITY OF ST. PAUL. + +First settlement of St. Paul-- Population-- Appearance of the city-- +Fuller House-- Visitors-- Roads-- Minneapolis-- St. Anthony-- +Suspension Bridge + + LETTER IV. THE BAR. + +Character of the Minnesota bar-- Effect of connecting land business +with practice-- Courts-- Recent Legislation of Congress as to the +territorial judiciary-- The code of practice-- Practice in land +cases-- Chances for lawyers in the West-- Charles O'Connor-- Requisite +qualifications of a lawyer-- The power and usefulness of a great +lawyer-- Talfourd's character of Sir William Follett-- Blending law +with politics-- Services of lawyers in deliberative assemblies + + LETTER V. ST. PAUL TO CROW WING IN TWO DAYS. + +Stages-- Roads-- Rum River-- Indian treaty-- Itasca-- Sauk Rapids-- +Watab at midnight-- Lodging under difficulties-- Little Rock River-- +Character of Minnesota streams-- Dinner at Swan River-- Little Falls-- +Fort Ripley-- Arrival at Crow Wing + + LETTER VI. THE TOWN OF CROW WING. + +Scenery-- First Settlement of Crow Wing-- Red Lake Indians-- Mr. +Morrison-- Prospects of the town-- Upper navigation-- Mr. Beaulieu-- +Washington's theory as to Norfolk-- Observations on the growth of +towns + + LETTER VII. CHIPPEWA INDIANS-- HOLE-IN-THE-DAY. + +Description of the Chippewa tribes-- Their habits and customs-- +Mission at Gull Lake-- Progress in farming-- Visit to +Hole-in-the-day-- His enlightened character-- Reflections on Indian +character, and the practicability of their civilization-- Their +education-- Mr. Manypenny's exertions + + LETTER VIII. LUMBERING INTERESTS. + +Lumber as an element of wealth-- Quality of Minnesota lumber-- +Locality of its growth-- The great pineries-- Trespasses on government +land-- How the lumbermen elude the government-- Value of lumber-- +Character of the practical lumberman-- Transportation of lumber on +rafts + + LETTER IX. SHORES OF LAKE SUPERIOR. + +Description of the country around Lake Superior-- Minerals-- Locality +of a commercial city-- New land districts-- Buchanan-- Ojibeway-- +Explorations to the sources of the Mississippi-- Henry R. +Schoolcraft-- M. Nicollet's report-- Resources of the country above +Crow Wing + + LETTER X. VALLEY OF THE RED RIVER OF THE NORTH. + +Climate of Minnesota-- The settlement at Pembina-- St. Joseph-- Col. +Smith's expedition-- Red River of the North-- Fur trade-- Red River +Settlement-- The Hudson's Bay Company-- Ex-Gov. Ramsey's +observations-- Dacotah + + LETTER XI. THE TRUE PIONEER. + +Energy of the pioneer-- Frontier life-- Spirit of emigration-- +Advantages to the farmer in moving West-- Advice in regard to making +preemption claims-- Abstract of the preemption law-- Hints to the +settler-- Character and services of the pioneer + + LETTER XII. SPECULATION AND BUSINESS. + +Opportunities to select farms-- Otter Tail Lake-- Advantages of the +actual settler over the speculator-- Policy of new states as to taxing +non-residents-- Opportunities to make money-- Anecdote of Col. +Perkins-- Mercantile business-- Price of money-- Intemperance-- +Education-- The free school + + LETTER XIII. CROW WING TO ST. CLOUD. + +Pleasant drive in the stage-- Scenery-- The past-- Fort Ripley Ferry-- +Delay at the Post Office-- Belle Prairie-- A Catholic priest-- Dinner +at Swan River-- Potatoes-- Arrival at Watab-- St. Cloud + + LETTER XIV. ST. CLOUD-- THE PACIFIC TRAIL. + +Agreeable visit at St. Cloud-- Description of the place-- Causes of +the rapid growth of towns-- Gen. Lowry-- The back country-- Gov. +Stevens's report-- Mr. Lambert's views-- Interesting account of Mr. A. +W. Tinkham's exploration + + LETTER XV. ST. CLOUD TO ST. PAUL. + +Importance of starting early-- Judge Story's theory of early rising-- +Rustic scenery-- Horses and mules-- Surveyors-- Humboldt-- Baked +fish-- Getting off the track-- Burning of hay stacks-- Supper at St. +Anthony-- Arrival at the Fuller House + + LETTER XVI. PROGRESS. + +Rapid growth of the North-West-- Projected railroads-- Territorial +system of the United States-- Inquiry into the cause of Western +progress-- Influence of just laws and institutions-- Lord Bacon's +remark + + THE PROPOSED NEW TERRITORY OF DACOTAH. + +Organization of Minnesota as a state-- Suggestions as to its +division-- Views of Captain Pope-- Character and resources of the new +territory to be left adjoining-- Its occupation by the Dacotah +Indians-- Its organization and name + + POST OFFICES AND POSTMASTERS + + LAND OFFICES AND LAND OFFICERS + + NEWSPAPERS PUBLISHED IN MINNESOTA + + TABLE OF DISTANCES + + PRE-EMPTION FOR CITY OR TOWN SITES + _______ + + PART I. + + LETTERS ON MINNESOTA. + _______ + + MINNESOTA AND DACOTAH. + _______ + + LETTER I. + + BALTIMORE TO CHICAGO. + +Anecdote of a preacher-- Monopoly of seats in the cars-- Detention in +the night-- Mountain scenery on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad-- +Voting in the cars-- Railroad refreshments-- Political excitement-- +The Virginian and the Fremonters-- A walk in Columbus-- Indianapolis-- +Lafayette-- Michigan City-- Chicago. + +CHICAGO, October, 1856. + +I SIT down at the first place where a pen can be used, to give you +some account of my trip to Minnesota. And if any one should complain +that this is a dull letter, let me retain his good-will by the +assurance that the things I expect to describe in my next will be of +more novelty and interest. And here I am reminded of a good little +anecdote which I am afraid I shall not have a better chance to tell. +An eminent minister of the Gospel was preaching in a new place one +Sunday, and about half through his sermon when two or three +dissatisfied hearers got up to leave, "My friends," said he, "I have +one small favor to ask. As an attempt has been made to prejudice my +reputation in this vicinity, I beg you to be candid enough, if any one +asks how you liked my sermon, to say you didn't stop to hear me +through." + +Stepping into the cars on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad a few +evenings ago-- for I am not going to say anything of my trip further +east-- I saw as great an exhibition of selfishness as one often meets +in travelling. This was in the rear car, the others being all crowded. +The seats were spacious, and had high backs for night travelling. A +gentleman entered the car and proposed to sit in a seat in which was +only one child, but he was informed by a feminine voice in the rear +that the whole seat was taken-- so he advanced to the next seat, which +was occupied by another child, a boy about eight years old-- again the +same voice, confirmed by one of the other sex, informed him in very +decided terms that that also was wholly occupied. The gentleman of +course did not attempt to take a seat with this lady, but advancing +still further, in a seat behind her he saw another child the only +occupant. His success here was no better. The fact was, here was a +family of a husband, wife, and three children occupying five entire +seats. The traveller politely asked if it would not be convenient for +two of the children to sit together. "No," said the lady and her +husband (and they spoke together, though they didn't sit together), +"the children want all the room so as to sleep." The traveller +betrayed no feeling until the husband aforesaid pointed out for him a +seat next to a colored woman who sat alone near the door of the car, +some little distance off. It was quite apparent, and it was the fact, +that this colored woman was the servant of the family; and the +traveller appeared to think that, although as an "original question" +he might not object to the proffered seat, yet it was not civil for a +man to offer him what he would not use himself. The scene closed by +the traveller's taking a seat with another gentleman, I mention this +incident because it is getting to be too common for people to claim +much more room than belongs to them, and because I have seen persons +who are modest and unused to travelling subjected to considerable +annoyance in consequence. Moreover, conductors are oftentimes fishing +so much after popularity, that they wink at misconduct in high life. + +Somewhere about midnight, along the banks of the Potomac, and, if I +remember right, near the town of Hancock, the cars were detained for +three hours. A collision had occurred twelve hours before, causing an +extensive destruction of cars and freight, and heavy fragments of both +lay scattered over the track. Had it not been for the skilful use of a +steam-engine in dragging off the ruins, we must have waited till the +sun was up. Two or three large fires were kindled with the ruins, so +that the scene of the disaster was entirely visible. And the light +shining in the midst of the thick darkness, near the river, with the +crowd of people standing around, was not very romantic, perhaps not +picturesque-- but it was quite novel; and the novelty of the scene +enabled us to bear with greater patience the gloomy delay. + +The mountain scenery in plain sight of the traveller over the +Baltimore and Ohio road is more extensive and protracted, and I think +as beautiful, as on any road in the United States. There are as wild +places seen on the road across Tennessee from Nashville, and as +picturesque scenes on the Pennsylvania Central road-- perhaps the +White Mountains as seen from the Atlantic and St. Lawrence road +present a more sublime view-- but I think on the road I speak of, +there is more gorgeous mountain scenery than on any other. On such +routes one passes through a rude civilization. The settlements are +small and scattered, exhibiting here and there instances of thrift and +contentment, but generally the fields are small and the houses in +proportion. The habits of the people are perhaps more original than +primitive. It was along the route that I saw farmers gathering their +corn on sleds. The cheerful scene is often witnessed of the whole +family-- father, mother, and children-- at work gathering the crops. +These pictures of cottage life in the mountain glens, with the +beautiful variegated foliage of October for groundwork, are objects +which neither weary nor satiate our sight. + +The practice of taking a vote for presidential candidates in the cars +has been run into the ground. By this I mean that it has been carried +to a ridiculous excess. So far I have had occasion to vote several +times. A man may be indifferent as to expressing his vote when out of +his state; but a man's curiosity must have reached a high pitch when +he travels through a train of cars to inquire how the passengers vote. +It is not uncommon, I find, for people to carry out the joke by voting +with their real opponents. Various devices are resorted to to get a +unanimous vote. For example, a man will say, "All who are in favor of +Buchanan take off their boots; all in favor of Fremont keep them on." +Again, when there are several passengers on a stage-coach out west, +and they are passing under the limbs of a tree, or low bridge, as they +are called, it is not unusual far a Fremont man to say, "All in favor +of Fremont bow their heads." + +I have a word to say about refreshments on railroad routes. It is, +perhaps, well known that the price for a meal anywhere on a railroad +in the United States is fifty cents. That is the uniform price. Would +that the meals were as uniform! But alas! a man might as well get a +quid of tobacco with his money, for he seldom gets a quid pro quo. +Once in a couple of days' travel you may perhaps get a wholesome meal, +but as a general thing what you get (when you get out of New England) +isn't worth over a dime. You stop at a place, say for breakfast, after +having rode all night. The conductor calls out, "Twenty minutes for +breakfast." There is a great crowd and a great rush, of course. Well, +the proprietor expects there will be a crowd, and ought to be +prepared. But how is it? Perhaps you are lucky enough to get a seat at +the table. Then your chance to get something to eat is as one to +thirteen: for as there is nothing of any consequence on the table, +your luck depends on your securing the services of a waiter who at the +same time is being called on by about thirteen others as hungry as +yourself. Then suppose you succeed! First comes a cup of black coffee, +strong of water; then a piece of tough fried beef steak, some fried +potatoes, a heavy biscuit-- a little sour (and in fact everything is +sour but the pickles). You get up when you have finished eating-- it +would be a mockery to say when you have satisfied your appetite-- and +at the door stand two muscular men (significantly the proprietor is +aware of the need of such) with bank bills drawn through their +fingers, who are prepared to receive your 50c. It is not unusual to +hear a great deal of indignation expressed by travellers on such +occasions. No man has a right to grumble at the fare which hospitality +sets before him. But when he buys a dinner at a liberal price, in a +country where provisions are abundant, he has a right to expect +something which will sustain life and health. Those individuals who +have the privilege of furnishing meals to railroad travellers probably +find security in the reflection that their patronage does not depend +on the will of their patrons. But the evil can be remedied by the +proprietors and superintendents of the roads, and the public will look +for a reformation in dinners and suppers at their hands. + +I might say that from Benwood, near Wheeling-- where I arrived at +about four in the afternoon, having been nearly twenty-four hours +coming 875 miles-- I passed on to Zanesville to spend the night; +thinking it more convenient, as it surely was, to go to bed at eleven +at night and start the next morning at eight, than to go to bed at +Wheeling at nine, or when I chose, and start again at two in the +morning. The ride that evening was pleasant. The cars were filled with +lusty yeomen, all gabbling politics. There was an overwhelming +majority for Fremont. Under such circumstances it was a virtue for a +Buchanan man to show his colors. There was a solid old Virginian +aboard; and his open and intelligent countenance-- peculiar, it seems +to me, to Virginia-- denoted that he was a good-hearted man. I was +glad to see him defend his side of politics with so much zeal against +the Fremonters. He argued against half a dozen of them with great +spirit and sense. In spite of the fervor of his opponents, however, +they treated him with proper respect and kindness. It was between +eleven and twelve when I arrived at Zanesville. I hastened to the +Stacy House with my friend, J. E B. (a young gentleman on his way to +Iowa, whose acquaintance I regard it as good luck to have made). The +Stacy House could give us lodgings, but not a mouthful of +refreshments. As the next best thing, we descended to a restaurant, +which seemed to be in a very drowsy condition, where we soon got some +oyster and broiled chicken, not however without paying for it an +exorbitant price. I rather think, however, I shall go to the Stacy +House again when next I visit Zanesville, for, on the whole, I have no +fault to find with it. Starting at eight the next morning, we were +four hours making the distance (59 miles) from Zanesville to Columbus. +The road passes through a country of unsurpassed loveliness. Harvest +fields, the most luxuriant, were everywhere in view. At nearly every +stopping-place the boys besieged us with delicious apples and grapes, +too tempting to be resisted. We had an hour to spend at Columbus, +which, after booking our names at the Neil House for dinner-- and +which is a capital house-- we partly spent in a walk about the city. +It is the capital of the state, delightfully situated on the Scioto +river, and has a population in the neighborhood of 20,000. The new +Capitol there is being built on a scale of great magnificence. Though +the heat beat down intensely, and the streets were dusty, we were +"bent on seeing the town." We-- my friend B. and myself-- had walked +nearly half a mile down one of the fashionable streets for dwellings, +when we came to a line which was drawn across the sidewalk in front of +a residence, which, from the appearance, might have belonged to one of +the upper-ten. The line was in charge of two or three little girls, +the eldest of whom was not over twelve. She was a bright-eyed little +miss, and had in her face a good share of that metal which the vulgar +think is indispensable to young lawyers. We came to a gradual pause at +sight of this novel obstruction. "Buchanan, Fillmore, or Fremont?" +said she, in a tone of dogmatical interrogatory. B. was a fervid +Fremonter-- he probably thought she was-- so he exclaimed, "Vermont +for ever!" I awaited the sequel in silence. "Then you may go round," +said the little female politician. "You may go round," and round we +went, not a little amused at such an exhibition of enthusiasm. I +remember very well the excitement during the campaign of 1840; and I +did my share with the New Hampshire boys in getting up decoy cider +barrels to humbug the Whigs as they passed in their barouches to +attend some great convention or hear Daniel Webster. But it seems to +me there is much more political excitement during this campaign than +there was in 1840. Flagstaffs and banners abound in the greatest +profusion in every village. Every farm-house has some token of its +polities spread to the breeze. + +At twenty minutes past one-- less or more-- we left Columbus, and +after travelling 158 miles, via Dayton, we came to Indianapolis, the +great "Railroad City," as it is called, of the west. It was half past +nine when we arrived there. I did not have time to go up to the Bates +House, where I once had the pleasure of stopping, but concluded to get +supper at a hotel near the depot, where there was abundant time to go +through the ceremony of eating. It strikes me that Indianapolis would +be an agreeable place to reside in. There are some cities a man feels +at home in as soon as he gets into them; there are others which make +him homesick; just as one will meet faces which in a moment make a +good impression on him, or which leave a dubious or disagreeable +impression. That city has 16,000 people. Its streets are wide, and its +walks convenient. All things denote enterprise, liberality, and +comfort. It is 210 miles from Indianapolis to this city, via Lafayette +and Michigan City. We ought to have made the time in less than twelve +hours, and, but for protracted detentions at Lafayette and Michigan +City, we would have done so. We reached the latter place at daylight, +and there waited about the depot in dull impatience for the Detroit +and Chicago train. It is the principal lake harbor in Indiana. + +It is about two years since I was last in Chicago; and as I have +walked about its streets my casual observation confirms the universal +account of its growth and prosperity. I have noticed some new and +splendid iron and marble buildings in the course of completion. +Chicago is a great place to find old acquaintances. For its busy +population comprises citizens from every section of the United States, +and from every quarter of the globe. The number of its inhabitants is +now estimated at 100,000. Everybody that can move is active. It is a +city of activity. Human thoughts are all turned towards wealth. All +seem to he contending in the race for riches: some swift and daring on +the open course; some covertly lying low for a by-path. You go along +the streets by jerks: down three feet to the street here; then up four +slippery steps to the sidewalk there. Here a perfect crowd and +commotion-- almost a mob-- because the drawbridge is up. You would +think there was a wonderful celebration coming off at twelve, and that +everybody was hurrying through his work to be in season for it. Last +year 20,000,000 bushels of grain were brought into Chicago. Five years +ago there were not a hundred miles of railroad in the state of +Illinois. Now there are more than two thousand. Illinois has all the +elements of empire. Long may its great metropolis prosper! + + LETTER II. + + CHICAGO TO ST. PAUL. + +Railroads to the Mississippi-- Securing passage on the steamboat-- The +Lady Franklin-- Scenery of the Mississippi-- Hastings-- Growth of +settlements + +ST. PAUL, October, 1856. + +HOW short a time it is since a railroad to the Mississippi was thought +a wonder! And now within the state of Illinois four terminate on its +banks. Of course I started on one of these roads from Chicago to get +to Dunleith. I think it is called the Galena and Chicago Union Road. A +good many people have supposed Galena to be situated on the +Mississippi river, and indeed railroad map makers have had it so +located as long as it suited their convenience-- (for they have a +remarkable facility in annihilating distance and in making crooked +ways straight)-- yet the town is some twelve miles from the great +river on a narrow but navigable stream. The extent and importance of +Rockford, Galena, and Dunleith cannot fail to make a strong impression +on the traveller. They are towns of recent growth, and well illustrate +that steam-engine sort of progress peculiar now-a-days in the west. +Approaching Galena we leave the region of level prairie and enter a +mineral country of naked bluffs or knolls, where are seen extensive +operations in the lead mines. The trip from Chicago to Dunleith at the +speed used on most other roads would be performed in six hours, but +ten hours are usually occupied, for what reason I cannot imagine. +However, the train is immense, having on board about six or seven +hundred first class passengers, and two-thirds as many of the second +class. Travelling in the cars out west is not exactly what it is +between Philadelphia and New York, or New York and Boston, in this +respect: that in the West more families are found, in the cars, and +consequently more babies and carpet bags. + +It may not be proper to judge of the health of a community by the +appearance of people who are seen standing about a railroad station; +yet I have often noticed, when travelling through Illinois, that this +class had pale and sickly countenances, showing too clearly the traces +of fever and ague. + +But I wish to speak about leaving the cars at Dunleith and taking the +steamboat for St. Paul. There is a tremendous rush for the boats in +order to secure state-rooms. Agents of different boats approach the +traveller, informing him all about their line of boats, and +depreciating the opposition boats. For instance, an agent, or, if you +please, a runner of a boat called Lucy-- not Long-- made the assertion +on the levee with great zeal and perfect impunity that no other boat +but the said Lucy would leave for St. Paul within twenty-four hours; +when it must have been known to him that another boat on the mail line +would start that same evening, as was actually the fact. But the +activity of the runners was needless; for each boat had more +passengers than it could well accommodate. I myself went aboard the " +Lady Franklin," one of the mail boats, and was accommodated with a +state-room. But what a scene is witnessed for the first two hours +after the passengers begin to come aboard! The cabin is almost filled, +and a dense crowd surrounds the clerk's office, just as the ticket +office of a theatre is crowded on a benefit night. Of course not more +than half can get state-rooms and the rest must sleep on the cabin +floor. Over two hundred cabin passengers came up on the Lady Franklin. +The beds which are made on the floor are tolerably comfortable, as +each boat is supplied with an extra number of single mattresses. The +Lady Franklin is an old boat, and this is said to be its last season.1 +Two years ago it was one of the excursion fleet to St. Paul, and was +then in its prime. But steamboats are short lived. We had three tables +set, and those who couldn't get a seat at the first or second sat at +the third. There was a choice you may believe, for such was the havoc +made with the provisions at the first table that the second and third +were not the most inviting. It was amusing to see gentlemen seat +themselves in range of the plates as soon as they were laid, and an +hour before the table was ready. But the officers were polite-- as is +generally the case on steamboats till you get down to the second +mate-- and in the course of a day or two, when the passengers begin to +be acquainted, the time wears away pleasantly. We were nearly four +days in making the trip. The line of boats of which the Lady Franklin +is one, carries the mail at fifty dollars a trip. During the boating +season I believe the fare varies from seven to ten dollars to St. +Paul.2 This season there have been two lines of boats running to +Minnesota. All of them have made money fast; and next season many more +boats will run. The "Northern Belle" is the best boat this season, and +usually makes the trip up in two days. The advertised time is thirty +hours. + +[1 Three weeks after this trip the Lady Franklin was snagged, and +became a total toss.] + +[2 The following is a table of distances from Galena to St. Paul: + +Dubuque, + +24 + + +Dunleith, + +1 + +25 + +Potosi Landing, + +14 + +39 + +Waupaton, + +10 + +49 + +Buena Vista, + +5 + +54 + +Cassville, + +4 + +58 + +Guttenberg, + +10 + +68 + +Clayton, + +12 + +80 + +Wyalusing, + +5 + +85 + +McGregor's, + +6 + +91 + +Prairie du Chien, + +4 + +95 + +Red House, + +5 + +100 + +Johnson's Landing, + +2 + +102 + +Lafayette, + +30 + +132 + +Columbus, + +2 + +134 + +Lansing, + +1 + +135 + +De Soto, + +6 + +141 + +Victory, + +10 + +151 + +Badaxe City, + +10 + +161 + +Warner's Landing, + +6 + +167 + +Brownsville, + +10 + +177 + +La Crosse, + +12 + +189 + +Dacotah, + +12 + +201 + +Richmond, + +6 + +207 + +Monteville, + +5 + +212 + +Homer, + +10 + +222 + +Winona, + +7 + +229 + +Fountain City, + +12 + +241 + +Mount Vernon, + +14 + +255 + +Minneiska, + +4 + +259 + +Alma, + +15 + +274 + +Wabashaw, + +10 + +284 + +Nelson's Landing, + +3 + +287 + +Reed's Landing, + +2 + +289 + +Foot of Lake Pepin, + +2 + +291 + +North Pepin, + +6 + +297 + +Johnstown, + +2 + +299 + +Lake City, + +5 + +304 + +Central Point, + +2 + +306 + +Florence, + +3 + +309 + +Maiden Rock, + +3 + +312 + +Westerville, + +3 + +315 + +Wacouta, + +12 + +327 + +Red Wing, + +6 + +333 + +Thing's Landing, + +7 + +340 + +Diamond bluff, + +8 + +348 + +Prescott, + +13 + +361 + +Point Douglass, + +1 + +362 + +Hastings, + +3 + +365 + +Grey Cloud, + +12 + +377 + +Pine Bend, + +4 + +381 + +Red Rock, + +8 + +389 + +Kaposia, + +3 + +392 + +St. Paul, + +5 + +397 + +] + +The scenery on the upper Mississippi is reputed to be beautiful. So it +is. Yet all river scenery is generally monotonous. One gets tired of +looking at high rocky ridges quite as quickly as at more tame and +tranquil scenery. The bluffs on either side of the Mississippi, for +most of the way between Dunleith and St. Anthony's Falls, constitute +some of the most beautiful river scenery in the world. It is seldom +that they rise over two hundred feet from the water level, and their +height is quite uniform, so that from a distant point of view their +summit resembles a huge fortification. Nor, as a general thing, do +they present a bold or rocky front. The rise from the river is +gradual. Sometimes they rise to a sharp peak, towards the top of which +crops out in half circles heavy ridges of limestone. The ravines which +seem to divide them into separate elevations, are more thickly wooded, +and appear to have been grooved out by the rolling down of deep +waters. The most attractive feature of these bluffs-- or miniature +mountains, as they might be called-- is their smooth grassy surface, +thinly covered over with shade trees of various kinds. Whoever has +seen a large orchard on a hill side can imagine how the sides of these +bluffs look. At this season of the year the variegated foliage of the +trees gives them a brilliant appearance. It is quite rare to see a +bluff which rises gradually enough to admit of its being a good town +site. Hence it is that settlements on the banks of the river will +never be very numerous. Nature has here interposed against that +civilization which adorns the lower Mississippi. It appears to me that +all the available points for town sites on the river are taken up as +far as the bluffs extend; and some of these will require a great +amount of excavation before they can grow to importance. + +But there are several thrifty and pleasant villages in Minnesota, on +the river, before reaching St. Paul. The first one of importance is +Brownsville, where, for some time, was a United States land office. It +is 168 miles above Dunleith. Winona, 58 miles farther up, is a larger +town. It is said to contain 5000 population. There is a land office +there also. But the town stands on land which, in very high water, +will run too much risk of inundation. Passing by several other +landings and germs of towns, we come to Wacouta, ninety-eight miles +above; which is a successful lumber depot. Six miles further on is Red +Wing, a place which delighted me on account of its cheerful location. +It is growing quite fast, and is the seat of a large Methodist +seminary. But the town of Hastings, thirty-two miles above, eclipses +everything but St. Paul. It is finely located on rising ground, and +the river is there narrow and deep. The boat stopped here an hour, and +I had a good opportunity to look about the place. The town appears to +have considerable trade with the back country. Its streets are laid +out with regularity; its stores and buildings are spacious, durable, +and neat. I heard that over $2000 were asked for several of the +building lots. A little way into the interior of the town I saw men at +work on a stone church; and approaching the spot, I determined to make +some inquiries of a boy who was briskly planing boards. First, I asked +how much the church was going to cost? About $3000, he replied. + +"Are there any other churches in the place?" + +"Yes, up there, where they are building." + +"What denomination is that?" + +"I don't know," he responded. "I only came into the place yesterday." + +I thought he was doing well to begin to build churches so soon after +his arrival. And from his countenance, I have no doubt he will do +well, and become a useful citizen of the state. Hastings has its +democratic press-- the Dakota Journal, edited by J. C. Dow, a talented +young man from New Hampshire. The population of the town is about two +thousand. It is thirty-two miles below St. Paul, on the west side of +the river. There is nothing of especial interest between the two +places. + +The great panorama which time paints is but a species of dissolving +views. It is but as yesterday since the present sites of towns and +cities on the shores just referred to showed only the rude huts of +Indian tribes. To-day, the only vestige left there of the Indian are +his burying-grounds. Hereafter the rudeness of pioneer life shall be +exchanged for a more genial civilization, and the present, then the +past, will be looked back to as trivial by men still yearning for the +future. + + LETTER III. + + CITY OF ST. PAUL. + +First settlement of St. Paul-- Population-- Appearance of the city-- +Fuller House-- Visitors-- Roads-- Minneapolis-- St. Anthony-- +Suspension Bridge. + +FULLER HOUSE, ST. PAUL, October, 1856. + +THE circumstance of finding a good spring of water first led to the +settlement of Boston. It would not be unreasonable to suppose that a +similar advantage induced the first settler of St. Paul to locate +here; for I do not suppose its pioneers for a long while dreamed of +its becoming a place even of its present importance. And here let me +mention that St. Paul is not on the west side of the Mississippi, but +on the east. Though it is rather too elevated and rough in its natural +state to have been coveted for a farm, it is yet just such a spot as a +pioneer would like to plant himself upon, that he might stand in his +door and have a broad and beautiful view towards the south and west. +And when the speculator came he saw that it was at the head of +navigation of what be thought was the Upper Mississippi, but which in +reality is only the Middle Mississippi. Then stores were put up, small +and rude, and trade began to increase with settlers and hunters of +furs. Then came the organization of the territory, and the location of +the capital here, so that St. Paul began to thrive still more from the +crumbs which fell from the government table, as also by that flood of +emigration which nothing except the Rocky Mountains has ever stayed +from entering a new territory. And now it has passed its doubtful era. +It has passed from its wooden to its brick age. Before men are certain +of the success of a town, they erect one story pine shops; but when +its success appears certain, they build high blocks of brick or +granite stores. So now it is common to see four and five story brick +or stone buildings going up in St. Paul. + +I believe this city numbers at present about 10,000 population. It is +destined to increase for a few years still more rapidly than it has +heretofore. But that it will be a second Chicago is what I do not +expect. It would certainly seem that the high prices demanded for +building lots must retard the progress of the place; but I am told the +prices have always been as high in proportion to the business and +number of population. $500 and upwards is asked for a decent building +lot in remote parts of the town. + +I have had an agreeable stroll down upon the bluff, south-east from +the city, and near the elegant mansion of Mr. Dayton. The first +engraving of St. Paul was made from a view taken at that point. As I +stood looking at the city, I recalled the picture in Mr. Bond's work, +and contrasted its present with the appearance it had three or four +years ago. What a change! Three or four steamers were lying at the +levee; steam and smoke were shooting forth from the chimneys of +numerous manufactories; a ferry was plying the Mississippi, +transporting teams and people; church steeples and domes and great +warehouses stood in places which were vacant as if but yesterday; busy +streets had been built and peopled; rows of splendid dwellings and +villas, adorned with delightful terraces and gardens, had been +erected. I went out on Sunday morning too, and the view was none the +less pleasant. Business was silent; but the church bells were ringing +out their sweet and solemn melody, and the mellow sunlight of autumn +glittered on the bright roofs and walls in the city. The whole scene +revealed the glorious image of that ever advancing civilization which +springs from well rewarded labor and general intelligence. + +Like all new and growing places in the west, St. Paul has its whiskey +shops, its dusty and dirty streets, its up and down sidewalks, and its +never-ceasing whirl of business. Yet it has its churches, well filled; +its spacious school-houses; its daily newspapers; and well-adorned +mansions. There are many cottages and gardens situated on the most +elevated part of the city, north and west, which would not suffer by a +comparison with those cheerful and elegant residences so numerous for +six to ten miles around Boston. From the parlors of these homes one +may look down upon the city and upon the smooth bosom of the river. In +the streets, too, you see much evidence of opulence and luxury, in the +shape of handsome carriages, which are set out to advantage by a +first-rate quality of horses. + +One element of the success of this city is the public spirit of its +leading business men. They have put their hands deep into their +pockets to improve and advance the place. In all their rivalry there +is an amicable feeling and boundless liberality. They help him that +tries to help himself, and help each other in a way that will help +them all together; and such kind of enterprises produces grand +results. Why, here is a new hotel (the Fuller House) at which I stop, +which is surpassed but by very few hotels in the country. It is a +first-class house, built of brick, five stories high, and of much +architectural beauty. The building itself cost upwards of $100,000, +and its furniture over $30,000. Its proprietor is Mr. Long, who has +already had good success in this sort of business. One can well +imagine the comfort of finding such a house at the end of a long and +tedious journey in a new country. + +It is estimated that 28,000 people have visited and left St. Paul +during the present season. During July and August the travel +diminishes, but as soon as autumn sets in it comes on again in daily +floods. It is really a novel and interesting state of things one finds +on his arrival at the hotel. There are so many people from so many +different places! Then everybody is a stranger to almost everybody, +and therefore quite willing to get acquainted with somebody. Everybody +wants a bit of information on some point. Everybody is going to some +place where he thinks somebody has been or is going, and so a great +many new acquaintances are made without ceremony or delay; and old +acquaintances are revived. I find people who have come from all +sections of the country-- from the east and the west, and from the +south-- not adventurers merely, but men of substance and means, who +seek a healthier climate and a pleasant home. Nor can I here omit to +mention the meeting of my friend, Col. A. J. Whitney, who is one of +the pioneers of Minnesota, and with whom I had two years before +travelled over the western prairies. A. H. Marshall, Esq., of Concord, +N. H., well known as a popular speaker, is also here on a visit. + +But what are the roads leading from St. Paul, and what are the +facilities of travel to places beyond? These are questions which I +suppose some would like to have answered. There is a road to +Stillwater, and a stage, which I believe runs daily. That is the route +now often taken to Lake Superior. This morning three men came in on +that stage from Superior, who have been a week on the journey. The +great highway of the territory extends as far as Crow Wing, 130 miles +north of here. It passes St. Anthony and several important towns on +the eastern bank of the Mississippi. In a day or two I intend to take +a journey as far as Crow Wing, and I can then write with more +knowledge on the subject. + +A very pretty drive out of St. Paul is by the cave. This is an object +worth visiting, and is about two miles out of the city. Three or four +miles beyond are the beautiful falls of Minnehaha, or laughing water. +The drive also takes in Fort Snelling. St. Anthony is on the east side +of the Mississippi; Minneapolis is opposite, on the west side. Both +places are now large and populous. The main street of St. Anthony is +over a mile in length. One of the finest water powers in the Union is +an element of growth to both towns. The lumber which is sawed there is +immense. A company is undertaking to remove the obstructions to +navigation in the river between St. Paul and St. Anthony. $20,000 were +raised for the purpose; one-half by the Steamboat Company, and the +other half by the people of St. Anthony. The suspension bridge which +connects Minneapolis with St. Anthony is familiar to all. It is a fit +type of the enterprise of the people. I forget the exact sum I paid as +toll when I walked across the bridge-- perhaps it was a dime; at any +rate I was struck with the answer given by the young man who took the +toll, in reply to my inquiry as I returned, if my coming back wasn't +included in the toll paid going over? " No," said he, in a very +good-natured way, "we don't know anything about coming back; it's all +go ahead in this country." + + LETTER IV. + + THE BAR. + +Character of the Minnesota bar-- Effect of connecting land business +with practice-- Courts-- Recent legislation of Congress as to the +territorial judiciary-- The code of practice-- Practice in land +cases-- Chances for lawyers in the West-- Charles O'Connor-- Requisite +qualifications of a lawyer-- The power and usefulness of a great +lawyer-- Talfourd's character of Sir William Follett-- Blending law +with politics-- Services of lawyers in deliberative assemblies + +ST. PAUL, October, 1856. + +I HAVE not yet been inside of a court of justice, nor seen a case +tried, since I have been in the territory. But it has been my pleasure +to meet one of the judges of the supreme court and several prominent +members of the bar. My impression is, that in point of skill and +professional ability the Minnesota bar is a little above the average +of territorial bars. Here, as in the West generally, the practice is +common for lawyers to mix with their profession considerable +miscellaneous business, such as the buying and selling of land. The +law is too jealous a mistress to permit any divided love, and +therefore it cannot be expected that really good lawyers will be found +in the ranks of general business agents and speculators. In other +words, a broker's office is not a lawyer's office. There are some +lawyers here who have attended strictly to the profession, who are +ornaments of it, and who have met with good success. The idea has been +common, and as fatal as common, that success in legal practice could +be easily attained in the West with a small amount of skill and +learning. It is true that a poor lawyer aided by some good qualities +will sometimes rise to affluence and eminence, though such cases are +exceptions. There are able layers in the West, and, though practice +may be less formal and subtle than in older communities, ability and +skill find their relative advancement and reward, while ignorance and +incapacity have their downward tendency just as they do everywhere +else. The fees for professional services are liberal, being higher +than in the East. Before an attorney can be admitted to practise he +must have an examination by, or under the direction of, one of the +judges of the supreme court. The provisions of the territorial +statutes are quite strict in their tendency to maintain upright +practice. + +An act of the present congress has created a revolution in the courts +of the territory. The organic act, SS 9, provided that the territory +should be divided into three judicial districts; "and a district court +shall be held in each of said districts by one of the justices of the +supreme court, at such times and places as may be prescribed by law." +This meant, I suppose, at such times and places as the territorial +legislature should prescribe. Accordingly, as population increased and +extended, and as counties were established, the territorial +legislature increased the places in each district for holding the +district court. Either on account of the expense or for some other +cause congress has just stepped aside from the doctrine of +non-intervention (ch. 124, sec. 5), and abrogated the territorial +legislation so far as to provide that there shall be but one place in +each of the three districts for holding a district court. The act +applies to all territories. In a territory of five or six hundred +miles in extent it is of course inconvenient to have but three places +for holding courts. The Minnesotians complain that it is an +interference with popular sovereignty. It is possible the legislature +might have gone to an extreme in creating places for holding courts; +and I suppose the judges were kept on the march a good deal of the +time. It also looks as if the remedy by congress was extreme. The +people say it is a coercive measure to drive them into a state +organization. + +The administration of justice is secured by a system which is now +common to all the territories, with the exception of Kansas. The +supreme court consists of the three district judges in full bench. +They hold nisi prius terms in their respective districts, which are +called district courts. The judges have a salary of $2000 each, and +are appointed for a term of four years, subject to removal by the +President. The district courts have chancery jurisdiction in matters +where there is not a plain, adequate, and complete remedy at law. +(Stat. of Min. ch. 94, sec. 1.) There are also probate courts. Each +county has two justices of the peace, who are elected by the people. +And I cannot but remark how much better the practice is to elect or +appoint a few justices of the peace rather than to allow the office to +be degraded by wholesale appointments, as a matter of compliment, +according to the usage too common in some Eastern States. The justices +of the peace have jurisdiction in civil cases where the amount in +question does not exceed $100; and when the amount at issue is over +$20 either party may demand a jury of six men to try the case. But +there would be little demand for juries if all magistrates were as +competent as our enlightened friend Judge Russell. + +Special pleading never flourished much in the West. It was never "a +favorite with the court" out this way; while the regard which the +lawyers have cherished for it has been "distant and respectful." It +has been laid on the shelf about as effectually as bleeding in the +practice of medicine. The science of special pleading, as it is known +in these days-- and that in some of the older states-- exists in a +mitigated form from what it did in the days of Coke and Hale. The +opportunities to amend, and the various barriers against admitting a +multiplicity of pleas, have rendered the system so much more rational +than it once was, that it is doubtful if some of the old English +worthies could now identify it. Once a defendant could plead to an +action of assumpsit just as many defences as he chose; first, he could +deny the whole by pleading the general issue; then he could plead the +statute of limitations, infancy, accord and satisfaction, and a dozen +other pleas, by which the plaintiff would be deprived of any clue to +the real defence. I suppose it was this practice of formal lying which +has given rise to the popular error that a lawyer is in the habit of +lying, or is obliged to lie, in his arguments. Many people do not know +the difference between pleading-- which is a process in writing to +bring the parties to an issue-- and the oral arguments of counsel in +courts. It is ridiculous to suppose that it is easy or profitable for +lawyers to make false statements in their arguments. The opposing +counsel is ready to catch at anything of the kind; and if he misstates +the evidence, the jury are aware of it; while if he states what is not +law, the court generally knows it. So there is no opportunity for +lying even if a lawyer should be so disposed. The practice in civil +actions as provided by the statutes of Minnesota is similar-- if not +actually the same-- to the New York code of practice. There is but one +form of action, called an action of contract. The only pleading on the +part of the plaintiff is, 1st, the complaint; 2d, the reply. On the +part of the defendant, 1st, demurrer; or 2d, the answer. (Stats. ch. +70, sec. 58.) The complaint must contain, 1st, the title of the cause, +specifying the name of the court in which the action is brought and +the names of the parties to the action, plaintiff and defendant; 2d, a +statement of the facts constituting the cause of action in ordinary +and concise language, without repetition, and in such a manner as to +enable a person of common understanding to know what is intended; 3d, +a demand of the relief to which the plaintiff supposes himself +entitled. If the recovery of money be demanded the amount must be +stated. (Ibid. sec. 59.) + +While testifying my approval of this code of practice as a whole, I +cannot resist saying that in many respects it is not so systematic as +the Massachusetts code, which was devised by Messrs. Curtis (now Mr. +Justice), Lord, and Chapman. That code is one of the best in the +world. And if I may be allowed one word more about special pleading, I +would say that there is no branch of law which will better reward +study. Without mentioning the practice in the U. S. courts, which +requires, certainly, a knowledge of special pleading, no one can read +the old English reports and text books with much profit, who is +ignorant of the principles of that science. + +A class of business peculiar to new territories and states arises from +the land laws. A great many pre-emption cases are contested before the +land officers, in which the services of lawyers are required. This +fact will partly explain why there are, generally, so many lawyers +located in the vicinity of a land office. In a community that is newly +settled the title to property must often be in dispute; and however +much averse people may be to going to law, they find it frequently +indispensable, if they wish to have their rights settled on a firm +basis. + +The opinion prevails almost universally in the East that a lawyer can +do best in the West. In some respects he can. If he cannot do a good +deal better, he is not compensated for going. I had the pleasure of a +conversation last summer with one of the most eminent members of the +New York bar (Mr. O'Connor), on this very subject. It was his opinion +that western lawyers begin sooner to enjoy their reputation than the +lawyers in the eastern cities. This is true; and results from there +being less competition in newer communities. "A lawyer among us," said +Mr. O'Connor, "seldom acquires eminence till he begins to turn gray." +Nevertheless, there is no field so great and so certain in the long +run, in which one may become really a great lawyer, as in some of our +large commercial cities, whether of the East or the West. To admit of +the highest professional eminence there must be a large and varied +business; and a lawyer must devote himself almost exclusively to law. +And then, when this great reputation is acquired, what does it amount +to? Something now, but not much hereafter. The great lawyer lives a +life of toil and excitement. Often does it seem to "break on the +fragments of a reviving dream." His nerves are worn by the troubles of +others; for the exercise of the profession, as has been said by a +brilliant lawyer, "involves intimate participation with the interests, +hopes, fears, passions, affections, and vicissitudes of many lives." +And yet merely as a lawyer, he seldom leaves any durable vestige of +his fame behind him-- hardly a fortune. But if his fame is transient +and mortal, there is some equivalent in the pleasure of triumph and +the consciousness of power. There is no man so powerful as the great +lawyer. The wealth and the character of his fellow men often depend +upon him. His clients are sometimes powerful corporations, or cities, +or states. Crowded courts listen to his eloquence year after year; and +no one has greater freedom of speech than he. The orator and +politician may be wafted into a conspicuous place for a brief period, +and fall again when popular favor has cooled; yet the lawyer is rising +still higher, nor can the rise and fall of parties shake him from his +high pedestal; for the tenure of his power is not limited. He is, too, +one of the most serviceable protectors of the liberties of his +country. It was as a lawyer that Otis thundered against writs of +assistance. The fearless zeal of Somers, in defence of the seven +bishops, fanned the torch of liberty at the beginning of the great +English revolution. Erskine and Brougham did more as lawyers to +promote freedom of the press, than as Statesmen. + +I cannot refrain from inserting here Mr. Justice Talfourd's +interesting analysis of the professional abilities of Follett: "It may +be well, while the materials for investigation remain, to inquire into +the causes of success, so brilliant and so fairly attained by powers +which have left so little traces of their progress. Erskine was never +more decidedly at the head of the common law bar than Follett; +compared with Follett he was insignificant in the house of commons; +his career was chequered by vanities and weaknesses from which that of +Follett was free; and yet even if he had not been associated with the +greatest constitutional questions of his time and their triumphant +solution, his fame would live by the mere force and beauty of his +forensic eloquence as long as our language. But no collection of the +speeches of Follett has been made; none will ever be attempted; no +speech he delivered is read, except perchance as part of an +interesting trial, and essential to its story, and then the language +is felt to be poor, the cadences without music, and the composition +vapid and spiritless; although, if studied with a view to the secrets +of forensic success, with a 'learned spirit of human dealing,' in +connexion with the facts developed and the difficulties encountered, +will supply abundant materials for admiration of that unerring skill +which induced the repetition of fortunate topics, the dexterous +suppression of the most stubborn things when capable of oblivion, and +the light evasive touch with which the speaker fulfilled his promise +of not forgetting others which could not be passed over, but which, if +deeply considered, might he fatal. If, however, there was no principle +of duration in his forensic achievements, there can be doubt of the +esteem in which they were held or the eagerness with which they were +sought. His supremacy in the minds of clients was more like the rage +of a passion for a youthful Roscius or an extraordinary preacher, than +the result of deliberate consideration; and yet it prevailed, in +questions not of an evening's amusement, but of penury or riches, +honor or shame. Suitors were content, not only to make large +sacrifices for the assured advantage of his advocacy, but for the bare +chance-- the distant hope-- of having some little part (like that +which Phormio desires to retain in Thais) of his faculties, with the +certainty of preventing their opposition. There was no just ground, in +his case, for the complaint that he received large fees for services +he did not render; for the chances were understood by those who +adventured in his lottery; in which after all there were comparatively +few blanks. His name was 'a tower of strength,' which it was +delightful to know that the adverse faction wanted, and which inspired +confidence even on the back of the brief of his forsaken junior, who +bore the burden and heat of the day for a fifth of the fee which +secured that name. Will posterity ask what were the powers thus +sought, thus prized, thus rewarded, and thus transient? They will be +truly told that he was endowed, in a remarkable degree, with some +moral qualities which smoothed his course and charmed away opposition, +and with some physical advantages which happily set off his +intellectual gifts; that he was blessed with a temper at once gentle +and even; with a gracious manner and a social temperament; that he was +without jealousy of the solid or showy talents of others, and +willingly gave them the amplest meed of praise; that he spoke with all +the grace of modesty, yet with the assurance of perfect mastery over +his subject, his powers, and his audience; and yet they will scarcely +recognise in these excellencies sufficient reasons for his +extraordinary success. To me, the true secret of his peculiar strength +appeared to lie in the possession of two powers which rarely co-exist +in the same mind-- extraordinary subtlety of perception and as +remarkable simplicity of execution. In the first of these faculties-- +in the intuitive power of common sense, which is the finest essence of +experience, whereby it attains 'to something of prophetic strain'-- he +excelled all his contemporaries except Lord Abinger, with whom it was +more liable to be swayed by prejudice or modified by taste, as it was +adorned with happier graces. The perfection of this faculty was +remarkably exemplified in the fleeting visits he often paid to the +trials of causes which he had left to the conduct of his juniors; a +few words, sometimes a glance, sufficed to convey to his mind the +exact position of complicated affairs, and enabled him to decide what +should be done or avoided; and where the interference of any other +moral advocate would have been dangerous, he often rendered good +service, and, which was more extraordinary, never did harm. So his +unrivalled aptitude for legal reasoning, enabled him to deal with +authorities as he dealt with facts; if unprepared for an argument, he +could find its links in the chaos of an index, and make an imposing +show of learning out of a page of Harrison; and with the aid of the +interruptions of the bench, which he could as dexterously provoke as +parry, could find the right clue and conduct a luminous train of +reasoning to a triumphant close. His most elaborate arguments, though +not comparable in essence with those of his chief opponent, Lord +Campbell-- which, in comprehensive outline, exact logic, felicitous +illustration, and harmonious structure, excelled all others I have +heard-- were delivered in tones so nicely adapted to the minds and +ears of the judges, with an earnestness so winning, and a confidence +so contagious, that they made a judgment on his side not only a +necessity, but a pleasure. + +"The other faculty, to which, in combination with his subtlety of +understanding, the excellence of his advocacy may be attributed, is +one more rarely possessed-- and scarcely ever in such association-- +the entire singleness of a mind equally present in every part of a +cause. If the promotion of the interest of the client were an +advocate's highest duty, it would be another name for the exactest +virtue; and inasmuch as that interest is not, like the objects of +zeal, fixed in character, but liable to frequent change, the faculty +of directing the whole power of the understanding to each shifting +aspect of the cause in its minutest shadowings without the guidance of +an inflexible law, is far more wonderful, if far less noble, than a +singleness of devotion to right. It has an integrity of its own, which +bears some affinity to that honesty which Baillie Nichol Jarvie +attributes to his Highland kinsman. Such honesty-- that is, the entire +devotion of all the faculties to the object for which it was retained, +without the lapse of a moment's vanity or indolence, with unlimited +vision and unceasing activity-- was Follett's beyond all other +advocates of our time. To the presentment of truth, or sophism, as the +cause might require, he gave his entire mind with as perfect oblivion +of self as the most heroic sufferer for principle. The faculty which +in Gladstone, the statesman, applied to realities and inspired only by +the desire to discover the truth and to clothe it in language, +assumes, in the minds of superficial observers, the air of casuistry +from the nicety of its distinctions and the earnest desire of the +speaker to present truth in its finest shades-- in Follett, the +advocate, applied indiscriminately to the development of the specious +shows of things as of their essences, wore all the semblance of +sincerity; and, in one sense, deserved it. No fears, no doubts, no +scruples shook him. Of the license which advocacy draws from sympathy +with the feelings of those it represents, he made full use, with +unhesitating power; for his reason, of 'large discourse,' was as +pliable as the affections of the most sensitive nature. Nor was he +diverted from his aim by any figure or fancy: if he neither exalted +his subject by imagination, nor illustrated it by wit, nor softened +its details by pathos, he never made it the subject of vain attempts +at the exhibition of either. He went into the arena, stripped of all +encumbrance, to win, and contended studious only and always of +victory. His presence of mind was not merely the absence of external +distraction, nor the capacity of calling up all energies on an +emergency, but the continued application of them equally to the duty +of each moment. There are few speakers, even of fervid sincerity and +zeal, whose thoughts do not frequently run before or beside the +moment's purpose; whose wits do not sometimes wander on to some other +part of the case than that they are instantly discussing; who do not +anticipate some future effect, or dally with some apprehension of +future peril, while they should consider only the next word or +sentence. This momentary desertion of the exact purpose never occurred +to Follett; he fitted the thought to its place; the word to the +thought; and allowed the action only to take care of itself, as it +always will with an earnest speaker. His, therefore, was rather the +artlessness than the art of advocacy-- its second nature-- justly +appreciated by those to whose interests it was devoted; but not fully +understood even by the spectator of its exertion; dying with the +causes in which it was engaged, and leaving no vestiges except in +their success. Hence the blank which is substituted for the space he +filled in human affairs. The modest assurance, the happy boldness, the +extemporaneous logic, all that 'led but to the grave,' exist, like the +images of departed actors, only in the recollection of those who +witnessed them, till memory shall fade into tradition, and tradition +dwindle down to a name." (Supplement to Vacation Rambles, p. 115.) The +eagerness with which the talents of Sir William Follett were sought, +forcibly illustrates the truth of a remark, made to me in the course +of some friendly advice, by one who may be ranked among the most +brilliant advocates who have adorned the American Bar (now in the +highest office in the nation), that to attain the highest rank in the +legal profession, a lawyer must have such abilities and character as +will "compel" patronage. + +He, however, who enters the profession here or elsewhere merely as a +stepping stone to political preferment, need not expect great success, +even though he may acquire some temporary advancement. The day is past +when lawyers could monopolize every high place in the state. The habit +of public speaking is not now confined to the learned professions. Our +peculiar system of education has trained up a legion of orators and +politicians outside of the bar. Now-a-days a man must have other +qualifications besides the faculty of speech-making to win the prize +in politics. He must be a man of comprehensive ability, and thoroughly +identified with the interests of the people, before he can secure much +popular favor, or else he must be possessed of such shining talents +and character that his fellow men will take a pride in advancing him +to conspicuous and responsible trusts. Let a man have a part or all of +these qualifications, however, and with them the experience and tact +of a lawyer, and he will of course make a more valuable public +servant, especially if he is placed in a deliberative body. The +British cabinets have always relied vastly on the support afforded +them in the house of commons by their attorneys and solicitors +general, whether it consisted in the severe and solemn logic of +Romilly, in the cool and ready arguments of Scarlett, or the acute and +irresistible oratory of Sir William Follett. The education of a +lawyer;-- his experience as a manager; his art of covering up weak +points, his ready and adroit style of speaking;-- all serve to make +him peculiarly valuable to his own party, and dangerous to an +opposition in a deliberative body. But the fact that a man is a lawyer +does not advance him in politics so much as it once did. Fortunate it +is so! For though learning will always have its advantages, yet no +profession ought to have exclusive privileges. Nor need the lawyer +repine that it is so, inasmuch as it is for his benefit, if he desires +success in the profession, to discard the career of politics. The race +is not to the swift, and he can afford to wait for the legitimate +honors of the bar. I will conclude by saying that I regard Minnesota +as a good field for an upright, industrious, and competent lawyer. For +those of an opposite class, I have never yet heard of a very promising +field. + + LETTER V. + + ST. PAUL TO CROW WING IN TWO DAYS. + +Stages-- Roads-- Rum River-- Indian treaty-- Itasca-- Sauk Rapids-- +Watab at midnight-- Lodging under difficulties,-- Little Rock River-- +Character of Minnesota streams-- Dinner at Swan River-- Little Falls-- +Fort Ripley-- Arrival at Crow Wing. + +CROW WING, October, 1856. + +HERE I am, after two days drive in a stage, at the town of Crow Wing, +one hundred and thirty miles, a little west of north, from St. Paul. I +will defer, however, any remarks on Crow Wing, or the many objects of +interest hereabout, till I have mentioned a few things which I saw +coming up. Between St. Paul and this place is a tri-weekly line of +stages. The coaches are of Concord manufacture, spacious and +comfortable; and the entire equipage is well adapted to the +convenience of travellers. Next season, the enterprising proprietors, +Messrs. Chase and Allen, who carry the mail, intend establishing a +daily line. I left the Fuller House in the stage at about five in the +morning. There was only a convenient number of passengers till we +arrived at St. Anthony, where we breakfasted; but then our load was +more than doubled, and we drove out with nine inside and about seven +outside, with any quantity of baggage. The road is very level and +smooth; and with the exception of encountering a few small stamps +where the track has been diverted for some temporary impediment, and +also excepting a few places where it is exceedingly sandy, it is an +uncommonly superior road. It is on the eastern bank of the +Mississippi, and was laid out very straight. But let me remark that +everybody who travels it seems conscious that it is a government road. +There are several bridges, and they are often driven over at a rapid +rate, much to their damage. When Minnesota shall have a state +government, and her towns or counties become liable for the condition +of the roads, people will doubtless be more economical of the bridges, +even though the traveller be not admonished to walk his horse, or to +"keep to the right," &c. + +Emerging from St. Anthony, the undulating aspect of the country +ceases, and we enter upon an almost unbroken plain. A leading +characteristic of the scenery is the thin forests of oak, commonly +called oak openings. The soil appears to be rich. + +Seven miles from St. Anthony is a tidy settlement called Manomin, near +the mouth of Rice river. But the first place of importance which we +reached is Anoka, a large and handsome village situated on Rum river. +It is twenty-five miles from St. Paul. The river is a large and +beautiful stream and affords good water-power, in the development of +which Anoka appears to thrive. A vast number of pine logs are annually +floated down the river and sawed into lumber at the Anoka mills. The +settlers are principally from Maine. By the treaty of 22d February, +1855, with three bands of the Chippewa Indians, an appropriation of +$5000 was set apart for the construction of a road from the mouth of +Rum river to Mille Lac. The road is half completed. + +We took an early dinner at Itasca, having come thirty-two miles. +Itasca is quite an unassuming place, and not so pretty as its name. +But I shall always cherish a good-will for the spot, inasmuch as I got +a first-rate dinner there. It was all put upon the table before we sat +down, so that each one could help himself; and as it consisted of very +palatable edibles, each one did help himself quite liberally. We +started on soon afterwards, with a new driver and the third set of +horses; but with the disagreeable consciousness that we had still +before us the largest part of the day's journey. In about three hours +we came to Big Lake, or, as it is sometimes called, Humboldt. The lake +is anything but a big lake, being the size of a common New England +pond. But then all such sheets of water are called lakes in this part +of the country. It is a clear body of water, abounding with fine fish, +and has a beautiful shore of pebbles. Several similar sheets of water +are passed on the journey, the shores of which present a naked +appearance. There is neither the trace of a stream leading from or to +them, nor, with few exceptions, even a swamp in their vicinity. + +Sauk Rapids is 44 miles from Itasca, and it was late when we reached +there. But, late as it was, we found a large collection of people at +the post office waiting for the mail. They appeared to have had a +caucus, and were discussing politics with much animation. There is at +Sauk Rapids a local land office. That is of more advantage to a place +than being the county seat. In a short time, however, some of the land +offices will be removed further west for the convenience of settlers. +The village is finely situated on rising ground, and contains some +handsome residences. + +It was midnight when we arrived at Watab, where we were to lodge. The +weather had been delightful during the day, but after nightfall a high +wind rose and filled the air with dust. I descended from the stage-- +for I had rode upon the outside-- with self-satisfied emotions of +having come eighty-two miles since morning. The stage-house was +crowded. It is a two-story building, the rooms of which are small. I +went to bed, I was about to say, without any supper. But that was not +so. I didn't get any supper, it is true, neither did I get a bed; for +they were all occupied. The spare room on the floor was also taken. +The proprietor, however, was accommodating, and gave me a sort of a +lounge in rather a small room where three or four other men, and a +dog, were sleeping on the floor. I fixed the door ajar for +ventilation, and with my overcoat snugly buttoned around me, though it +was not cold, addressed myself to sleep. In the morning I found that +one of the occupants was an ex-alderman from the fifth ward of New +York; and that in the room over me slept no less a personage than +Parker H. French. I say I ascertained these facts in the morning. Mr. +French came to Watab a few weeks ago with a company of mechanics, and +has been rushing the place ahead with great zeal. He appears to make a +good impression on the people of the town. + +A heavy rain had fallen during the night; the stage was but moderately +loaded, and I started out from Watab, after breakfast the next +morning, in bright spirits. Still the road is level, and at a slow +trot the team makes better time than a casual observer is conscious +of. Soon we came to Little Rock River, which is one of the crookedest +streams that was ever known of. We are obliged to cross it twice +within a short space. Twelve miles this side we cross the beautiful +Platte River. It would make this letter much more monotonous than it +is, I fear, were I to name all the rivers we pass. They are very +numerous: and as they increase the delight of the traveller, so are +they also a delight and a convenience to the settler. Like the rivers +of New England, they are clear and rapid, and furnish abundant means +for water-power. The view which we catch of the Mississippi is +frequent, but brief, as the road crosses its curves in the most direct +manner. Much of the best land on either side of the road is in the +hands of speculators, who purchased it at public sale, or afterwards +plastered it over with land warrants. There is evidence of this on the +entire route; for, although we pass populous villages, and a great +many splendid farms, the greater part of the land is still unoccupied. +The soil is dark colored, but in some places quite mealy; everywhere +free from stones, and susceptible of easy cultivation. + +We arrived at Swan River at about one o'clock, where we dined on wild +ducks. That is a village also of considerable importance; but it is +not so large as Little Falls, which is three miles this side. At that +place the Mississippi furnishes a good water power. It has a spacious +and tidy hotel, several stores, mechanics' shops, a saw-mill, &c. At +Belle Prairie we begin to see something of the Chippewas. The +half-breeds have there some good farms, and the school-house and the +church denote the progress of civilization. It was near sunset when we +reached Fort Ripley. The garrison stands on the west bank of the +Mississippi, but the reservation extends several miles on both sides. +The stage crosses the river on the ferry to leave the mail and then +returns. The great flag was still flying from the high staff, and had +an inspiring influence. Like most of our inland military posts, Port +Ripley has no stone fortifications. It is neatly laid out in a square, +and surrounded by a high protective fence. Three or four field-pieces +stand upon the bank of the river fronting it, and at some distance +present a warlike attitude. The rest of the trip, being about five +miles, was over the reservation, on which, till we come to Crow Wing, +are no settlements. Here I gladly alighted from the coach, and found +most comfortable and agreeable entertainment at a house which stands +on the immediate bank of the river. + + LETTER VI. + + THE TOWN OF CROW WING. + +Scenery-- First settlement of Crow Wing-- Red Lake Indians-- Mr. +Morrison-- Prospects of the town-- Upper navigation-- Mr. Beaulieu-- +Washington's theory as to Norfolk-- Observations on the growth of +towns. + +CROW WING, October, 1856. + +I AM highly gratified with the appearance of this place. Mr. Burke +says-- " In order that we should love our country, our country should +first be lovely," and there is much wisdom in the remark. Nature has +done so much for this locality that one could be contented to live +here on quite a moderate income. The land is somewhat elevated, near +the bank of the Mississippi, affording a pleasant view over upon the +western side, both above and below the two graceful mouths of the Crow +Wing River. Towards the east and north, after a few miles, the view is +intercepted by a higher ridge of land covered with timber; or, by the +banks of the Mississippi itself, as from this point we begin to ascend +it in a northeasterly course. + +Crow Wing was selected as a trading post upwards of twenty years ago. +Mr. McDonnald, who still resides here, was, I believe, the first white +settler. Till within a recent period it was the headquarters of the +Mississippi tribe of Chippewas, and the principal trading depot with +the Chippewas generally. Here they brought their furs, the fruits of +their buffalo and their winter hunts, and their handicraft of beads +and baskets, to exchange for clothing and for food. Thus the place was +located and settled on long before there was a prospect of its +becoming a populous town. Mr. Rice, the delegate in congress, if I +mistake not, once had a branch store here with several men in his +employ. The principal traders at present are Mr. Abbee and Mr. +Beaulieu, who have large and well selected stocks of goods. The +present population of white persons probably numbers a hundred souls. +The place now has a more populous appearance on account of the +presence of a caravan of Red Lake Indians, who have come down about +four hundred miles to trade. They are encamped round about in tents or +birch bark lodges, as it may happen to be. In passing some of them, I +saw the squaws busily at work on the grass outside of the lodge in +manufacturing flag carpets. The former Indian residents are now +removed to their reservation in the fork of the Mississippi and Crow +Wing rivers, where their agency is now established. + +The houses here are very respectable in size, and furnished in +metropolitan style and elegance. The farms are highly productive, and +the grazing for stock unequalled. There is a good ferry at the upper +end of the town, at a point where the river is quite narrow and deep. +You can be taken over with a horse for twenty-five cents; with a +carriage, I suppose, the tariff is higher. + +Perhaps one cause of my favorable impression of Crow Wing is the +excellent and home-like hotel accommodations which I have found. The +proprietor hardly assumes to keep a public-house, and yet provides his +guests with very good entertainment; and I cannot refrain from saying +that there is no public-house this side of St. Paul where the +traveller will be better treated. Mr. Morrison-- for that is the +proprietor's name-- came here fifteen years ago, having first come +into this region in the service of John Jacob Astor. He married one of +the handsomest of the Chippewa maidens, who is now his faithful wife +and housekeeper, and the mother of several interesting and amiable +children. Mr. M. is the postmaster. He has been a member of the +territorial legislature, and his name has been given to a large and +beautiful county. I judge that society has been congenial in the town. +The little church, standing on an eminence, indicates some union of +sentiment at least, and a regard for the higher objects of life. +Spring and summer and autumn must be delightful seasons here, and +bring with them the sweetest tranquillity. Nor are the people shut out +from the world in winter; for then there is travel and intercourse and +traffic. So are there pleasures and recreation peculiar to the season. + +But the serene and quiet age of the settlement is near its close. +Enterprise and speculation, with their bustle and turmoil, have laid +hold of it. The clank of the hammer, the whistle of steamboats, the +rattling of carts, heaps of lumber and of bricks, excavations and +gratings, short corners and rough unshapen walks, will usurp the quiet +and the regularity of the place. Indeed a man ought to make a fortune +to compensate for residing in a town during the first years of its +rapid building. The streets appear, on the map, to be well laid out. A +number of purchasers of lots are preparing to build; and a few new +buildings are already going up. As near as I am able to learn, the +things which conduce to its availability as a business place are +these-- First, it is the beginning of the Upper Mississippi +navigation. From this point steamboats can go from two to three +hundred miles. But they cannot pass below, on account of the +obstructions near Fort Ripley, at Little Falls, and at Sauk Rapids. +This of course is a great element in its future success, as the +country above in the valley of the river is destined to be thickly +settled, and boats will run between this point and the settlements +along the river. It will also be a large lumber market, for the pine +forests begin here and extend along the river banks for hundreds of +miles, while the facility of getting the logs down is unexceptionable. +The territory north of Crow Wing is now open for settlers to a great +distance, the Indian title having been extinguished. Two land +districts have also been established, which will be an inducement for +fresh emigration. There is no other place but this to supply these +settlements; at least none so convenient. A great deal of timber will +also come down the Crow Wing River, which is a large stream, navigable +three months in the year. Arrangements are complete for building a +steamboat the ensuing winter, at this very place, to begin running in +the spring as far up as Ojibeway. Next season there will be a daily +line of stages between this and St. Paul. I understand also that it is +intended next summer to connect Crow Wing with the flourishing town of +Superior by stage. It will require considerable energy to do this +thing; but if it can be done, it will be a great blessing to the +traveller as well as a profit to the town. The journey from St. Paul +to Lake Superior via Crow Wing can then be performed in three days, +while on the usual route it now occupies a week. Such are some of the +favorable circumstances which corroborate the expectation of the +growth of this place. The southern or lower portion of the town is +included within the Fort Ripley reserve, and though several residences +are situated on it, no other buildings can be put up without a license +from the commanding officer; nor can any lots be sold from that +portion until the reserve is cut down. With the upper part of the town +it is different. Mr. C. H. Beaulieu, long a resident of the place, is +the proprietor of that part, and has already, I am informed, made some +extensive sales of lots. He is one of those lucky individuals, who +have sagacity to locate on an available spot, and patience to wait the +opening of a splendid fortune.[1] + +[1 Since this letter was written, Mr. Thomas Cathcart has purchased a +valuable claim opposite Crow Wing at the mouth of the river, which I +should think was an available town site.] + +My observation and experience in regard to town sites have taught me +an important fact: that as much depends on the public spirit, unity of +action, and zeal of the early proprietors, as upon the locality +itself. The one is useless without these helps. General Washington +wrote an able essay to prove the availability of Norfolk, Va., as the +great commercial metropolis of the country. He speculated upon its +being the great market for the West. His imagination pictured out some +such place as New York now is, as its future. The unequalled harbor of +Norfolk, and the resources of the country all around it, extending as +far, almost, as thought could reach, might well have encouraged the +theory of Washington. But munificence and energy and labor have built +up many cities since then, which had not half the natural advantages +of Norfolk, while Norfolk is far behind. A little lack of enterprise, +a little lack of harmony and liberality, may, in the early days of a +town, divert business and improvements from a good location, till in a +short time an unheard-of and inferior place totally eclipses it. +Knowing this to be the case, I have been careful in my previous +letters not to give too much importance to many of the town sites +which have been commended to me along my journey. I do not discover +any of these retarding circumstances about Crow Wing. I must conclude +at this paragraph, however, in order to take a horseback ride to the +Chippewa agency. In my next I intend to say something about the +Indians, pine timber, and the country above here in general. + + LETTER VII. + + CHIPPEWA INDIANS.-- HOLE-IN-THE-DAY. + +Description of the Chippewa tribes-- Their habits and customs-- +Mission at Gull Late-- Progress in farming-- Visit to +Hole-in-the-day-- His enlightened character-- Reflections on Indian +character, and the practicability of their civilization-- Their +education-- Mr. Manypenny's exertions. + +CROW WING, October, 1856. + +I CONSIDER myself exceedingly fortunate in having had a good +opportunity for observing the condition of the Chippewa Indians. +Sometime ago I saw enough of the Indians in another part of the +country to gratify my curiosity as to their appearance and habits; and +as I have always felt a peculiar interest in their destiny, my present +observations have been with a view to derive information as to the +best means for their improvement. The whole number of Chippewas in +Minnesota is not much over 2200. They are divided into several bands, +each band being located a considerable distance from the other. The +Mississippi band live on their reservation, which begins a few miles +above here across the river, while the Pillagor and Lake +Winnibigoshish bands are some three hundred miles further north. The +agency of the Chippewas is on the reservation referred to, a little +north of the Crow Wing River, and six miles distant from this town. To +come down more to particulars, however, and adopt words which people +here would use, I might say that the agency is on Gull River, a very +clear and pretty stream, which flows from a lake of that name, into +the Crow Wing. I passed the agency yesterday, and two miles beyond, in +order to visit Pug-o-na-ke-shick, or Hole-in-the-day, the principal +and hereditary chief of the Chippewas. Mr. Herriman, the agent, +resides at the agency, in compliance with the regulation of the Indian +bureau, which requires agents to reside among the Indians. I strongly +suspect there are many people who would think it unsafe to travel +alone among the Chippewas. But people who live about here would +ridicule the idea of being afraid of violence or the slightest +molestation from them, unless indeed the fellows were intoxicated. For +my part, a walk on Boston common on a summer morning could not seem +more quiet and safe than a ramble on horseback among the homes of +these Indians. I spoke to a good many. Though naturally reserved and +silent, they return a friendly salutation with a pleasant smile. + +Their old costume is still retained as a general thing. The blanket is +still worn instead of coats. Sometimes the men wear leggins, but often +go with their legs naked. A band is generally worn upon the head with +some ornament upon it. A feather of the war eagle worn in the +head-band of a brave, denotes that he has taken the scalp of an enemy +or performed some rare feat of daring. An Indian does not consider +himself in full dress without his war hatchet or weapons. I meet many +with long-stemmed pipes, which are also regarded as an ornamental part +of dress. They appear pleased to have anything worn about them attract +attention. They are of good size, taller than the Winnebagoes, and of +much lighter complexion than tribes living five hundred miles further +south. Herein the philosopher on the cooking of men is confirmed. +Their hair is black, long, and straight; and some are really +good-looking. There are but few who still paint. Those in mourning +paint their faces black. What I have seen of their houses raises high +hopes of their advancement in civilization. We can now begin to lay +aside the word lodge and say house. Over a year ago, Mr. Herriman +promised every one a good cooking stove who would build himself a +comfortable house. This promise had a good effect, for several houses +were built. But the want of windows and several other conveniences, +which are proper fixtures, gives their dwellings a desolate appearance +to one who looks to a higher standard of comfort. Of course I saw a +few of the men at the store (for there is a store at the agency), +spending their time, as too many white men do in country villages. +Eight miles beyond the agency, on Gull Lake, is a mission. It has been +under the charge of Rev. J. L. Breck, a gentleman of high culture, and +whose enlightened and humane exertions in behalf of the Indians have +received much commendation both from the agent and Gov. Gorman, the +Superintendent. He has been at the mission four years. While he had +the benefit of the school-fund, he had in his school, under his own +roof, 35 pupils; since that was withheld, the number of pupils has +been 22. Mr. Breck will soon remove to Leech Lake, and will be +succeeded by a gentleman who comes well recommended from a theological +institution in Wisconsin. I desired very much to go as far as the +mission, but from Crow Wing and back it would have been thirty miles, +and it was otherwise inconvenient on account of the rain. The Indians +are beginning to farm a little. They begin with gardens. Their support +is chiefly from the annuities paid by the United States, which are +principally received in some sort of dry goods. The goods are +furnished by contract, and the price paid for them is about enough, if +all stories are true. They also derive some support from their fur +hunts and by fishing. Buffaloes are still hunted successfully beyond +the Red River of the North. They bring home the furs, and also the +best parts of the meat. The meat is preserved by being partially +cooked in buffalo fat, cut into small pieces, and sewed up very tight +in the hide of the animal. It is called pemmican, and sells here for +twenty-five cents a pound. It is broken to pieces like pork scraps, +and the Indians regard it as a great luxury. + +From the agency I hastened on to see Hole-in-the-day +(Pug-o-na-ke-shick, his Indian name, means, literally, +Hole-in-the-sky). He is a famous chief, having in his youth +distinguished himself for bold exploits and severe endurance. But what +most entitles him to attention is the very exemplary course he has +pursued in attempting to carry out the wishes of the government in +bringing his race to the habits of civilized life. It was principally +through his influence that a treaty was made between his tribe and the +United States, and after it went into effect he turned his attention +to farming. Previous to the treaty he was supported as chief by the +tribal revenue. He has succeeded well. Over a year ago the receipts of +what he sold from his farm, aside from what his household needed, +amounted to over two hundred dollars. At length, after riding a mile +and a half without passing a habitation, over a fertile prairie, I +came in sight of his house. He lives near a small lake, and north of +him is a large belt of heavy pine timber. He has an excellent farm, +well fenced and well cultivated. His house is in cottage style, and of +considerable length; spacious, neat, and well furnished. Arriving at +the door I dismounted, and inquired of his squaw if he was at home. +She sent her little girl out into the field to call him. There, +indeed, in his cornfield, was he at work. He met me very cordially; +and invited me into a room, where he had an interpretor. We held a +protracted and agreeable conversation on Indian matters. He invited me +to dine with him, and nothing but want of time prevented my accepting +his polite invitation. He was very neatly dressed, and is quite +prepossessing in his appearance. He is younger than I supposed before +seeing him. I judge him to be about thirty-four. He is a man of strong +sense, of great sagacity, and considerable ambition. + +There is no reason why the Indians should not speedily become +civilized. Those who have longest lived amongst them, and who best +understand their character, tell me so. I fully believe it. The Indian +follows his wild habits because he has been educated to do so. The +education of habit, familiar from infancy, and the influence of +tradition, lead him to the hunt, and as much to despise manual labor. +He does what he has been taught to consider as noble and honorable, +and that is what the most enlightened do. Certainly his course of life +is the most severe and exposed; it is not for comfort that he adheres +to his wild habits. He regards it as noble to slay his hereditary foe. +Hence the troubles which occasionally break out between the Chippewas +and the Sioux. To gain the applause of their tribe they will incur +almost any danger, and undergo almost any privation. Thus, we see that +for those objects which their education has taught them to regard as +first and best, they will sacrifice all their comforts. They have +sense enough, and ambition enough, and fortitude enough. To those they +love they are affectionate almost to excess. Only direct their +ambition in the proper way, and they will at once rise. Teach them +that it is noble to produce something useful by their labor, and to +unite with the great family of man to expand arts and to improve the +immortal mind-- teach them that it is noble, that there is more +applause to be gained by it, as well as comfort, and they will change +in a generation. They will then apply themselves to civilization with +Spartan zeal and with Spartan virtues. + +In a communication to the secretary of war by Gen. Cass in 1821, +relative to his expedition to the sources of the Mississippi, he makes +the following interesting extract from the journal of Mr. Doty, a +gentleman who accompanied the expedition:-- "The Indians of the upper +country consider those of the Fond-du-Lac as very stupid and dull, +being but little given to war. They count the Sioux their enemies, but +have heretofore made few war excursions. + +"Having been frequently reprimanded by some of the more vigilant +Indians of the north, and charged with cowardice, and an utter +disregard for the event of the war, thirteen men of this tribe, last +season, determined to retrieve the character of their nation, by +making an excursion against the Sioux. Accordingly, without consulting +the other Indians, they secretly departed and penetrated far into the +Sioux country. Unexpectedly, at night, they came upon a party of the +Sioux, amounting to near one hundred men, and immediately began to +prepare for battle. They encamped a short distance from the Sioux, and +during the night dug holes in the ground into which they might retreat +and fight to the last extremity. They appointed one of their number +(the youngest) to take a station at a distance and witness the +struggle, and instructed him, when they were all slain, to make his +escape to their own land, and relate the circumstances under which +they had fallen. + +"Early in the morning they attacked the Sioux in their camp, who, +immediately sallying out upon them, forced them back to the last place +of retreat they had resolved upon. They fought desperately. More than +twice their own number were killed before they had lost their lives. +Eight of them were tomahawked in the holes to which they had +retreated; the other four fell on the field. The thirteenth returned +home, according to the directions he had received, and related the +foregoing circumstances to his tribe. They mourned their death; but +delighted with the bravery of their friends, unexampled in modern +times, they were happy in their grief. + +"This account I received of the very Indian who was of the party and +had escaped."-- [See Schoolcraft, p. 481.][1] + +[1 Pride is a characteristic trait in Indian character. On a recent +occasion when several bands of the Chippewas were at Washington to +negotiate a treaty with the United States, they had an interview with +their Great Father the President. He received them in the spacious +East Room of the executive mansion, in the presence of a large +collection of gentlemen who had gathered to witness the occasion. Each +chief made a speech to the President, which was interpreted as they +spoke. When it came to the turn of Eshkibogikoj (Flat Mouth) that +venerable chief began with great dignity, saying: "Father! Two great +men have met!" Here he paused to let the sentence be interpreted. His +exordium amused not only the whites but the Indians.] + +In the contest between the Athenians and the Dorians, an oracle had +declared that the side would triumph whose king should fall. Codrus +the Athenian king, to be more sure of sacrificing himself, assumed the +dress of a peasant, and was soon killed; and the event soon spread +dismay among the enemies of Athens. His patriotism was accounted so +great, that the Athenians declared that there was no man worthy to be +his successor, and so abolished the monarchy. I think the history of +the Indians would show instances of heroism as praiseworthy as can be +found in the annals of the ancients. Let it be remembered, too, that +the Spartans knew that an imperishable literature would hand down +their valor to the praise of the world through all the future. But the +Indian looked for the preservation of his exploits only in the songs +and the traditional stories of his tribe. + +I allude to these traits because I think it will be agreed, that +whatever race possesses those elements of character which lead them to +pursue with zeal and courage things they have been taught to regard +most creditable, is capable of being civilized. We now pay the Indian +for his lands in agricultural tools, in muskets and powder, in +blankets and cheap calico-- and in education; but the smallest item is +education. If half the money which the government is liable to pay for +Indian troubles during the last year, could be appropriated to a +proper system of education, we should hear of no more serious Indian +wars. But I have not time to pursue the subject. I will say, however, +that the present commissioner of Indian affairs, Mr. Manypenny, is +doing a very good work in advancing their condition. The press ought +to bestow some attention on the subject. There are nearly 400,000 +Indians within the United States and territories. If the philanthropy +of the age could spare the blacks for a little while, and help +civilize the Indians, it would be better for all parties. Here is an +enterprise for genuine humanity. + + LETTER VIII. + + LUMBERING INTERESTS. + +Lumber as an element of wealth-- Quality of Minnesota lumber-- +Locality of its growth-- The great pineries-- Trespasses on government +land-- How the lumbermen elude the government-- Value of lumber-- +Character of the practical Lumberman-- Transportation of lumber on +rafts. + +CROW WING, October 1856. + +IT seems to have been more difficult for countries which abound in +precious metals to attain to great prosperity than for a rich man to +secure eternal felicity. Witness, for instance, the sluggish growth +and degenerate civilization of the South American states. But timber +is a fundamental element of colonial growth. The mines of Potosi +cannot compare with it in value. An abundance of timber and a +superabundance of it are two very different things. Some of the +Middle, and what were once Western States, were originally covered +with forests. So of the greater part of New England. In Ohio and in +Michigan timber has been an encumbrance; for there was great labor to +be performed by the settler in clearing the land and preparing it for +the plough; and at this day we see in travelling through each of those +states, as well as in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Missouri, fields +planted amidst heavy timber trees which have been belted that they may +wither and die. By an abundance of timber I mean an ample supply not +only for domestic but foreign market; and with this understanding of +the word I will repeat what has often been said, and what I suppose is +well known, that Minnesota has an abundance of excellent timber. +Unlike the gorgeous forests in New Hampshire, which behind high cliffs +and mountain fastnesses defy the woodman, the timber of Minnesota +grows in the valleys of her great rivers and upon the banks of their +numerous tributaries. It is thus easily shipped to a distant market; +while the great body of the land, not encumbered with it, but naked, +is ready for the plough and for the seed. Most of the timber which +grows in the region below this point is hard wood, such as elm, maple, +oak, and ash. + +There is considerable scrub oak also thinly scattered over large +portions of fertile prairie. To a casual observer these oaks, from +their stunted appearance, would be taken as evidence of poor soil. But +the soil is not the cause of their scrubby looks. It is the devouring +fires which annually sweep over the plains with brilliant though +terrific aspect, and which are fed by the luxuriant grass grown on +that same soil. If the oaks did not draw uncommon nourishment from the +soil, it must be difficult for them to survive such scorchings. It is +a consoling thought that these fires cease in proportion as the +country is settled up. The rock maple is indigenous to the soil; and +the Indians have long been in the habit of making sugar from its sap. +The timber most used for fences is tamarack. The pineries may be said +to begin at the mouth of the Crow Wing River; though there is a great +supply on the Rum River. For upwards of a hundred miles above here on +the Mississippi-- more or less dense, the pine forests extend. Captain +John Pope, in the interesting report of his expedition to the Red +River of the North, in 1849, says-- " The pineries of the upper +Mississippi are mostly upon its tributaries, and I think are not found +on the west side further south than the parallel of 46 degrees N. +latitude." (The latitude of this place is 46 degrees 16' 50".) "They +alternate, even where most abundant, with much larger tracts of +fertile country." Again he says-- "As might be expected from its +alluvial character, there is no pine timber in the valley of the Red +River, but the oak and elm there attain to a size which I do not think +I have ever seen elsewhere." In another place he remarks that "the +pineries along the Crow Wing River are among the most extensive and +valuable found on the tributaries of the Mississippi." Mr. Schoolcraft +says of this river, "the whole region is noted for its pine timber." +In speaking of the country on the St. Louis River, a few miles from +where it empties into Lake Superior, the same gentleman remarks: "The +growth of the forest is pines, hemlock, spruce, birch, oak, and +maple." I had heard considerable about Minnesota lumber, it is true, +but I was not prepared to see the pine timber so valuable and heavy as +it is above and about here. The trees are of large growth, straight +and smooth. They are not surpassed by + "The tallest pine, + Hewn on Norwegian hills to be the mast + Of some great admiral." + +Cujus est solum ejus est usque ad caelum-- whose the soil, his to the +sky-- is a maxim in these pine regions of literal importance. There is +something besides utility also to be mentioned in this connection. +With the exception of swamps, which are few and far between, the +timber land has all the beauty of a sylvan grove. The entire absence +of underbrush and decayed logs lends ornament and attraction to the +woods. They are more like the groves around a mansion in their neat +and cheerful appearance; and awaken reflection on the Muses and the +dialogues of philosophers rather than apprehension of wild beasts and +serpents. + +The relative importance of the lumber business would hardly be +estimated by a stranger. It has been carried on for at least six +years; and considerable has found its way as far down as St. Louis. It +will be asked, I imagine, if all this timber land, especially the +pine, has been sold by the government; and if not, how it happens that +men cut it down and sell it? I will answer this. The great region of +pineries has not yet been surveyed, much less sold by the government. +But notwithstanding this, men have cut it in large quantities, sold it +into a greedy market, and made money, if not fortunes in the business. +As a sort of colorable excuse for cutting timber, those employed in +the business often make a preemption claim on land covered with it, +and many people suppose they have the right to cut as much as they +please after the incipient steps towards preemption. But this is not +so. All that a claimant can do in this respect is to cut wood enough +for his fuel, and timber enough for his own building purposes, until +he receives a patent from the government. Of course it is altogether +reasonable and proper that men should be precluded from doing so until +their title in the soil is complete. Because, until a preemption claim +is perfect, or, until the land has been acquired by some legal title, +it is not certain that the claimant will ultimately secure it or pay +any money to the government. But does not the government do anything +to prevent these trespasses? Yes, but all its attempts are baffled. + +For example, last spring a large quantity of splendid lumber was +seized by the United States marshal and sold at public auction. It was +bid off by the lumbermen themselves, who had formed a combination to +prevent its falling into the hands of other purchasers. This +combination had no resistance as I am aware of in the public opinion +of the territory, and the timber was sold to those who had it cut at a +price so far below its value that it didn't pay the expense of the +legal proceedings on the part of the government. This is accounted for +in the fact of the exhaustless quantity of pine timber towards the +north; in the demand for it when sawed; and in the disposition to +protect enterprising men, though technically trespassers, who +penetrate into the forest in the winter at great expense, and whose +standing and credit are some guaranty of their ultimate responsibility +to the government, should they not perfect their titles. The business +of getting out the timber is carried on in the winter, and affords +employment for a large number of athletic young men. The price of +timber, I ascertained of Mr. P. D. Pratt, a dealer at St. Paul, is, +for the best, $30 per M.; for common, $20. + +Most people have seen or been told something of the lumbermen of +Maine. Allowing this to be so, it will not be difficult to comprehend +the condition and character of the lumbermen of Minnesota and the +northwest. But if there is anybody who fancies them to be a set of +laborers, such as build our railroads and dig coal and minerals, he is +greatly mistaken. The difference is in birth and education; between +foreigners and native-born citizens. A difference not in rights and +merits, so much as in habits and character. Born on American soil, +they have attended our common schools, and have the bearing and +independence of sovereigns. None but very vigorous men can endure, or +at least attempt to endure, the exposure of living in the woods all +winter and swinging the axe; though by proper care of themselves, such +exercise is conducive to health and strength. Accordingly we find the +lumberman-- I mean of course the practical lumberman-- to be a +thick-set, muscular young man, with a bright eye and florid cheek; in +short, one whom we would call a double-fisted fellow. He is not one of +your California boys, but more affable and domestic, with a shorter +beard, and not so great a profusion of weapons. His dress is snug and +plain-- the regular pioneer costume of boots over the pants, and a +thick red shirt in lieu of a coat. His capital stock is his health and +his hands. When in employment he is economical and lays up his wages. +When out of employment and in town, his money generally goes freely. +As a class, the lumbermen are intelligent. They are strong talkers, +for they put in a good many of the larger sort of words; and from +their pungent satire and sledge-hammer style of reasoning, are by no +means very facile disputants. They are preeminently jokers. This is as +they appear on their way to the woods. During the season of their +active labor they usually spend the evening, after a day of hard work, +in storytelling or in a game of euchre. Their wages amount to about +two dollars a day, exclusive of board. They have good living in the +woods, the provisions, which are furnished on an ample scale, being +served by male cooks. + +While on the subject of lumber, which may possibly interest some +people who wish to redeem the fortunes they have lately lost in Maine +lumber, I ought not to leave unmentioned the valuable cargoes of it +which are floated down the Mississippi. When coming up in the boat I +was astonished to see such stupendous rafts. Large logs are +transported by being made into rafts. At a landing where the boat +stopped, I on one occasion attempted to estimate the number of logs +comprised in one of these marine novelties, and found it to be about +eight hundred; the logs were large, and were worth from five to six +dollars each. Here then was a raft of timber worth at least $4000. +They are navigated by about a dozen men, with large paddles attached +at either end of the raft, which serve to propel and steer. Often, in +addition to the logs, the rafts are laden with valuable freights of +sawed lumber. Screens are built as a protection against wind, and a +caboose stands somewhere in the centre, or according to western +parlance it might be called a cabin. Sometimes the raft will be +running in a fine current; then only a couple of hands are on the +watch and at the helm. The rest are seen either loitering about +observing the country, or reclining, snugly wrapped up in their +blankets. Some of these rafts must cover as much as two acres. Birnam +Wood coming to Dunsinane was not a much greater phenomenon. + + LETTER IX. + + SHORES OF LAKE SUPERIOR. + +Description of the country around Lake Superior-- Minerals-- Locality +of a commercial city-- New land districts-- Buchanan-- Ojibeway-- +Explorations to the sources of the Mississippi-- Henry R. +Schoolcraft-- M. Nicollet's report-- Resources of the country above +Crow Wing. + +CROW WING, October 7, 1856. + +THERE is one very important section of this territory that I have not +yet alluded to. I mean that part which borders on Lake Superior. This +calls to mind that there is such a place as Superior City. But that is +in Wisconsin, not in Minnesota. From that city (so called, yet city in +earnest it is like to be) to the nearest point in this territory the +distance by water is twelve miles. The St. Louis River is the dividing +line for many miles between Minnesota and Wisconsin. The country round +about this greatest of inland seas is not the most fertile. It is +somewhat bleak, on the northern shore especially, but is nevertheless +fat in minerals. On the banks of the St. Louis River the soil is +described, by the earliest explorers as well as latest visiters, to be +good. The river itself, though it contains a large volume of water, is +not adapted to navigation, on account of its rapids. + +Those who have sailed across Lake Superior to the neighborhood of +Fond-du-Lac appear to have been charmed by the scenery of its +magnificent islands and its rock-bound shores. Most people, I suppose, +have heard of its beautiful cluster of islands called the Twelve +Apostles. One peculiar phenomenon often mentioned is the boisterous +condition of its waters at the shore, which occurs when the lake +itself is perfectly calm. The water is said to foam and dash so +furiously as to make it almost perilous to land in a small boat. This +would seem to be produced by some movement of the waters similar to +the flow of the tide; and perhaps the dashing after all is not much +more tumultuous than is seen on a summer afternoon under the rocks of +Nahant, or along the serene coast at Phillips Beach. + +The resources of that part of the territory bordering on the lake, +however, are sufficient to induce an extensive, if not a rapid, +settlement of the country. The copper mines afford occupation for +thousands of people now. I have known a young man to clear $40 a month +in getting out the ore. But the labor is hard. Somewhere near +Fond-du-Lac is destined to be a great commercial city. Whether it will +be at Superior, which has now got the start of all other places, or +whether it will be at some point within this territory, is more than +can be known at present. But a great town there is to be, sooner or +later; and for this reason, that the distance from Buffalo to +Fond-du-Lac by navigation is about the same as from Buffalo to +Chicago, affording, therefore, as good facilities for water +transportation of merchandise between Fond-du-Lac and the East, as +between Chicago and the East. Moreover, the development of this new +agricultural world will tend to that result. A railroad will then run +from that point directly west, crossing the upper Mississippi as also +the Red River of the North at the head of its navigation, which is at +the mouth of the Sioux Wood River. + +During the last summer, congress established two new land districts in +the upper part of the territory, called the north-eastern and the +north-western. The former includes the country lying on Lake Superior, +and its land office has been located at Buchanan, a new place just +started on the shore of the lake. The land office for the +north-western district has been located at Ojibeway, a town site +situated sixty miles above here, on the Mississippi, near the mouth of +Muddy River. This district includes the head waters of the +Mississippi, and extends west as far as the Red River of the North. +The surveyors have been engaged in either district only a few weeks. I +don't expect there will be any land offered for sale in either +district till spring. While on the subject of land offices, let me +observe that the appointments in them are among the most lucrative +under the patronage of the general government. There is a register and +receiver for each office. They have, each, $500 per annum and fees; +the whole not to exceed $3000. Aside from the official fees, they get +much more for private services. They have more or less evidence to +reduce to writing in nearly every preemption case, for which the +general land office permits them to receive private compensation. It +is rather necessary that the local land officers should be lawyers, as +they have frequent occasion to decide on litigated land claims. + +Many explorations have been made of the region around the head waters +of the Mississippi, the reports of which have conveyed to the world +attractive information of the country, but information which only +approximated to accuracy. In 1806, Lieut. Pike explored the river as +far as Turtle Lake, and returned, thinking, good easy man, full surely +he had discovered the real source of the river, and yet the source of +the river was more than a hundred miles off in another direction. +Lewis and Clarke had ascended the river previously. In 1820, General +Cass, accompanied by Mr. Schoolcraft, explored the river to Cass Lake; +being obliged to stop there on account of the low stage of water which +they heard existed a few days' journey beyond. Again, in 1832, Mr. +Schoolcraft, then superintendent of Indian affairs, made another +expedition, which resulted in his discovery of the true sources of the +river; it being a lake which he named Itasca. It has been said that he +manufactured this beautiful word out of the last syllables of veritas +and the first syllable of caput (the true head). But I have been told +that the word was suggested to his mind by an Indian word signifying +breast. Dr. Johnson says, that a traveller in order to bring back +knowledge should take knowledge with him. That is, that he should have +posted himself up to some extent on the country he visits. I hope it +will not require an affidavit for me to prove that I availed myself of +the suggestion. But I must say I have found great pleasure and profit +in perusing Mr. Schoolcraft's narratives of both his expeditions. +Though he had the encouragement of the government, his undertaking was +surrounded by many obstacles and some dangers. His account of the +whole country is pleasant and instructive to the reader, and shows +that all he saw produced on his mind a favorable impression. The +arduous services of this gentleman as an explorer have been of great +advantage to the country, and his fine literary talents have given his +adventures an historic fame. Not less deserving of applause either +have been his efforts to promote the welfare of the Indians. He now +lives in affluent circumstances at Washington, and, though suffering +under some bodily infirmities, appears (or did when I saw him) to +enjoy life with that serene and rational happiness which springs from +useful employment, and a consciousness that past opportunities have +been improved. + + "For he lives twice who can at once employ + The present well and e'en the past enjoy." + +There have been other explorations of this part of the country at +different times by Messrs. Long, Nicollet, and Pope. M. Nicollet was +accompanied and assisted by Mr. (then Lieutenant) Fremont. The reports +made of these explorations afford information which, if extensively +known among the people, would tend to direct a larger emigration into +the upper part of the territory. They often launch off into +exclamations as to the beautiful surface of the country; while their +account of native fruits and the bracing climate and fertile soil +picture to the imagination all the elements of a home. + +M. Nicollet was a foreign gentleman who possessed superior scientific +knowledge and a rare zeal to prosecute researches. He made an +exploration through the valley of the St. Peter's and the Missouri; +and from thence to the sources of the Mississippi, in the year 1839. +The official report which he made is a valuable document, but +difficult to be obtained. I shall therefore make a few extracts from +it. I should here remark that M. Nicollet died before he had completed +the introduction to his report. "The Mississippi," he says, "holds its +own from its very origin; for it is not necessary to suppose, as has +been done, that Lake Itasca may be supplied with invisible sources, to +justify the character of a remarkable stream, which it assumes at its +issue from this lake. There are five creeks that fall into it, formed +by innumerable streamlets oozing from the clay-beds at the bases of +the hills, that consist of an accumulation of sand, gravel, and clay, +intermixed with erratic fragments; being a more prominent portion of +the great erratic deposit previously described, and which here is +known by the name of 'Hauteurs des Terres'-- heights of land. + +"These elevations are commonly flat at top, varying in height from 85 +to 100 feet above the level of the surrounding waters. They are +covered with thick forests, in which coniferous plants predominate. +South of Itasca Lake, they form a semicircular region with a boggy +bottom, extending to the south-west a distance of several miles; +thence these Hauteurs des Terres ascend to the north-west and north; +and then, stretching to the north-east and east, through the zone +between 47 degrees and 48 degrees of latitude, make the dividing ridge +between the waters that empty into Hudson's Bay and those which +discharge themselves into the Gulf of Mexico. The principal group of +these Hauteurs des Terres is subdivided into several ramifications, +varying in extent, elevation, and course, so as to determine the +hydrographical basins of all the innumerable lakes and rivers that so +peculiarly characterize this region of country. + +"One of these ramifications extends in a southerly direction under the +name of Coteau du Grand Bois; and it is this which separates the +Mississippi streams from those of the Red River of the North. + +"The waters supplied by the north flank of these heights of land-- +still on the south side of Lake Itasca-- give origin to the five +creeks of which I have spoken above. These are the waters which I +consider to be the utmost sources of the Mississippi. Those that flow +from the southern side of the same heights, and empty themselves into +Elbow Lake, are the utmost sources of the Red River of the North; so +that the most remote feeders of Hudson's Bay and the Gulf of Mexico +are closely approximated to each other." + +Of the country above Crow Wing, he makes the following observations, +which are not less interesting than instructive: "Over the whole route +which I traversed after leaving Crow Wing River, the country has a +different aspect from that which the banks of the Mississippi above +the falls present. The forests are denser and more varied; the soil, +which is alternately sandy, gravelly, clayey, and loamy, is, generally +speaking, lighter excepting on the shores of some of the larger lakes. +The uplands are covered with white and yellow pines, spruce and birch; +and the wet lowlands by the American larch and the willow. On the +slopes of sandy hills, the American aspen, the canoe birch (white +birch), with a species of birch of dwarfish growth, the alder, and +wild rose, extend to the very margin of the river. On the borders of +the larger lakes, where the soil is generally better, we find the +sugar maple, the black and bar oaks (also named overcup white oak, but +differing from the white oak), the elm, ash, lime tree, &c. Generally +speaking, however, this woodland does not extend back farther than a +mile from the lakes. The white cedar, the hemlock, spruce, pine, and +fir, are occasionally found; but the red cedar is scarce throughout +this region, and none, perhaps, are to be seen but on islands of those +lakes called by the Indians Red Cedar Lakes. The shrubbery consists +principally of the wild rose, hawthorn, and wild plum; and +raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and cranberries are abundant. + +"The aspect of the country is greatly varied by hills, dales, copses, +small prairies, and a great number of lakes; the whole of which I do +not pretend to have laid down on my map. * * * * The lakes to which I +have just alluded are distributed in separate groups, or are arranged +in prolonged chains along the rivers, and not unfrequently attached to +each other by gentle rapids. It has seemed to me that they diminish in +extent on both sides of the Mississippi, as we proceed southwardly, as +far as 43 degrees of north latitude; and this observation extends to +the Arctic region, commencing at Bear's Lake; or Slave Lake, Winnipeg +Lake, &c. It may be further remarked that the basins of these lakes +have a sufficient depth to leave no doubt that they will remain +characteristic features of the country for a long time to come. +Several species of fish abound in them. The white fish (Corregonus +albus) is found in all the deep lakes west of the Mississippi-- and, +indeed, from Lake Erie to the Polar Sea. That which is taken in Leech +Lake is said by amateurs to be more highly flavored than even that of +Lake Superior, and weighs from three to ten pounds.* * * Of all the +Indian nations that I have visited, the Chippewas, inhabiting the +country about the sources of the Mississippi, are decidedly the most +favored. Besides their natural resources (to which I have already +referred) of fish, wild rice, and maple sugar, with the addition of an +abundance of game, the climate is found to be well adapted to the +culture of corn, wheat, barley, oats, and pulse. The potato is of +superior quality to that of the Middle States of the Union. In a +trading point of view, the hunt is very profitable. The bear, the deer +and elk, the wolf, the fox, the wolverine, the fisher raccoon, +muskrat, mink, otter, marten, weasel, and a few remaining beavers, are +the principal articles of this traffic." (pp. 58, 64.) To those who +are desirous of perusing this valuable report, and who have access to +the congressional documents, I would say that it may be found in +Senate Document 237, 2d Session of 26th Congress. + + LETTER X. + + VALLEY OF THE RED RIVER OF THE NORTH. + +Climate of Minnesota-- The settlement at Pembina-- St. Joseph-- Col. +Smith's expedition-- Red River of the North-- Fur trade-- Red River +Settlement-- The Hudson's Bay Company-- Ex-Gov. Ramsey's +observations-- Dacotah. + +CROW WING, October, 1856. + +A CELEBRATED geographer of the first century wrote, "Germany is indeed +habitable, but is uninhabited on account of the cold." I am not so +certain, but some people have a similar idea of the upper portion of +Minnesota. If there are any, however, thus distrustful of its climate, +they probably live out of the territory. I have no means of knowing +what the climate is here in winter, except from hearsay and general +principles. It seems to be an approved theory, that the farther we +approach the west in a northern latitude the milder becomes the +winter. The stage-drivers tell me that the snow does not fall to such +a depth as in the northern part of New England; that the weather is +tolerably uniform; and that the roads are at all times kept open and +much travelled. After all, it is a great way before we come to the +home of the Esquimaux, and the desert of ice where Sir John Franklin +perished. + +I will here subjoin the following extract from a letter addressed to +Gov. Stephens by the Hon. Henry M. Rice, the able delegate from +Minnesota. It is dated 3d June, 1854: + +"Navigation of the Mississippi River closes from the 10th to the 25th +of November, and opens from the 1st to the 10th of April. That of the +Red River of the North closes from the 1st to 16th November, and opens +from 10th to 25th April. I have often travelled in the winter from St. +Paul to Crow Wing, a distance of one hundred and fifty miles, with a +single horse and sled, without a track, and have never found the snow +deep enough to impede my progress. I have also gone from Crow Wing, +beyond the head waters of the Mississippi, to the waters of the +Hudson's Bay, on foot and without snow-shoes. I spent one entire +winter travelling through that region, and never found the snow over +eighteen inches deep, and seldom over nine inches. + +"For several years I had trading-posts extending from Lake Superior to +the Red River of the North, from 46 degrees to 49 degrees north +latitude, and never found the snow so deep as to prevent supplies +being transported from one post to another with horses. One winter, +north of Crow Wing, say 47 degrees north latitude, I wintered about +sixty head of horses and cattle without giving them food of any kind +except such as they could procure themselves under the snow. Between +the 45th and 49th degrees north latitude, the snow does not fall so +deep as it does between the 40th and 45th degrees; this is easily +accounted for upon the same principle that in the fall they have +frosts much earlier near the 40th than they do near the 45th degree. I +say this in reference to the country watered by the Mississippi River. +Owing to its altitude the atmosphere is dry beyond belief, which +accounts for the absence of frosts in the fall, and for the small +quantity of snow that falls in a country so far north. Voyageurs +traverse the territory from Lake Superior to the Missouri the entire +winter with horses and sleds, having to make their own roads, and yet +with heavy loads are not detained by snow. Lumbermen in great numbers +winter in the pine regions of Minnesota with their teams, and I have +never heard of their finding the snow too deep to prosecute their +labors. I have known several winters when the snow at no time was over +six inches deep." + +The Hon. H. H. Sibley, ex-delegate from Minnesota, in a letter dated +at Mendota says: "As our country is for the most part composed of +prairie, it is of course much exposed to the action of the winds. It +is, however, a peculiarity of our climate, that calms prevail during +the cold weather of the winter months; consequently, the snow does not +drift to anything like the extent experienced in New England or +northern New York. I have never believed that railroad communication +in this territory would be seriously impeded by the depth or drift of +snow, unless, perhaps, in the extreme northern portion of it." (See +Explorations and Surveys for the Pacific Railroad, I., 400.) + +A few facts in regard to the people who live four or five hundred +miles to the north, will best illustrate the nature of the climate and +its adaptedness to agriculture. + +It is common to say that settlements have not extended beyond Crow +Wing. This is only technically true. There is a settlement at Pembina, +where the dividing line between British America and the United States +crosses the Red River of the North. It didn't extend there from our +frontier, sure enough. If it extended from anywhere it must have been +from the north, or along the confines of that mystic region called +Rainy Lake. Pembina is said to have about 600 inhabitants. It is +situated on the Pembina River. It is an Indian-French word meaning +cranberry. Men live there who were born there, and it is in fact an +old settlement. It was founded by British subjects, who thought they +had located on British soil. The greater part of its inhabitants are +half-breeds, who earn a comfortable livelihood in fur hunting and in +farming. It sends two representatives and a councillor to the +territorial legislature. It is 460 miles north-west of St. Paul, and +330 miles distant from this town. Notwithstanding the distance, there +is considerable communication between the places. West of Pembina, +about thirty miles, is a settlement called St. Joseph, situated N. of +a large mythological body of water called Miniwakan, or Devil's Lake; +and is one of the points where Col. Smith's expedition was intending +to stop. This expedition to which I refer, started out from Fort +Snelling in the summer, to explore the country on both sides of the +Red River of the North as far as Pembina, and to report to the war +department the best points for the establishment of a new military +post. It is expected that Col. Smith will return by the first of next +month; and it is probable he will advise the erection of a post at +Pembina. When that is done, if it is done, its effect will be to draw +emigrants from the Red River settlement into Minnesota. + +Now let me say a word about this Red River of the North, for it is +beginning to be a great feature in this upper country. It runs north, +and empties into Lake Winnipeg, which connects with Hudson's Bay by +Nelson River. It is a muddy and sluggish stream, navigable to the +mouth of Sioux Wood River for vessels of three feet draught for four +months in the year. So that the extent of its navigation within the +territory alone (between Pembina and the mouth of Sioux Wood River) is +417 miles. Buffaloes still feed on its western banks. Its tributaries +are numerous and copious, abounding with the choicest kinds of game, +and skirted with a various and beautiful foliage. It cannot be many +years before this magnificent valley shall pour its products into our +markets, and be the theatre of a busy and genial life. + +One of the first things which drew my attention to this river was a +sight of several teams travelling towards this vicinity from a +north-westerly direction. I observed that the complexion of those in +the caravan was a little darker than that of pure white Minnesotians, +and that the carts were a novelty. "Who are those people? and where +are they from?" I inquired of a friend. "They are Red River people, +just arrived-- they have come down to trade." Their carts are made to +be drawn by one animal, either an ox or a horse, and are put together +without the use of a particle of iron. They are excellently adapted to +prairie travelling. How strange it seems! Here are people who have +been from twenty to thirty days on their journey to the nearest +civilized community. This is their nearest market. Their average rate +of travelling is about fifteen miles a day, and they generally secure +game enough on the way for their living. I have had highly interesting +accounts of the Red River settlement since I have been here, both from +Mr. Ross and Mr. Marion, gentlemen recently from there. The settlement +is seventy miles north of Pembina, and lies on both sides of the +river. Its population is estimated at 10,000. It owes its origin and +growth to the enterprise and success of the Hudson's Bay Company. Many +of the settlers came from Scotland, but the most were from Canada. +They speak English and Canadian French. The English style of society +is well kept up, whether we regard the church with its bishop, the +trader with his wine cellar, the scholar with his library, the officer +with his sinecure, or their paper currency. I find they have +everything but a hotel, for I was particular on that point, though not +intending just yet to go there. Probably the arrivals do not justify +such an institution, but their cordial hospitality will make up for +any such lack, from all I hear. They have a judge who gets a good +house to live in, and L1000 sterling a year; but he has nothing of +consequence to do. He was formerly a leading lawyer in Canada. + +The great business of the settlement, of course, is the fur traffic. +An immense amount of buffalo skins is taken in the summer and autumn, +while in the winter smaller but more valuable furs are procured. The +Indians also enlist in the hunts; and it is estimated that upwards of +$200,000 worth of furs are annually taken from our territory and sold +to the Hudson's Bay Company. It is high time indeed that a military +post should be established somewhere on the Red River by our +government. The Hudson's Bay Company is now a powerful monopoly. Not +so magnificent and potent as the East India Company, it is still a +powerful combination, showering opulence on its members, and +reflecting a peculiar feature in the strength and grandeur of the +British empire-- a power, which, to use the eloquent language of +Daniel Webster, "has dotted over the whole surface of the globe with +her possessions and military posts-- whose morning drum-beat, +following the sun, and keeping company with the hours, circles the +earth daily with one continuous and unbroken strain of martial music." +The company is growing richer every year, and its jurisdiction and its +lands will soon find an availability never dreamed of by its founders, +unless, as may possibly happen, popular sovereignty steps in to grasp +the fruits of its long apprenticeship. Some time ago I believe the +Canadas sought to annex this broad expanse to their own jurisdiction. +There are about two hundred members in the Hudson's Bay Company. The +charter gives them the power to legislate for the settlement. They +have many persons in their employ in England as well as in British +America. A clerk, after serving the company ten years, with a salary +of about $500 per annum, is considered qualified for membership, with +the right to vote in the deliberations of the company, and one share +in the profits. The profits of a share last year amounted to $10,000! +A factor of the company, after serving ten years, is entitled to +membership with the profits of two shares. The aristocracy of the +settlement consists principally of retired factors and other members +of the company, who possess large fortunes, dine on juicy roast beef, +with old port, ride in their carriages, and enjoy life in a very +comfortable manner. Two of the company's ships sail up into Hudson's +Bay every year to bring merchandise to the settlement and take away +furs. [1] But the greatest portion of the trade is done with +Minnesota. Farming is carried on in the neighborhood of the settlement +with cheerful ease and grand success. I was as much surprised to hear +of the nature of their agriculture as of anything else concerning the +settlement. The same kind of crops are raised as in Pennsylvania or +Maine; and this in a country, be it remembered, five hundred miles and +upwards north of St. Paul. Stock must be easily raised, as it would +appear from the fact that it is driven down here into the territory +and sold at a great profit. Since I have been here, a drove of +fine-looking cattle from that settlement passed to be sold in the +towns below, and a drove of horses is expected this fall. The stock +which comes from there is more hardy than can be got anywhere else, +and therefore is preferred by the Minnesotians. + +[1 "The Hudson's Bay Company allows its servants, while making a +voyage, eight pounds of meat a day, and I am told the allowance is +none too much." (Lieutenant Howison's Report on Oregon, p. 7.)] + +The following extract from Ex-Governor Ramsey's address, recently +delivered before the annual fair at Minneapolis, wherein he gives some +results of his observations of the Red River settlement during his +trip there in 1851, will be read with much interest:-- + +"Re-embarking in our canoes, we continued descending the river for +some fifteen miles further, through the French portion of the +settlement, lining mainly the west or left bank of the river, until we +arrived about the centre of the colony, at the mouth of the +Assinniboin tributary of Red River, where we landed and remained a few +days, viewing the colony and its improvements. I was at that time, and +am even now, when I look back upon it, lost in wonder at the phenomena +which that settlement exhibits to the world, considering its location +in an almost polar region of the North. Imagine a river flowing +sluggishly northward through a flat alluvial plain, and the west side +of it lined continuously for over thirty miles with cultivated farms, +each presenting those appearances of thrift around them which I +mentioned as surrounding the first farms seen by us; but each farm +with a narrow frontage on the river of only twenty-four rods in width, +but extending back for one or two miles, and each of these narrow +farms having their dwellings and the farm out-buildings spread only +along the river front, with lawns sloping to the water's edge, and +shrubbery and vines liberally trained around them, and trees +intermingled-- the whole presenting the appearance of a long suburban +village-- such as you might see near our eastern sea-board, or such as +you find exhibited in pictures of English country villages, with the +resemblance rendered more striking by the spires of several large +churches peeping above the foliage of the trees in the distance, +whitewashed school-houses glistening here and there amidst sunlight +and green; gentlemen's houses of pretentious dimensions and grassy +lawns and elaborate fencing, the seats of retired officers of the +Hudson's Bay Company occasionally interspersed; here an English +bishop's parsonage, with a boarding or high school near by; and over +there a Catholic bishop's massive cathedral, with a convent of Sisters +of Charity attached; whilst the two large stone forts, at which reside +the officers of the Hudson's Bay Company, or of the colony once called +Upper Fort Garry, and situated at the mouth of the Assinniboin, and +the other termini the Lower Fort Garry, which is twenty miles farther +down the river, helped to give additional picturesqueness to the +scene. I had almost forgotten to mention what is, after all, the most +prominent and peculiar feature of that singular landscape, singular +from its location-- and that is the numerous wind-mills, nearly twenty +in all, which on every point of land made by the turns and bends in +the river, stretched out their huge sails athwart the horizon, and +seemingly looked defiance at us as invading strangers, that were from +a land where steam or water mills monopolize their avocation of flour +making. One morning as we passed down the principal high road, on our +way to Lower Fort Garry, the wind, after a protracted calm, began to +blow a little; when presto! each mill veered around its sails to catch +the propitious breeze, and as the sails began to revolve, it was +curious to observe the numerous carts that shot out from nearly every +farm-house, and hurried along the road to these mills, to get ground +their grists of spring wheat, with which they were respectively +loaded. + +"Another incident during the same trip that struck us oddly, was +seeing two ladies driving by themselves a fine horse hitched to a +buggy of modern fashion, just as much at home apparently as if they +were driving through the streets of St. Paul, or St. Anthony, or +Minneapolis, instead of upon that remote highway towards the North +Pole; but this was not a whit more novel than to hear the pianoforte, +and played, too, with both taste and skill. While another 'lion' of +those parts that met our view was a topsail schooner lying in the +river at the lower fort, which made occasional trips into Great Lake +Winnepeg of the North, a hundred miles below. + +"I took occasion during my visit to inquire what success the farmers +met with in securing good crops, and the profits of farmers generally. +As to wheat, I learned that the yield of the spring variety was quite +equal in quantity and quality to the crop of that grain on any more +southern farms; that in raising barley they could almost surpass the +world; and the cereals generally, and all the esculent roots, were +easily raised. Indian corn was not planted as a field crop, though it +was grown in their gardens. In a word, the capacity of their land to +produce almost everything plentifully and well, was established; but +for all this, farming did not afford much profit. for want of a +sufficient market; beyond a small demand by the Hudson's Bay Company, +there was no outlet for their superabundance; and to use an Austrian +phase in regard to Hungarians, the Selkirkers are metaphysically +'smothering in their own fat.' To remedy this state of things they +were beginning, when I was there, to turn their attention towards +raising cattle and horses, for which their country is well calculated; +and the first fruits of this new decision given to their farming +energies, we have already experienced in the droves of both which have +recently been driven from thence and sold in this vicinity." + +I think the facts which I have herein hastily set downhill dispel any +apprehension as to the successful cultivation of the soil in the +northern part of the territory. It has a health-giving climate which +before long, I predict, will nourish as patriotic a race of men as +gave immortality to the noble plains of Helvetia. There is one thing I +would mention which seems to auspicate the speedy development of the +valley of the North Red River. Next year Minnesota will probably be +admitted as a state; and a new territory organized out of the broad +region embracing the valley aforesaid and the head waters of the +Mississippi. Or else it will be divided by a line north and south, +including the western valley of that river, and extending as far to +the west as the Missouri River. I understand it will be called +Dacotah, though I at first thought it would be called Pembina. There +is always a rush into new territories, and the proposed new territory +of Dacotah will present sufficient inducements for a large +immigration. When the valley of the North Red River shall be settled, +and splendid harvest fields adorn its banks; when great factories take +the place of wind-mills, and when railroads shall take the place of +Red River carts, then we will have new cause to exclaim, + + "Westward the course of empire takes its way!" + + LETTER XI. + + THE TRUE PIONEER. + +Energy of the pioneer-- Frontier life-- Spirit of emigration-- +Advantages to the farmer in moving West-- Advice in regard to making +preemption claims-- Abstract of the preemption law-- Hints to the +settler-- Character and services of the pioneer. + +CROW WING, October, 1856. + +I DESIRE in this letter to say something about the pioneer, and life +on the frontier. And by pioneer I mean the true pioneer who comes into +the West to labor and to share the vicissitudes of new settlements; +not the adventurer, who would repine at toil, and gather where he has +not sown. + +As I have looked abroad upon the vast domain of the West beyond the +dim Missouri, or in the immediate valley of the Mississippi, I have +wondered at the contrast presented between the comparatively small +number who penetrate to the frontier, and that great throng of men who +toil hard for a temporary livelihood in the populous towns and cities +of the Union. And I have thought if this latter class were at all +mindful of the opportunities for gain and independence which the new +territories afforded, they would soon abandon-- in a great measure at +least-- their crowded alleys in the city, and aspire to be cultivators +and owners of the soil. Why there has not been a greater emigration +from cities I cannot imagine, unless it is owing to a misapprehension +of Western life. Either it is this, or the pioneer is possessed of a +very superior degree of energy. + +It has been said that the frontier man always keeps on the frontier; +that he continues to emigrate as fast as the country around him +becomes settled. There is a class that do so. Not, however, for the +cause which has been sometimes humorously assigned-- that civilization +was inconvenient to them-- but because good opportunities arise to +dispose of the farms they have already improved; and because a further +emigration secures them cheaper lands. The story of the pioneer who +was disturbed by society, when his nearest neighbor lived fifteen +miles off, even if it be true, fails to give the correct reason for +the migratory life of this class of men. + +It almost always happens that wherever we go somebody else has +preceded us. Accident or enterprise has led some one to surpass us. +Many of the most useful pioneers of this country have been attracted +hither by the accounts given of its advantages by some one of their +friends who had previously located himself here. Ask a man why he +comes, and he says a neighbor of his, or a son, or a brother, has been +in the territory for so many months, and he likes it so well I +concluded to come also. A very respectable gentleman from Maine, a +shipowner and a man of wealth, who came up on the boat with me to St. +Paul, said his son-in-law was in the territory, and he had another son +at home who was bound to come, and if his wife was willing he believed +the whole family would come. Indeed the excellent state of society in +the territory is to be attributed very much to the fact that parents +have followed after their children. + +It is pretty obvious too why men will leave poor farms in New England, +and good farms in Ohio, to try their fortunes here. The farmer in New +England, it may be in New Hampshire, hears that the soil of Minnesota +is rich and free from rocks, that there are other favorable resources, +and a salubrious climate such as he has been accustomed to. He +concludes that it is best to sell out the place he has, and try +ploughing where there are no rocks to obstruct him. The farmer of Ohio +does not expect to find better soil than he leaves; but his +inducements are that he can sell his land at forty or fifty dollars an +acre, and preempt as good in Minnesota for a dollar and a quarter an +acre. This operation leaves him a surplus fund, and he becomes a more +opulent man, with better means to adorn his farm and to educate his +children. + +Those who contemplate coming West to engage in agricultural employment +should leave their families, if families they have, behind till they +have selected a location and erected some kind of a habitation; +provided, however, they have no particular friend whose hospitality +they can avail themselves of till their preliminary arrangements are +effected. It will require three months, I judge, for a man to select a +good claim (a quarter section, being 160 acres), and fence and plough +a part of it and to erect thereon a cabin. There is never a want of +land to preempt in a new country. The settler can always get an +original claim, or buy out the claim of another very cheap, near some +other settlers. The liberal policy of our government in regard to the +disposal of public lands is peculiarly beneficial to the settler. The +latter has the first chance. He can go on to a quarter section which +may be worth fifteen dollars an acre, and preempt it before it is +surveyed, and finally obtain it for $1.25 an acre. Whereas the +speculator must wait till the land is surveyed and advertised for +sale; and then he can get only what has not been preempted, and at a +price which it brings at auction, not less than $1.25 an acre. Then +what land is not sold at public sale is open to private entry at $1.25 +an acre. It is such land that bounty warrants are located on. Thus it +is seen the pioneer has the first choice. Why, I have walked over land +up here that would now bring from ten to twenty dollars an acre if it +was in the market, and which any settler can preempt and get for $1.25 +an acre. I am strongly tempted to turn farmer myself, and go out and +build me a cabin. The speculation would be a good one. But to acquire +a title by preemption I must dwell on the soil, and prove that I have +erected a dwelling and made other improvements. In other words, before +a man (or any head of a family) can get a patent, he must satisfy the +land officers that he is a dweller in good faith on the soil. It is +often the case, indeed, that men get a title by preemption who never +intend to live on their quarter section. But they do it by fraud. They +have a sort of mental reservation, I suppose, when they take the +requisite oaths. In this way many valuable claims are taken up and +held along from month to month, or from year to year, by mock +improvements. A pretender will make just improvements enough to hinder +the actual settler from locating on the claim, or will sell out to him +at a good profit. A good deal of money is made by these fictitious +claimants. It is rather hard to prevent it, too, inasmuch as it is +difficult to disprove that a man intends some time to have a permanent +home, or, in fact, that his claim is not his legal residence, though +his usual abiding place is somewhere else. Nothing could be more +delightful than for a party of young men who desire to farm to come +out together early in the spring, and aid each other in preempting +land in the same neighborhood. The preemptor has to pay about five +dollars in the way of fees before he gets through the entire process +of securing a title. It is a popular error (much like the opinion that +a man cannot swear to what he sees through glass) that improvements of +a certain value, say fifty dollars, are required to be made, or that a +certain number of acres must be cultivated. All that is required, +however, is evidence that the party has built a house fit to live in, +and has in good faith proceeded to cultivate the soil. The law does +not permit a person to preempt 160 acres but once; yet this provision +is often disregarded, possibly from ignorance, I was about to say, but +that cannot be, since the applicant must make oath that he has not +before availed himself of the right of preemption. + +I will insert at this place an abridgment of the preemption act of 4th +September, 1841, which I made two years ago; and which was extensively +published in the new states and territories. I am happy to find, also, +that it has been thought worth copying into one or more works on the +West. + +I. Lands subject to preemption. By sec. 10 of said act it is provided +that the public lands to which the Indian title had been extinguished +at the time of the settlement, and which had also been surveyed prior +thereto, shall be subject to preemption, and purchase at the rate of +one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. And by the act of 22d July, +1854, sec. 12, the preemption of unsurveyed lands is recognised as +legal. Lands of the following description are excepted: such as are +included in any reservation, by any treaty, law, or proclamation of +the President of the United States, or reserved for salines or for +other purposes; lands included within the limits of any incorporated +town, or which have been selected as the site for a city or town; +lands actually settled and occupied for the purposes of trade and not +agriculture; and lands on which are situated any known salines or +mines. + +II. The amount designated is any number of acres not exceeding one +hundred and sixty. + +III. Who may preempt. "Every person being the head of a family, or +widow, or single man over the age of twenty-one years, and being a +citizen of the United States, or having filed his declaration of +intention to become a citizen, as required by the naturalization +laws." But no person shall be entitled to more than one preemptive +right, and no person who is the proprietor of three hundred and twenty +acres of land in any state or territory of the United States, and no +person who shall quit or abandon his residence on his own land to +reside on the public land in the same state or territory, shall +acquire any right of preemption. + +IV. The method to perfect the right. The preemptor must make a +settlement on the land in person; inhabit and improve the same, and +erect thereon a dwelling. And when the land has been surveyed previous +to settlement the preemptor shall, within thirty days of the date of +the settlement, file with the register of the proper district a +written statement describing the land settled upon, and declaring the +intention of such person to claim the same under the provisions of the +preemption law. And within twelve months of the date of the settlement +such person shall make the requisite proof, affidavit, and payment. +When unsurveyed lands are prompted (act of 1854), notice of the +specific tracts claimed shall be filed with the surveyor general, +within three months after the survey has been made in the field. And +when two or more persons shall have settled on the same quarter +section, the right of preemption shall be in him or her who made the +first settlement; and questions arising between different settlers +shall be decided by the register and receiver of the district within +which the land is situated, subject to an appeal to and revision by +the Secretary of the Interior of the United States. + +And the settler must make oath before the receiver or register that he +or she has never had the benefit of any right of preemption under the +preemption act: that he or she is not the owner of three hundred and +twenty acres of land in any state or territory of the United States, +nor hath he or she settled upon and improved said land to sell the +same on speculation, but in good faith to appropriate it to his or her +own exclusive use or benefit: and that he or she has not directly or +indirectly made any agreement or contract in any way or manner with +any person or persons whatsoever, by which the title which he or she +might acquire from the government of the United States should enure in +whole or in part to the benefit of any person except himself or +herself; and if any person talking such oath shall swear falsely in +the premises, he or she shall be subject to all the pains and +penalties of perjury, and shall forfeit the money which he or she may +have paid for such land, and all right and title to the same; and any +grant or conveyance which he or she may have made, except in the hands +of bona fide purchasers for a valuable consideration, shall be null +and void. + +Proof of the requisite settlement and improvement shall be made by the +preemptor to the satisfaction of the register and receiver, in the +district in which the lands so claimed lie, who shall each be entitled +to receive fifty cents from each applicant for his services rendered. +as aforesaid; and all assignments and transfers of the right hereby +secured prior to the issuing of the patent, shall be null and void. +(See U. S. Stat. at Large, vol. 5, 453-458.) + +But I was on the point of advising the settler what he should bring +with him into a new country and what leave behind. He should not bring +much furniture. It is very expensive and troublesome to have it +transported. Nor will he need much to begin with, or have room for it. +It will cost nearly as much to transport it seventy miles through the +territory as it will to bring it from whence he started within the +limits of the territory. Let him pack up in a small compass the most +precious part of his inanimate household, and leave it ready for an +agent to start it after he shall have found a domicil. This will save +expensive storage. Then let his goods be directed to the care of some +responsible forwarding merchant in a river town nearest to their final +destination, that they may be taken care of and not be left exposed on +the levee when they arrive. St. Paul is now a place of so much +mercantile importance and competition that one may buy provisions, +furniture, or agricultural tools cheaper there than he can himself +bring them from the East. The professional man, however, will do well +to bring his books with him. + +Let us assume now that the settler has got his house up, either a +frame house or of logs, with a part of his farm fenced; and that be +has filed his application for preemption at the land office in the +district in which he resides. Let us suppose further, that he is +passing his first autumn here. His house, if he is a man of limited +means, has but two rooms, and they are both on the basement story. He +has just shelter enough for his stock, but none for his hay, which is +stacked near by. The probability is, that he lives in the vicinity of +some clear stream or copious spring, and has not, therefore, needed to +dig a well. The whole establishment, one would think, who was +accustomed to the Eastern style of living, betrayed downright poverty. + +But let us stop a moment; this is the home of a pioneer. He has been +industrious, and everything about him exhibits forethought. There is a +cornfield all fenced in with tamarack poles. It is paved over with +pumpkins (for pumpkins flourish wonderfully in Minnesota), and +contains twenty acres of ripe corn, which, allowing thirty-five +bushels to an acre, is worth at ninety cents per bushel the sum of +$630. There are three acres of potatoes, of the very best quality, +containing three hundred bushels, which, at fifty cents a bushel, are +worth $150. Here then, off of two crops, he gets $780, and I make a +moderate estimate at that. Next year he will add to this a crop of +oats or wheat. The true pioneer is a model farmer. He lays out his +work two weeks in advance. Every evening finds him further ahead. If +there is a rainy day, he knows what to set himself about. Be lays his +plans in a systematic manner, and carries them into execution with +energy. He is a true pioneer, and therefore he is not an idle man, nor +a loafer, nor a weak addle-headed tippler. Go into his house, and +though you do not see elegance you can yet behold intelligence, and +neatness, and sweet domestic bliss. The life of the pioneer is not +exposed to such hardships and delays as retarded the fortunes of the +settlers in the older states. They had to clear forests; here the land +is ready for the plough. And though "there is society where none +intrude," yet he is not by any means beyond the boundaries of good +neighborhood. In many cases, however, he has left his dearest friends +far away in his native village, where his affections still linger. He +has to endure painful separations, and to forego those many comforts +which spring from frequent meetings under the parental roof, and +frequent converse with the most attractive scones of youth. But to +compensate for these things he can feel that the labor of the pioneer, +aside from its pecuniary advantage to himself, is of service to the +state, and a helpmate to succeeding generations. + + "There are, who, distant from their native soil, + Still for their own and country's glory toil: + While some, fast rooted to their parent spot, + In life are useless, and in death forgot!" + + LETTER XII. + + SPECULATION AND BUSINESS. + +Opportunities to select farms-- Otter Tail Lake-- Advantages of the +actual settler over the speculator-- Policy of new states as to taxing +non-residents-- Opportunities to make money-- Anecdote of Col. +Perkins-- Mercantile business-- Price of money-- Intemperance-- +Education-- The free school. + +CROW WING, October, 1856. + +IT is maintained by the reviewers, I believe, that the duller a writer +is, the more accurate he should be. In the outset of this letter, I +desire to testify my acquiescence in the justice of that dogma, for +if, like neighbor Dogberry, "I were as tedious as a king," I could not +find it in my heart to bestow it all without a measure of utility. + +I shall try to answer some questions which I imagine might be put by +different classes of men who are interested in this part of the west. +My last letter had some hints to the farmer, and I can only add, in +addition, for his benefit, that the most available locations are now a +considerable distance above St. Paul. The valley of the St. Peter's is +pretty much taken up; and so of the valley of the Mississippi for a +distance of fifteen miles on either side to a point a hundred miles +above St. Paul. One of the land officers at Minneapolis informed me +that there were good preemption claims to be had fifteen miles west, +that being as far as the country was thickly settled. One of the +finest regions now unoccupied, that I know of, not to except even the +country on the Crow Wing River, is the land bordering on Otter Tail +Lake. For forty miles all round that lake the land is splendid. More +than a dozen disinterested eye-witnesses have described that region to +me in the most glowing terms. In beauty, in fertility, and in the +various collateral resources which make a farming country desirable, +it is not surpassed. It lies south of the picturesque highlands or +hauteurs des terres, and about midway between the sources of the Crow +Wing and North Red Rivers. From this town the distance to it is sixty +miles. The lake itself is forty miles long and five miles in width. +The water is clear and deep, and abounds with white fish that are +famous for their delicious flavor. The following description, which I +take from Captain Pope's official narrative of his exploration, is a +reliable description of this delightful spot, now fortunately on the +eve of being settled-- " To the west, north-west, and north-east, the +whole country is heavily timbered with oak, elm, ash, maple, birch, +bass, &c., &c. Of these the sugar maple is probably the most valuable, +and in the vicinity of Otter Tail Lake large quantities of maple sugar +are manufactured by the Indians. The wild rice, which exists in these +lakes in the most lavish profusion, constitutes a most necessary +article of food with the Indians, and is gathered in large quantities +in the months of September and October. To the east the banks of the +lake are fringed with heavy oak and elm timber to the width of one +mile. The whole region of country for fifty miles in all directions +around this lake is among the most beautiful and fertile in the world. +The fine scenery of lakes and open groves of oak timber, of winding +streams connecting them, and beautifully rolling country on all sides, +renders this portion of Minnesota the garden spot of the north-west. +It is impossible in a report of this character to describe the feeling +of admiration and astonishment with which we first beheld the charming +country in the vicinity of this lake; and were I to give expression to +my own feelings and opinions in reference to it, I fear they would be +considered the ravings of a visionary or an enthusiast."[1] But let me +say to the speculator that he need not covet any of these broad acres. +There is little chance for him. Before that land can be bought at +public sale or by mere purchasers at private sale, it will, I feel +sure, be entirely occupied by actual settlers. And so it ought to be. +The good of the territory is promoted by that beneficent policy of our +public land laws which gives the actual settler the first and best +chance to acquire a title by preemption. + +[1 To illustrate the rapid progress which is going on constantly, I +would remark that in less than a month after leaving Crow Wing, I +received a letter from there informing me that Messrs. Crittenden, +Cathcart, and others had been to Otter Tail Lake and laid out a town +which they call Otter Tail City. The standing and means of the men +engaged in the enterprise, are a sure guaranty of its success.] + +Speculators have located a great many land warrants in Minnesota. Some +have been located on lakes, some on swamps, some on excellent land. Of +course the owner, who, as a general thing, is a nonresident, leaves +his land idle for something to "turn up" to make it profitable. There +it stands doing no good, but on the contrary is an encumbrance to the +settler, who has to travel over and beyond it without meeting the face +of a neighbor in its vicinity. The policy of new states is to tax +non-resident landholders at a high rate. When the territory becomes a +state, and is obliged to raise a revenue, some of these fellows +outside, who, to use a phrase common up here, have plastered the +country over with land warrants, will have to keep a lookout for the +tax-gatherer. Now I do not mean to discourage moneyed men from +investing in Minnesota lands. I do not wish to raise any bugbears, but +simply to let them know that hoarding up large tracts of land without +making improvements, and leaving it to increase in value by the toil +and energy of the pioneer, is a way of doing things which is not +popular with the actual settler. But there is a great deal of money to +be made by judicious investments in land. Buying large tracts of land +I believe to be the least profitable speculation, unless indeed the +purchaser knows exactly what he is buying, and is on hand at the +public sale to get the benefit of a second choice. I say second +choice, because the preemptor has had the first choice long ago, and +it may be before the land was surveyed. What I would recommend to +speculators is to purchase in some good town sites. Buy in two or +three, and if one or two happen to prove failures, the profits on the +other will enable you to bear the loss. I know of a man who invested +$6000 at St. Paul six years ago. He has sold over $80,000 worth of the +land, and has as much more left. This is but an ordinary instance. The +advantage of buying lots in a town arises from the rapid rise of the +value of the land, the ready market, and withal the moderate prices at +which they can be procured during the early part of its history. + +To such persons as have a desire to come West, and are not inclined to +be farmers, and who have not capital enough to engage in mercantile +business, there is sufficient employment. A new country always opens +avenues of successful business for every industrious man and woman; +more kinds even than I could well enumerate. Every branch of mechanics +needs workmen of all grades; from the boy who planes the rough boards +to the head workman. Teaming affords good employment for young men the +year round. The same may be said of the saw-mills. A great deal of +building is going on constantly; and those who have good trades get +$2.50 per day. I am speaking, of course, of the territory in general. +One of the most profitable kinds of miscellaneous business is +surveying. This art requires the services of large numbers; not only +to survey the public lands, but town sites and the lands of private +individuals. Labor is very high everywhere in the West, whether done +by men, women, or children;-- even the boys, not fourteen years old, +who clean the knives and forks on the steamboats, get $20 a month and +are found. But the best of it all is, that when a man earns a few +dollars he can easily invest it in a piece of land, and double his +money in three months, perhaps in one month. One of the merchant +princes of Boston, the late Col. T. H. Perkins, published a notice in +a Boston paper in 1789, he being then 25, that he would soon embark on +board the ship Astrea for Canton, and that if any one desired to +commit an "adventure" to him, they might be assured of his exertions +for their interests. The practice of sending " adventures" "beyond the +seas" is not so common as it was once; and instead thereof men invest +their funds in western prizes. But let me remark in regard to the fact +I relate, that it shows the true pioneer spirit. Col. Perkins was a +pioneer. His energy led him beyond his counting-room, and he reaped +the reward of his exertions in a great fortune. + +I have now a young man in my mind who came to a town ten miles this +side of St. Paul, six months ago, with $500. He commenced trading, and +has already, by good investments and the profits of his business, +doubled his money. Everything that one can eat or wear brings a high +price, or as high as it does in any part of the West. The number of +visitors and emigrants is so large that the productions of the +territory are utterly inadequate to supply the market. Therefore large +quantities of provisions have to be brought up the river from the +lower towns. At Swan River, 100 miles this side of St. Paul, pork is +worth $85. Knowing that pork constitutes a great part of the +"victuals" up this way, though far from being partial to the article, +I tried it when I dined at Swan River to see if it was good, and found +it to be very excellent. Board for laboring men must be about four +dollars a week. For transient guests at Crow Wing it is one dollar a +day. + +I have heard it said that money is scarce. It is possible. It +certainly commands a high premium; but the reason is that there are +such splendid opportunities to make fortunes by building and buying +and selling city lots. A man intends that the rent of a house or store +shall pay for its construction in three years. The profits of +adventure justify a man in paying high interest. If a man has money +enough to buy a pair of horses and a wagon, he can defy the world. +These are illustrations to show why one is induced to pay interest. I +do not think, however, money is "tight." I never saw people so free +with their money, or appear to have it in so great abundance. + +There is one drawback which this territory has in common with the +greater part of the West, and in fact of the civilized world. It is +not only a drawback, but a nuisance anywhere; I mean drinking or +whiskey shops. The greater proportion of the settlers are temperate +men, I am sure; but in almost every village there are places where the +meanest kind of intoxicating liquor is sold. There are some who sell +liquor to the Indians. But such business is universally considered as +the most degraded that a mean man can be guilty of. It is filthy to +see men staggering about under the influence of bad whiskey, or of any +kind of whiskey. He who sends a young husband to his new cabin home +intoxicated, to mortify and torment his family; or who sells liquor to +the uneducated Indians, that they may fight and murder, must have his +conscience-- if he has any at all-- cased over with sole leather. Mr. +Gough is needed in the West. + +Minnesota is not behind in education. Ever since Governor Slade, of +Vermont, brought some bright young school mistresses up to St. Paul +(in 1849), common school education has been diffusing its precious +influences. The government wisely sets apart two sections of land-- +the 16th and 36th-- in every township for school purposes. A township +is six miles square; and the two sections thus reserved in each +township comprise 1280 acres. Other territories have the same +provision. This affords a very good fund for educational uses, or +rather it is a great aid to the exertions of the people. There are +some nourishing institutions of learning in the territory. But the +greatest institution after all in the country-- the surest protection +of our liberties and our laws-- is the FREE SCHOOL. + + LETTER XIII. + + CROW WING TO ST. CLOUD. + +Pleasant drive in the stage-- Scenery-- The past-- Fort Ripley Ferry-- +Delay at the Post Office-- Belle Prairie-- A Catholic priest-- Dinner +at Swan River-- Potatoes-- Arrival at Watab-- St. Cloud. + +ST. CLOUD, October, 1856. + +YESTERDAY morning at seven I took my departure, on the stage, from +Crow Wing. It was a most delightful morning, the air not damp, but +bracing; and the welcome rays of the sun shed a mellow lustre upon a +scene of "sylvan beauty." The first hour's ride was over a road I had +passed in the dark on my upward journey, and this was the first view I +had of the country immediately below Crow Wing. No settlements were to +be seen, because the regulations of military reservations preclude +their being made except for some purpose connected with the public +interests. A heavy shower the night before had effectually laid the +dust, and we bounded along on the easy coach in high spirits. The view +of the prairie stretching "in airy undulations far away," and of the +eddying current of the Mississippi, there as everywhere deep and +majestic, with its banks skirted with autumn-colored foliage, was +enough to commend the old fashioned system of stages to more general +use. Call it poetry or what you please, yet the man who can +contemplate with indifference the wonderful profusion of nature, +undeveloped by art-- inviting, yet never touched by the plough-- must +lack some one of the senses. Indeed, this picture, so characteristic +of the new lands of the West, seems to call into existence a new +sense. The view takes in a broad expanse which has never produced a +stock of grain; and which has been traversed for ages past by a race +whose greatest and most frequent calamity was hunger. If we turn to +its past there is no object to call back our thoughts. All is +oblivion. There are no ruins to awaken curious images of former life-- +no vestige of humanity-- nothing but the present generation of nature. +And yet there are traces of the past generations of nature to be seen. +The depressions of the soil here and there to be observed, covered +with a thick meadow grass, are unmistakeable indications of lakes +which have now "vanished into thin air." That these gentle hollows +were once filled with water is the more certain from the appearance of +the shores of the present lakes, where the low water mark seems to +have grown lower and lower every year. But if the past is blank, these +scenes are suggestive of happy reflections as to the future. The long +perspective is radiant with busy life and cheerful husbandry. New +forms spring into being. Villages and towns spring up as if by magic, +along whose streets throngs of men are passing. And thus, as "coming +events cast their shadows before," does the mind wander from the real +to the probable. An hour and a half of this sort of revery, and we had +come to the Fort Ripley ferry, over which we were to go for the mail. +That ferry (and I have seen others on the river like it) is a +marvellous invention. It is a flat-boat which is quickly propelled +either way across the river by means of the resistance which it offers +to the current. Its machinery is so simple I will try to describe it. +In the first place a rope is stretched across the river from elevated +objects on either side. Each end of the boat is made fast to this line +by pullies, which can be taken up or let out at the fastenings on the +boat. All that is required to start the boat is to bring the bow, by +means of the pully, to an acute angle with the current. The after part +of the boat presents the principal resistance to the current by +sliding a thick board into the water from the upper side. As the water +strikes against this, the boat is constantly attempting to describe a +circle, which it is of course prevented from doing by the current, and +so keeps on-- for it must move somewhere-- in a direction where the +obstruction is less. It certainly belongs to the science of +hydraulics, for it is not such a boat as can be propelled by steam or +wind. I had occasion recently to cross the Mississippi on a similar +ferry, early in the morning, and before the ferryman was up. The +proprietor of it was with me; yet neither of us knew much of its +practical operation. I soon pulled the head of the boat towards the +current, but left down the resistance board, or whatever it is called, +at the bow as well as at the stern. This, of course, impeded our +progress; but we got over in a few minutes; and I felt so much +interested in this new kind of navigation, that I would have been glad +to try the voyage over again. + +On arriving within the square of the garrison, I expected to find the +mail ready for delivery to the driver; but we had to wait half an +hour. The mail is only weekly, and there was nothing of any +consequence to change. We repaired to the post office, which was in a +remote corner of a store-room, where the postmaster was busy making up +his mail. Some of the officers had come in with documents which they +wished to have mailed. And while we stood waiting, corporals and +privates, servants of other officers brought in letters which +Lieutenant So-and-so "was particularly desirous of having mailed this +morning." The driver was magnanimous enough to submit to me whether we +should wait. We all felt accommodating-- the postmaster I saw was +particularly so-- and we concluded to wait till everything was in, and +perhaps we would have waited for some one to write a letter. I could +not but think it would be a week before another mail day; and still I +could not but think these unnecessary morning hindrances were throwing +a part of our journey into the night hours. Returning again to the +eastern bank of the river by our fine ferry, we soon passed the +spacious residence of Mr. Olmsted, a prominent citizen of the +territory. We made a formal halt at his door to see if there were any +passengers. Mr. Olmsted has a large farm under good cultivation, and +several intelligent young men in his service. In that neighborhood are +some other as handsome farms as I ever saw; but I think they are on +the reservation, and are cultivated under the patronage of the war +department. The winter grain was just up, and its fresh verdure +afforded an agreeable contrast with the many emblems of decaying +nature. It was in the middle of the forenoon that we reached Belle +Prairie, along which are many good farm houses occupied by +half-breeds. There is a church and a school-house. In the cemetery is +a large cross painted black and white, and from its imposing +appearance it cannot fail to make a solemn impression on minds which +revere any tangible object that is consigned sacred. A very +comfortable-looking house was pointed out to me as the residence of a +Catholic priest, who has lived for many years in that section, +spreading among the ignorant a knowledge of Christianity, and +ministering to their wants in the hour of death. And though I am no +Catholic, I could not but regard the superiority of that kind of +preaching-- for visiting the sick, consoling the afflicted, and +rebuking sin by daily admonitions, is the true preaching of the +Gospel-- over the pompous declamation which now too often usurps the +pulpit. + +The dinner was smoking hot on the table when we drove up to the hotel +at Swan River; and so charming a drive in the pure air had given me a +keen appetite. The dinner (and I speak of these matters because they +are quite important to travellers) was in all respects worthy of the +appetite. The great staple article of Minnesota soil appears to be +potatoes, for they were never known to be better anywhere else-- +Eastport not excepted-- and at our table d'hote they were a grand +collateral to the beef and pork. The dessert consisted of nice home +made apple pies served with generosity, and we had tea or milk or +water, as requested, for a beverage. After partaking of a dinner of +this kind, the rest of the day's journey was looked forward to with no +unpleasant emotions. The stage happened to be lightly loaded, and we +rolled along with steady pace, and amidst jovial talk, till we reached +the thriving, but to me not attractive, town of Watab. Three houses +had been put up within the short time since I had stopped there. We +got into Mr. Gilman's tavern at sundown. I was rejoiced to find a +horse and carriage waiting for me, which had been kindly sent by a +friend to bring me to St. Cloud. It is seven miles from Watab to this +town. It was a charming moonlight evening, and I immediately started +on with the faithful youth who had charge of the carriage, to enjoy my +supper and lodging under the roof of my hospitable friend at St. +Cloud. + + LETTER XIV. + + ST. CLOUD.-- THE PACIFIC TRAIL. + +Agreeable visit at St. Cloud-- Description of the place-- Causes of +the rapid growth of towns-- Gen. Lowry-- The back country-- Gov. +Stevens's report-- Mr. Lambert's views-- Interesting account of Mr. A. +W. Tinkham's exploration. + +ST. CLOUD, October, 1856. + +IF I follow the injunction of that most impartial and worthy critic, +Lord Jeffrey, which is, that tourists should describe those things +which make the pleasantest impression on their own minds, I should +begin with an account of the delightful entertainment which genuine +hospitality and courtesy have here favored me with. I passed +Blannerhasset's Island once, and from a view of the scenery, sought +something of that inspiration which, from reading Wirt's glowing +description of it, I thought would be excited; but the reality was far +below my anticipation. If applied to the banks of the Mississippi +River, however, at this place, where the Sauk Rapids terminate, that +charming description would be no more than an adequate picture. The +residence of my friend is a little above the limits of St. Cloud, +midway on the gradual rise from the river to the prairie. It is a neat +white two-story cottage, with a piazza in front. The yard extends to +the water's edge, and in it is a grove of handsome shade trees. Now +that the leaves have fallen, we can sit on the piazza and have a full +view of the river through the branches of the trees. The river is here +very clear and swift, with a hard bottom; and if it were unadorned +with its cheerful foliage-covered banks, the view of it would still +add a charm to a residence. There is a mild tranquillity, blended with +the romance of the scene, admirably calculated to raise in the mind +emotions the most agreeable and serene. For nature is a great +instructor and purifier. As Talfourd says in that charming little +volume of Vacation Rambles, "to commune with nature and grow familiar +with all her aspects, surely softens the manners as much, at the +least, as the study of the liberal arts." + +St. Cloud is favorably located on the west bank of the river, +seventy-five miles above St. Paul. It is just enough elevated to have +good drainage facilities, should it become densely populous. For many +years it was the seat of a trading post among the Winnebagoes. But the +date of its start as a town is not more than six months ago; since +when it has been advancing with unsurpassed thrift, on a scale of +affluence and durability. Its main street is surely a street in other +respects than in the name; for it has on either side several neatly +built three-story blocks of stores, around which the gathering of +teams and of people denotes such an activity of business as to dispel +any idea that the place is got up under false pretences. The St. Cloud +advertisements in the St. Paul daily papers contain the cards of about +forty different firms or individuals, which is a sort of index to the +business of the place. A printing press is already in the town, and a +paper will in a few days be issued. There are now two hotels; one of +which (the Stearns House), it is said, cost $9000. A flourishing +saw-mill was destroyed by fire, and in a few weeks another one was +built in its place. An Episcopal church is being erected. The steamer +"H. M. Rice" runs between here and St. Anthony. It is sometimes said +that this is the head of the Upper Mississippi navigation, but such is +not the case. The Sauk Rapids which terminate here are an obstruction +to continuous navigation between St. Anthony and Crow Wing, but after +you get to the latter place (where the river is twenty feet deep) +there is good navigation for two hundred miles. There are several +roads laid out to intersect at St. Cloud, for the construction of +which, I believe, the government has made some appropriation. Town +lots are sold on reasonable terms to those who intend to make +improvements on them, which is the true policy for any town, but the +general market price ranges from $100 to $1000 a lot. The town is not +in the hands of capitalists, though moneyed men are interested in it. +General Lowry is a large proprietor. He lives at Arcadia, just above +the town limits, and has a farm consisting of three hundred acres of +the most splendid land, which is well stocked with cattle and durably +fenced. A better barn, or a neater farmyard than he has, cannot be +found between Boston and Worcester. And while speaking of barns I +would observe that the old New England custom of having good barns is +better observed in Minnesota than anywhere else in the West. General +Lowry has been engaged in mercantile business. He was formerly a +member of the territorial council, and is a very useful and valuable +citizen of the territory. + +It would not be more surprising to have Eastern people doubt some of +the statements concerning the growth of Western towns, than it was for +the king of Siam to doubt that there was any part of the world where +water changed from liquid to a hard substance. His majesty knew +nothing about ice. Now, there are a good many handsome villages in the +East which hardly support one store. Not that people in such a village +do not consume as much or live in finer style; but the reason is that +they are old settlers who produce very much that they live on, and +who, by great travelling facilities, are able to scatter their trading +custom into some commercial metropolis. Suppose, however, one of your +large villages to be so newly settled that the people have had no +chance to raise anything from their gardens or their fields, and are +obliged to buy all they are to eat and all that is to furnish their +dwellings, or equip their shops, or stock their farms; then you have a +state of things which will support several stores, and a whole +catalogue of trades. It is a state of affairs which corresponds with +every new settlement in the West; or, indeed, which faintly compares +with the demand for everything merchantable, peculiar in such places. +Then again, besides the actual residents in a new place, who have +money enough in their pockets, but nothing in their cellars, there is +generally a large population in the back country of farmers and no +stores. Such people come to a place like this to trade, for fifteen or +twenty miles back, perhaps; and it being a county seat they have other +objects to bring them. At the same time there is an almost constant +flow of settlers through the place into the unoccupied country to find +preemption claims, who, of course, wish to take supplies with them. +The settler takes a day, perhaps, for his visit in town to trade. Time +is precious with him, and he cannot come often. So he buys, perhaps, +fifty or a hundred dollars worth of goods. These are circumstances +which account for activity of business in these river towns, and +which, though they are strikingly apparent here, are not peculiar to +this town. At first, I confess, it was a mystery to me what could +produce such startling and profitable trade in these new towns. + +It was in the immediate vicinity of St. Cloud that Gov. Stevens left +the Mississippi on his exploration, in 1853, of a railroad route to +the Pacific. Several crossings of the river had been previously +examined, and it was found that one of the favorable points for a +railroad bridge over it was here. I might here say that the country +directly west lies in the valley of Sauk River, and from my own +observation I know it to be a good farming country; and I believe the +land is taken up by settlers as far back as twelve miles. It is a +little upwards of a hundred miles in a westerly direction from St. +Cloud to where the expedition first touched the Bois des Sioux (or +Sioux Wood River). Gov. Stevens says in his report-- " The plateau of +the Bois des Sioux will be a great centre of population and +communication. It connects with the valley of the Red River of the +North, navigable four hundred miles for steamers of three or four feet +draught, with forty-five thousand square miles of arable and timber +land; and with the valley of the Minnesota, also navigable at all +seasons when not obstructed by ice, one hundred miles for steamers, +and occasionally a hundred miles further. The head of navigation of +the Red River of the North is within one hundred and ten miles of the +navigable portion of the Mississippi, and is distant only forty miles +from the Minnesota. Eastward from these valleys to the great lakes, +the country on both sides of the Mississippi is rich, and much of it +heavily timbered." + +I will also add another remark which he makes, inasmuch as the +character of the country in this latitude, as far as the Pacific +shore, must have great influence on this locality; and it is this: " +Probably four thousand square miles of tillable land is to be found +immediately on the eastern slopes of (the Rocky Mountains); and at the +bottoms of the different streams, retaining their fertility for some +distance after leaving the mountains, will considerably increase this +amount." Mr. John Lambert, the topographer of the exploration, divides +the country between the Mississippi and Columbia rivers, into three +grand divisions. The first includes the vast prairies between the +Mississippi and the base of the Rocky Mountains. The second is the +mountain division, embracing about five degrees of longitude. The +third division comprises the immense plains of the Columbia. + +Of the first division-- from here to the foot of the Rocky Mountains-- +let me quote what Mr. Lambert in his official report calls a "passing +glance." "Undulating and level prairies, skirted with woods of various +growth, and clothed everywhere with a rich verdure; frequent and rapid +streams, with innumerable small but limpid lakes, frequented by +multitudes of waterfowl, most conspicuous among which appears the +stately swan; these, in ever-recurring succession, make up the +panorama of this extensive district, which may be said to be +everywhere fertile, beautiful, and inviting. The most remarkable +features of this region are the intervals of level prairie, especially +that near the bend of Red River, where the horizon is as unbroken as +that of a calm sea. Nor are other points of resemblance wanting-- the +long grass, which in such places is unusually rank, bending gracefully +to the passing breeze as it sweeps along the plain, gives the idea of +waves (as indeed they are); and the solitary horseman on the horizon +is so indistinctly seen as to complete the picture by the suggestion +of a sail, raising the first feeling of novelty to a character of +wonder and delight. The following outlines of the rolling prairies are +broken only by the small lakes and patches of timber which relieve +them of monotony and enhance their beauty; and though marshes and +sloughs occur, they are of too small extent and too infrequent to +affect the generally attractive character of the country. The +elevation of the rolling prairies is generally so uniform, that even +the summits between streams flowing in opposite directions exhibit no +peculiar features to distinguish them from the ordinary character of +the valley slopes." + +I think I cannot do a better service to the emigrant or settler than +to quote a part of the report made by Mr. A. W. Tinkham, descriptive +of his route from St. Paul to Fort Union. His exploration, under Gov. +Stevens, was made in the summer of 1853; and he has evidently given an +impartial account of the country. I begin with it where he crosses the +Mississippi in the vicinity of St. Cloud. The part quoted embraces the +route for a distance of two hundred and ninety-five miles; the first +seventy miles of which was due west-- the rest of the route being a +little north of west. + +"June 9. Ferried across the Mississippi River, here some six hundred +to eight hundred feet wide-- boating the camp equipage, provisions, +&c., and swimming the animals; through rich and fertile prairies, +variegated with the wooded banks of Sauk River, a short distance on +the left, with the wooded hills on either side, the clustered growth +of elm, poplar, and oak, which the road occasionally touches; +following the 'Red River trail,' we camp at Cold Spring Brook, with +clear, cool water, good grass, and wood. + +"June 10. Cold Spring Brook is a small brook about ten feet across, +flowing through a miry slough, which is very soft and deep, and +previous to the passage of the wagons, had, for about two hundred feet +distance, been bridged in advance by a causeway of round or split logs +of the poplar growth near by; between this and the crossing of Sauk +River are two other bad sloughs, over one of which are laid logs of +poplar, and over the other the wagons were hauled by hand, after first +removing the loads. Sauk River is crossed obliquely with a length of +ford some three hundred feet-- depth of water four-and-a-half to five +feet; goods must be boated or rafted over, the river woods affording +the means of building a raft; camped immediately after crossing; wood, +water, and grass good and abundant. + +"June 11. Over rolling prairies, without wood on the trail, although +generally in sight on the right or left, with occasional small ponds +and several bad sloughs, across which the wagons were hauled over by +hand to Lake Henry-- a handsome, wooded lake; good wood and grass; +water from small pond; not very good. + +"June 13. Passing over rolling prairies to a branch of Crow River, the +channel of which is only some twenty feet wide and four or five feet +deep; but the water makes back into the grass one hundred feet or more +from the channel as early in the season as when crossed by the train. +Goods boated over; wagons by hand and with ropes; no wood on the +stream; several small lakes, not wooded, are on either side of the +trail, with many ducks, geese, and plovers on them: encamp at +Lightning Lake, a small and pretty lake, sufficiently well wooded on +the borders for camping purposes; good water, wood, and grass, and +abounding with fish. + +"June 18. Over rolling prairie with small pools and marshes, to a +swift running stream about twenty feet wide, three feet deep, a branch +of Chippewa River; heavily rolling ground with stony knolls and +granite boulders, to White Bear Lake, a large handsome lake, with +mingled open and woodland. + +"Broken rolling ground to camp, a mile off the Red River trail, and +near a small wooded lake. Two small brooks have to be crossed in the +interval, and being somewhat deep and with abrupt sides, are +troublesome crossings. + +"June 20. Rolling prairie country, with small marshes and ponds to a +tributary of South Branch. Swift running stream, gravelly bottom, +fifteen feet wide, three to four feet deep; with care in selection +good crossing was obtained for the wagons; a wooded lake is a short +distance to the right of trail. + +"Small rivulet, whose banks are marshy and soft. + +"Prairies, with small marshes and ponds to a swift running brook, six +feet wide. + +"Prairie to Pike Lake and camp of St. Grover; a handsome lake of about +a mile in diameter, said to abound in pike; well wooded on its south +border; grass, water, and wood, for camping, abundant and good. + +"Rolling prairie with knolls; several ponds and marshes, with an +intervening brook about six feet wide, and rather difficult of +passage, from the abruptness of its banks, to a small brook, the +outlet of a small and partially wooded lake or pond. + +"Rolling prairie, with grassy, swelling knolls, small ponds and +marshes, to Chippeway River; camp of odometer wagon on edge of river; +water and grass good; no wood. + +"June 24. Crossed Chippeway River, one hundred and twenty-four feet +wide, three to six feet deep; goods boated over, and the animals +swimming; wagon hauled through the water by a rope attached to the +tongue, and with the aid of the mules; camped on Elk Lake, a small and +pretty lake, well wooded, and with luxuriant grass; good water. + +"June 25. Trail passes over prairies with a rich heavy grass (this is +a hundred miles west of the Mississippi River), about eighteen inches +high, winding between wooded lakes to a heavy ravine, with a small and +sluggish rivulet in its bottom; sides steep, and laborious for the +wagon train. + +"Prairie sloping towards the western branch of the Chippeway River; a +stream when crossed, about one hundred and forty feet wide, three or +four feet deep, with a marked current and firm bottom; no wood. + +"Camp on a small lake, fairly wooded, with luxuriant grass, and good +water. + +"June 27. Undulating prairie, rich soil, covered with a heavy growth +of grass, with small ponds and marshes; woods continue in sight a +short distance on the left of Elbow Lake, a well wooded lake, of form +indicated by its name. + +"Rolling prairie, with two bad sloughs, to Rabbit River, which is +crossed with the wagon with but little difficulty, where it issues +from a small lake. It is a small stream, but spreads out from one +hundred to three hundred feet, with marshy borders; camp on the small +lake, with good grass, wood, and water. + +"June 28. Rolling ground, with small ponds and marshes, to a small +brook twelve feet wide; the Bois des Sioux prairie, a smooth, flat +prairie, without knoll or undulation-- an immense plain, apparently +level, covered with a tall, coarse, dark-colored grass, and unrelieved +with the sight of a tree or shrub; firm bottom, but undoubtedly wet in +spring; small brook, when the train made a noon halt. + +"Same smooth prairie as above to Bois des Sioux River, sometimes soft +and miry; camp on river bank; wood and grass good-- river water fair; +many catfish caught in the river. + +"June 29. Cross Bois des Sioux River; seventy feet wide, four to seven +feet deep; muddy bottom; steep and miry banks; goods boated over; +wagons hauled through, light, with ropes; bad crossing, but passable; +smooth flat prairie, as on the east side of Bois des Sioux, +occasionally interrupted with open sloughs to Wild Rice River, and +camp with wood, water, and abundant grass. + +"June 30. Wild Rice River, about forty feet wide and five and a half +feet deep, with muddy and miry bottom and sides, flowing in a +canal-like channel, some twenty feet below prairie level; river +skirted with elm-- bridged from the steep banks, being too miry to +sustain the animals, detaining the train but little more than +half-a-day; small brook without wood, flowing in a broad channel cut +out through the prairie; crossing miry, but made passable for the +wagon by strewing the bottom with mown grass. + +"Firm prairie to camp on edge of above small stream; good grass and +water; no wood; elk killed by hunter. + +"July 1. Smooth prairie extending to Shayenne River; sand knolls, +ponds, and marshes frequent as the river is approached. The marshes +were not miry-- firmer bottom; good wagon road; night encampment on +bank of river; sufficient grass for train; wood abundant; river water +good; many catfish caught in river. + +"July 2. Shayenne River, sixty feet wide, fourteen feet deep; river +had been previously bridged by Red River train, from the poplars and +other trees growing on the river, and this bridge we made use of in +crossing our wagons; camp on the west bank of the river; water, wood, +and grass good. + +"July 4. Prairie undulation, interrupted with marshes, small ponds and +occasional small rivulets, to Maple River, about twenty-five feet +wide, three and a half feet deep, firm bottom, and easily passed by +the wagons; river tolerably well wooded, and the camp on its edge is +furnished with water, wood, and good grass. The rich black soil of the +valley of this stream is noticeable. + +"July 5. To a small stream thirty feet wide, two feet deep, clayey +bottom, easily crossed by the wagons; prairie high, firm, and almost +level for some thirteen miles, becoming more rolling and with small +ponds in the last seven miles of the march; on the edge of some of the +ponds are salt incrustations; camp on the river; water good; grass +good; no wood, and the bois de vache is used for fuel. + +"July 6. Country wet and marshy; not a tree in sight; prairie with low +ridges and knolls, and great number of ponds and marshes; night's camp +by a small pond; no wood, but plenty of bois de vache; grass good. + +"July 7. Approaching the Shayenne; country as yesterday for some half +dozen miles; bordering on the river the ground is broken with deep +coulees and ravines, and to keep away from them the train kept at some +distance from the river, encamping by a small marshy pond; no wood; +plenty of bois de vache; grass good; water tolerable; first buffalo +killed to-day. + +"July 8. Prairie swelling with ridges; descend to the Shayenne, which +flows some one hundred and fifty to two hundred feet below the prairie +by a steep hill; camp in the bottom of the river; wood and water good; +grass rather poor; the bottom of the Shayenne, some half a mile wide, +is often soft and miry, but when crossed by the train firm and dry. + +"July 9. Cross the Shayenne, fifty feet wide, three and a half feet +deep; immediate banks some ten feet high, and requiring some digging +to give passage to the wagons. + +"Prairie with swelling ridges and occasional marshes to camp, to a +slough affording water and grass; no wood; buffalo very abundant. + +"July 10. Prairie swelling into ridges and hills, with a frequency of +marshes, ponds, and sloughs; camp at a pretty lake, near Lake Jessie; +fairly wooded, with water slightly saline; grass scanty, having been +consumed by the buffalo. Prairies covered with buffalo." + +I take this valuable sketch of the natural features of the country +from volume 1 of Explorations and Surveys for the Pacific Railroad +(page 353-356); for which I am indebted to the learned Secretary of +War. + + LETTER XV. + + ST. CLOUD TO ST. PAUL. + +Importance of starting early-- Judge Story's theory of early rising-- +Rustic scenery-- Horses and mules-- Surveyors-- Humboldt-- Baked +fish-- Getting off the track-- Burning of hay stacks-- Supper at St. +Anthony-- Arrival at the Fuller House. + +ST. PAUL, October, 1856. + +I WAS up by the gray dawn of the morning of yesterday, and after an +early but excellent breakfast, crossed the river from St. Cloud, in +order to meet the stage at Sauk Rapids. As we came up on the main +road, the sight of a freshly made rut, of stage-wheel size, caused +rather a disquieting apprehension that the stage had passed. But my +nerves were soon quieted by the assurance from an early hunter, who +was near by shooting prairie chickens while they were yet on the +roost, that the stage had not yet come. So we kept on to the spacious +store where the post office is kept; where I waited and waited for the +stage to come which was to bring me to St. Paul. It did not arrive +till eight o'clock. I thought if every one who had a part to perform +in starting off the stage from Watab (for it had started out from +there that morning), was obliged to make the entire journey of 80 +miles to St. Paul in the stage, they would prefer to get up a little +earlier rather than have the last part of the trip extended into "the +dead waist and middle of the night." I remarked to the driver, who is +a very clever young man, that the stage which left St. Paul started as +early as five o'clock, and I could not see why it was not as necessary +to start as early in going down, inasmuch as the earlier we started +the less of the night darkness we had to travel in. He perfectly +agreed with me, and attributed his inability to start earlier to the +dilatory arrangements at the hotel. When jogging along at about eleven +at night between St. Anthony and the city, I could not help begrudging +every minute of fair daylight which had been wasted. The theory of +Judge Story, that it don't make much difference when a man gets up in +the morning, provided he is wide awake after he is up, will do very +well, perhaps, except when one is to start on a journey in the stage. + +I took a seat by the driver's side, the weather being clear and mild, +and had an unobstructed and delightful view of every object, and there +seemed to be none but pleasant objects in range of the great highway. +Though there is, between every village, population enough to remind +one constantly that he is in a settled country, the broad extent yet +unoccupied proclaims that there is still room enough. Below Sauk +Rapids a good deal of the land on the road side is in the hands of +speculators. This, it is understood, is on the east side of the +Mississippi. On the west side there are more settlements. But yet +there are many farms, with tidy white cottages; and in some places are +to be seen well-arranged flower-gardens. The most attractive scenery +to me, however, was the ample corn-fields, which, set in a groundwork +of interminable virgin soil, are pictures which best reflect the true +destiny and usefulness of an agricultural region. We met numerous +teams heavily laden with furniture or provisions, destined for the +different settlements above. The teams are principally drawn by two +horses; and, as the road is extremely level and smooth, are capable of +taking on as much freight as under other circumstances could be drawn +by four horses. Mules do not appear to be appreciated up this way so +much as in Missouri or Kentucky. Nor was it unusual to meet light +carriages with a gentleman and lady, who, from the luggage, &c., +aboard, appeared to have been on somewhat of an extensive shopping +expedition. And I might as well say here, if I havn't yet said it, +that the Minnesotians are supplied with uncommonly good horses. I do +not remember to have seen a mean horse in the territory. I suppose, as +considerable pains are taken in raising stock, poor horses are not +raised at all; and it will not pay to import poor ones. A company of +surveyors whom we met excited a curiosity which I was not able to +solve. It looked odd enough to see a dozen men walking by the side or +behind a small one-horse cart; the latter containing some sort of +baggage which was covered over, as it appeared, with camping fixtures. +It was more questionable whether the team belonged to the men than +that the men were connected with the team. The men were mostly young +and very intelligent-looking, dressed with woollen shirts as if for +out door service, and I almost guessed they were surveyors; yet still +thought they were a party of newcomers who had concluded to club +together to make their preemption claim. But surveyors they were. + +The town of Humboldt is the county seat for Sherburne county. It lies +between the Mississippi and Snake rivers. The part of the town which I +saw was a very small part. Mr. Brown's residence, which is +delightfully situated on the shore of a lake, is at once the court +house and the post office, besides being the general emporium and +magnate of Humboldt business and society. Furthermore, it is the place +where the stage changes horses and where passengers on the down trip +stop to dine. It was here we stopped to dine; and as the place had +been a good deal applauded for its table-d'hote, a standard element of +which was said to be baked fish, right out of the big lake, I at least +had formed very luxurious expectations. Mr. Brown was away. We had met +his lively countenance on his way up to a democratic caucus. Perhaps +that accounted for our not having baked fish, for fish we certainly +did not have. The dinner was substantial, however, and yielded to +appetites which had been sharpened by a half day's inhalation of +serene October air. We had all become infused with a spirit of +despatch; and were all ready to start, and did start, in half an hour +from the time we arrived at the house. + +We had not proceeded far after dinner before meeting the Monticello +stage, which runs between the thriving village of that name-- on the +west bank of the Mississippi-- and St. Paul. It carries a daily mail. +There were several passengers aboard. + +One little incident in our afternoon travel I will mention, as it +appeared to afford more pleasure to the rest of the passengers than it +did to me. Where the stage was to stop for fifteen or twenty minutes, +either to change mail or horses, I had invariably walked on a mile, if +I could get as far, for the sake of variety and exercise. So when we +came to the pretty village of Anoka (at the mouth of Rum River), where +the mail was to be changed, I started on foot and alone. But +unfortunately and unconsciously I took the wrong road. I had walked a +mile I think-- for twenty minutes at least had expired since I +started-- and being in the outskirts of the town, in the midst of +farms and gardens, turned up to a garden-fence, on the other side of +which a gentleman of professional-- I rather thought clerical +appearance-- was feeding a cow on pumpkins. I had not seen pumpkins so +abundant since my earliest youth, when I used to do a similar thing. I +rather thought too that the gentleman whom I accosted was a Yankee, +and after talking a few minutes with him, so much did he exceed me in +asking questions, that I felt sure he was one. How thankful I ought to +be that he was one! for otherwise it is probable he would not have +ascertained where, and for what purpose, I was walking. He informed me +I was on the wrong road; that the stage took a road further west, +which was out of sight; and that I had better go on a little further +and then cross the open prairie. Then for the first time did I notice +that the road I had taken was but a street, not half so much worn as +the main road. I followed his friendly advice, and feeling some +despair I hastened on at a swift run, and as I advanced towards where +I thought the right road ought to be, though I could neither see it +nor the stage, "called so loud that all the hollow deep of"-- the +prairies might have resounded. At last, when quite out of breath and +hoarse with loud vociferation, I descried the stage rolling on at a +rapid rate. Then I renewed my calls, and brought it up standing. After +clambering over a few fences, sweating and florid, I got to the stage +and resumed my seat, amidst the pleasant merriment of the passengers. +The driver was kind enough to say that he began to suspect I had taken +the wrong road, and was about to turn round and come after me-- that +he certainly would not have left me behind, &c. I was happy, +nevertheless, that my mistake did not retard the stage. But I do not +intend to abandon the practice of walking on before the stage whenever +it stops to change horses. + +Just in the edge of twilight, and when we were a little way this side +of Coon Creek, where we had changed horses again, we came in sight of +a large fire. It was too much in one spot to be a prairie fire; and as +we drove on the sad apprehension that it was a stack of hay was +confirmed. The flames rose up in wide sheets, and cast a steady glare +upon the landscape. It was a gorgeous yet a dismal sight. It always +seems worse to see grain destroyed by fire than ordinary merchandise. +Several stacks were burning. We saw that the usual precaution against +prairie fires had been taken. These consist in ploughing several +furrows around the stack, or by burning the grass around it to prevent +the flames from reaching it. It was therefore suspected that some +rascal had applied the torch to the hay; though for humanity's sake we +hoped it was not so. The terrible prairie fires, which every autumn +waste the western plains, are frequently started through the gross +carelessness of people who camp out, and leave their fires burning. + +Some of us took supper at St. Anthony. I cannot say much of the hotel +de facto. The table was not as good as I found on the way at other +places above. There is a hotel now being built there out of stone, +which I am confident will exceed anything in the territory, if we +except the Fuller House. It is possible we all felt invigorated and +improved by the supper, for we rode the rest of the way in a very +crowded stage without suffering any exhibition of ill temper to speak +of, and got into St. Paul at last, when it was not far from eleven; +and after seventy-five miles of staging, the luxurious accommodations +of the Fuller House seemed more inviting than ever. + + LETTER XVI. + + PROGRESS. + +Rapid growth of the North-West-- Projected railroads-- Territorial +system of the United States-- Inquiry into the cause of Western +progress-- Influence of just laws and institutions-- Lord Bacon's +remark. + +ST. PAUL, October, 1856. + +THE progress which has characterized the settlement of the territory +of Minnesota, presents to the notice of the student of history and +political economy some important facts. The growth of a frontier +community, so orderly, so rapid, and having so much of the +conservative element in it, has rarely been instanced in the annals of +the world. In less time than it takes the government to build a custom +house we see an unsettled territory grown to the size of a respectable +state, in wealth, in population, in power. A territory, too, which ten +years ago seemed to be an incredible distance from the civilized +portions of the country; and which was thought by most people to be in +a latitude that would defeat the energy and the toil of man. Today it +could bring into the field a larger army than Washington took command +of at the beginning of our revolution! + +In 1849, the year of its organization, the population of the territory +was 4780; now it is estimated to be nearly 200,000. In 1852 there were +42 post offices in the territory, now there are 253. The number of +acres of public land sold during the fiscal year ending 30th June, +1852, was 15,258. For the year ending 30th June, 1856, the number of +acres sold was 1,002,130. + +When we contemplate the headlong progress of Western growth in its +innumerable evidences of energy, we admit the truth of what the Roman +poet said-- nil mortalibus ardum est-- that there is nothing too +difficult for man. In the narrative of his exploration to the +Mississippi in 1820, along with General Cass, Mr. Schoolcraft tells us +how Chicago then appeared. "We found," says he, "four or five families +living here." Four or five families was the extent of the population +of Chicago in 1820! In 1836 it had 4853 inhabitants. In 1855 its +population was 85,000. The history of many western towns that have +sprung up within ten years is characterized by much the same sort of +thrift. Unless some terrible scourge shall come to desolate the land, +or unless industry herself shall turn to sloth, a few more years will +present the magnificent spectacle of the entire domain stretching from +this frontier to the Pacific coast, transformed into a region of +culture, "full of life and splendor and joy." + +At present there are no railroads in operation in Minnesota; but those +which are already projected indicate, as well as any statistics, the +progress which is taking place. The Chicago, St. Paul, and Fond-du-Lac +Railroad was commenced some two years ago at Chicago, and over 100 +miles of it are completed. It is to run via Hudson in Wisconsin, +Stillwater, St. Paul, and St. Anthony in Minnesota to the western +boundary of the territory. Recently it has united with the Milwaukee +and La Cross Road, which secures several millions of acres of valuable +land, donated by congress, and which will enable the stockholders to +complete the road to St. Paul and St. Anthony within two years. A road +has been surveyed from the head of Lake Superior via St. Paul to the +southern line of the territory, and will soon be worked. The Milwaukee +and Mississippi Railroad Company will in a few weeks have their road +completed to Prairie du Chien, and are extending it on the east side +of the Mississippi to St. Paul. Another road is being built up the +valley of the Red Cedar River in Iowa to Minneapolis. The Keokuck road +is in operation over fifty miles, and will soon be under contract to +St. Paul. This road is to run via the valley of the Des Moines River, +through the rich coal fields of Iowa, and will supply the upper +Mississippi and Lake Superior region with coal. + +The Green Bay and Minnesota Railroad Company has been organized and +the route selected. This road will soon be commenced. The active men +engaged in the enterprise reside in Green Bay and Stillwater. A +company has been formed and will soon commence a road from Winona to +the western line of the territory. The St. Anthony and St. Paul +Railroad Company will have their line under contract early the coming +season. The Milwaukee and La Cross Company propose continuing their +road west through the valley of Root River, through Minnesota to the +Missouri River. Another company has been formed for building a road +from the head of Lake Superior to the Red River of the North.[1] Such +are some of the railroad enterprises which are under way, and which +will contribute at an early day to develop the opulent resources of +the territory. A railroad through this part of the country to the +Pacific is among the probable events of the present generation. + _______ + +[1 The following highly instructive article on navigation, I take from +The Pioneer and Democrat (St. Paul), of the 20th November: + +"GROWTH OF THE STEAMBOATING BUSINESS-- THE SEASON OF 1856. + +-- About ten years after the first successful attempt at steamboat +navigation on the Ohio River, the first steamboat that ever ascended +the Upper Mississippi River to Fort Snelling, arrived at that post. +This was the 'Virginia,' a stern-wheel boat, which arrived at the Port +in the early part of May, 1823. From 1823 to 1844 there were but few +arrivals each year-- sometimes not more than two or three. The +steamers running on the Upper Mississippi, at that time, were used +altogether to transport supplies for the Indian traders and the troops +stationed at Fort Snelling. Previous to the arrival of the Virginia, +keel boats were used for this purpose, and sixty days' time, from St. +Louis to the Fort, was considered a good trip. + +"By a reference to our files, we are enabled to present, at a glance, +the astonishing increase in steamboating business since 1844. The +first boat to arrive that year, was the Otter, commanded by Captain +Harris. The following table presents the number of arrivals since that +time:-- + +Year + +First Boat + +No. of Arrivals + +River Closed + +1844 + +April 6 + +41 + +Nov. 23 + +1845 + +April 6 + +48 + +Nov. 26 + +1846 + +March 31 + +24 + +Dec. 5 + +1847 + +April 7 + +47 + +Nov. 29 + +1848 + +April 7 + +63 + +Dec. 4 + +1849 + +April 9 + +85 + +Dec. 7 + +1850 + +April 9 + +104 + +Dec. 4 + +1851 + +April 4 + +119 + +Nov. 28 + +1852 + +April 16 + +171 + +Nov. 18 + +1853 + +April 11 + +200 + +Nov. 30 + +1854 + +April 8 + +245 + +Nov. 27 + +1855 + +April 17 + +560 + +Nov. 20 + +1856 + +April 18 + +837 + +Nov. 10 + +"In 1851, three boats went up the Minnesota River, and in 1852, one +boat ran regularly up that stream during the season. In 1853, the +business required an average of one boat per day. In 1854, the +business had largely increased, and in 1855, the arrivals of steamers +from the Minnesota, amounted to 119. + +"The present season, on the Mississippi, has been a very prosperous +one, and the arrivals at St. Paul exhibit a gratifying increase over +any preceding year, notwithstanding the season of navigation has been +two weeks shorter than last season. Owing to the unusually early gorge +in the river at Hastings, upwards of fifty steamers bound for this +port, and heavily laden with merchandise and produce, were compelled +to discharge their cargoes at Hastings and Stillwater. + +"Navigation this season opened on the 18th of April. The Lady Franklin +arrived on the evening of that day from Galena. Previous to her +arrival, there had been eighteen arrivals at our landing from the head +of Lake Pepin, and twelve arrivals at the foot of the lake, from +Galena and Dubuque. + +"During the present season, seventy-eight different steamers have +arrived at our wharf, from the points mentioned in the following +table. This table we draw mainly from the books of the City Marshal, +and by reference to our files. + + FROM ST. LOUIS. + +Boats + +No. of Trips. + +Ben Coursin + + 19 + +A. G. Mason + + 8 + +Metropolitan + + 13 + +Audubon + + 5 + +Golden State + + 8 + +Laclede + + 11 + +Luella + + 8 + +Cheviot + + 1 + +James Lyon + + 7 + +Vienna + + 5 + +New York + + 1 + +Delegate + + 1 + +Mansfield + + 7 + +Forest Rose + + 1 + +Ben Bolt + + 2 + +J. P. Tweed + + 1 + +Fire Canoe + + 2 + +Carrier + + 1 + +Julia Dean + + 1 + +Resolute + + 2 + +Gossamer + + 4 + +Thomas Scott + + 6 + +Gipsey + + 2 + +W. G. Woodside + +1 + +York State + + 5 + +Mattie Wayne + + 4 + +Brazil + + 4 + +Dan Convers + + 1 + +Henrietta + + 4 + +Editor + + 5 + +Minnesota Belle + + 8 + +Rochester + + 2 + +Oakland + + 7 + +Grace Darling + +4 + +Montauk + + 3 + +Fairy Queen + + 1 + +Saint Louis + + 1 + +Americus + + 2 + +Atlanta + + 1 + +Jacob Traber + + 6 + +White Bluffs + + 1 + +Arcola + + 8 + +Conewago + + 10 + +Lucie May + + 8 + +Badger State + +5 + +Sam Young + + 4 + +Violet + + 1 + + +---- + +Total arrivals from St. Louis, + + 212 + + FROM FULTON CITY. + +Falls City + +11 + +Diamond + +1 + +H. T. Yeatman + +11 + +Time and Tide + +5 + + +---- + +Total from Fulton City, + +28 + + FROM GALENA AND DUNLEITH. + +Lady Franklin + +23 + +Galena + +30 + +Alhambra + +21 + +Royal Arch + +6 + +Northern Belle + +28 + +Banjo + +1 + +War Eagle + +17 + +City Belle + +30 + +Golden Era + +29 + +Ocean Wave + +28 + +Granite State + +12 + +Greek Slave + +3 + + + ---- + +Total from Galena and Dunleith, + +228 + + FROM DUBUQUE. + +Excelsior + +23 + +Kate Cassel + +29 + +Clarion + +11 + +Tishimingo + +3 + +Fanny Harris + +28 + +Flora + +29 + +Hamburg + +12 + + + ---- + +Total from Dubuque, + +135 + + FROM MINNESOTA RIVER. + +H. T. Yeatman + +4 + +Globe + +34 + +Clarion + +12 + +Reveille + +40 + +H. S. Allen + +10 + +Time and Tide + +11 + +Wave + +29 + +Equator + +46 + +Minnesota Valley + +20 + +Berlin + +10 + + + ---- + +Total from Minnesota River, + +216 + + RECAPITULATION. + +Number of arrivals from + +St. Louis + +212 + + +Fulton City + +28 + + +Galena and Dunleith + +228 + + +Dubuque + +135 + + +Minnesota River + +216 + + +head of Lake Pepin + +18 + + + ---- + +Whole number of boats, 78. +Whole number of arrivals, 837 + +"It will be seen from the above, that ten more steamers have been +engaged in this trade during the present year than last; while in the +whole number of arrivals the increase has been two hundred and +sixty-seven. + +"The business on the Minnesota has greatly increased this year. This +was to have been expected, considering the great increase in the +population of that flourishing portion of our Territory. + +"A thriving trade has sprung up between the southern counties of +Minnesota, and Galena and Dubuque. During the greater portion of the +summer, the War Eagle and Tishimingo run regularly to Winona. + +"On the Upper Mississippi there are now three steamers, the Gov. +Ramsay, H. M. Rice, and North Star (new). Daring the season these +boats ran between St. Anthony and Sauk Rapids."] + _______ + +It may be well to pause here a moment and inquire into the causes +which contribute so wonderfully to build up empire in our +north-western domain. The territorial system of the United States has +some analogy, it is true, to the colonial system of Great Britain-- +not the colonial system which existed in the days of the stamp act-- +but that which a wiser statesmanship has more recently inaugurated. +The relation between the general government and our territories is +like that of guardian and ward-- the relation of a protector, not that +of a master. Nor can we find in the history of antiquity any such +relationship between colonies and the mother country, whether we +consider the system of Phoenicia, where first was exhibited the +doctrine of non-intervention, or the tribute-paying colonies of +Carthage. That system which was peculiar to Greece, "resting not on +state contrivances and economical theories, but on religious +sympathies and ancestral associations," came as near perhaps in spirit +to ours as any on record. The patronage which the government bestows +on new territories is one of the sources of their growth which ought +not to be overlooked. Instead of making the territory a dependency and +drawing from it a tax, the government pays its political expenses, +builds its roads, and gives it a fair start in the world. + +Another cause of the successful growth of our territories in general, +and of Minnesota in particular, is the ready market which is found in +the limits of the territory for everything which can be raised from a +generous soil or wrought by industrious hands. The farmer has a ready +market for everything that is good to eat or to wear; the artisan is +driven by unceasing demands upon his skill. This arises from extensive +emigration. Another reason, also, for the rapid growth of the +territory, is, that the farmer is not delayed by forests, but finds, +outside of pleasant groves of woodland, a smooth, unencumbered soil, +ready for the plough the first day he arrives. + +But if a salubrious climate, a fertile soil, clear and copious +streams, and other material elements, can be reckoned among its +physical resources, there are other elements of empire connected with +its moral and political welfare which are indispensable. Why is it +that Italy is not great? Why is it the South American republics are +rusting into abject decay? Is it because they have not enough physical +resources, or because their climate is not healthy? Certainly not. It +is because their political institutions are rotten and oppressive; +because ignorance prevents the growth of a wholesome public opinion. +It is the want of the right sort of men and institutions that there is + + "Sloth in the mart and schism within the temple." + +"Let states that aim at greatness," says Lord Bacon, "take heed how +their nobility and gentlemen do multiply too fast; for that maketh the +common subject to be a peasant and base swain, driven out of heart, +and, in effect, but a gentleman's laborer." He who seeks for the true +cause of the greatness and thrift of our northwestern states will find +it not less in the influence of just laws and the education of all +classes of men, than in the existence of productive fields and in the +means of physical wealth. + + "What constitutes a state? + Not high raised battlement, or labored mound, + Thick wall, or moated gate; + Not cities proud, with spires and turrets crowned; + Not bays and broad armed ports, + Where, laughing at the storm, proud navies ride; + But men, high minded men. + _______ + + PART II. + + TERRITORY OF DACOTAH. + _______ + +"POPULOUS CITIES AND STATES ARE SPRINGING UP, AS IF BY ENCHANTMENT, +FROM THE BOSOM OF OUR WESTERN WILDS."-- The President's Annual Message +for 1856. + _______ + + THE PROPOSED NEW TERRITORY OF DACOTAH. + _______ + +Organization of Minnesota as a state-- Suggestions as to its +division-- Views of Captain Pope-- Character and resources of the new +territory to be left adjoining-- Its occupation by the Dacotah +Indians-- Its organization and name. + +THE territory of Minnesota according to its present boundaries +embraces an area of 141,839 square miles exclusive of water;-- a +domain four times as large as the State of Ohio, and twelve times as +large as Holland, when her commerce was unrivalled and her fleets +ruled the sea. Its limits take in three of the largest rivers of North +America; the Mississippi, the Missouri, and the Red River of the +North. Though remote from the sea board, ships can go out from its +harbors to the ocean in two if not three different channels. Its +delightful scenery of lakes and water-falls, of prairie and woodland, +are not more alluring to the tourist, than are its invigorating +climate and its verdant fields attractive to the husbandman. It has +been organized seven years; and its resources have become so much +developed, and its population so large, there is a general disposition +among the people to have a state organization, and be admitted into +the Confederacy of the Union.[1] A measure of this kind is not now +premature: on the contrary, it is not for the interest of the general +government any longer to defray the expenses of the territory; and the +adoption of a state organization, throwing the taxes upon the people, +would give rise to a spirit of rivalry and emulation, a watchfulness +as to the system of public expenditures, and a more jealous regard for +the proper development of the physical resources of the state. The +legislature which meets in January (1857), will without doubt take the +subject into consideration, and provide for a convention to frame a +constitution. + +[1 On the 9th of December Mr. Rice, the delegate in congress from +Minnesota, gave notice to the house that he would in a few days +introduce a bill authorizing the people of the territory to hold a +convention for the purpose of forming a state constitution.] + +This being the condition of things, the manner in which the territory +shall be divided-- for no one can expect the new state will embrace +the whole extent of the present territory-- becomes a very interesting +question. Some maintain, I believe, that the territory should be +divided by a line running east and west. That would include in its +limits the country bordering, for some distance, on the Missouri +River; possibly the head of navigation of the Red River of the North. +But it is hardly probable that a line of this description would give +Minnesota any part of Lake Superior. Others maintain that the +territory should be divided by a line running north and south; say, +for instance, along the valley of the Red River of the North. Such a +division would not give Minnesota any of the Missouri River. But it +would have the benefit of the eastern valley of the Red River of the +North; of the entire region surrounding the sources of the +Mississippi; and of the broad expanse which lies on Lake Superior. The +question is highly important, not only to Minnesota, but to the +territory which will be left outside of it; and it should be decided +with a due regard to the interests of both.[1] + +[1 I take pleasure in inserting here a note which I have had the honor +to receive from Captain Pope, of the Corps of Topographical Engineers +I have before had occasion to quote from the able and instructive +report of his exploration of Minnesota. + +WASHINGTON, D. C. Dec. 10, 1856. + +DEAR SIR:-- Your note of the 6th instant is before me; and I will +premise my reply by saying that the suggestions I shall offer to your +inquiries are based upon my knowledge of the condition of the +territory in 1849, which circumstances beyond my acquaintance may have +materially modified since. + +The important points to be secured for the new state to be erected in +the territory of Minnesota, seem to be:-- first a harbor on Lake +Superior, easily accessible from the West; second, the whole course of +the Mississippi to the Iowa line; and, third, the head of navigation +of the Red River of the North. It is unnecessary to point out the +advantages of securing these features to the new state; and to do so +without enclosing too many square miles of territory, I would suggest +the following boundaries, viz.: + +Commencing on the 49th parallel of latitude, where it is intersected +by the Red River of the North, to follow the line of deepest water of +that river to the mouth of the Bois des Sioux (or Sioux Wood) River; +thence up the middle of that stream to the south-west point of Lake +Traverse; thence following a due south line to the northern boundary +of the state of Iowa (43 degrees 30' north latitude); thence along +this boundary line to the Mississippi River; thence up the middle of +the Mississippi River to the mouth of the St. Croix River; thence +along the western boundary line of the state of Wisconsin to its +intersection with the St. Louis River; thence down the middle of that +river to Lake Superior; thence following the coast of the lake to its +intersection with the boundary line between the United States and the +British possessions, and following this boundary to the place of +beginning. + +These boundaries will enclose an area of about 65,000 square miles of +the best agricultural and manufacturing region in the territory, and +will form a state of unrivalled advantages. That portion of the +territory set aside by the boundary line will be of little value for +many years to come. It presents features differing but little from the +region of prairie and table land west of the frontier of Missouri and +Arkansas. From this, of course, are to be excepted the western half of +the valley of the Red River and of the Big Sioux River, which are as +productive as any portion of the territory, which, with the region +enclosed between them, would contain arable land sufficient for +another state of smaller dimensions. + +As you will find stated and fully explained in my report of February, +1850, the valley of the Red River of the North must find an outlet for +its productions towards the south, either through the great lakes or +by the Mississippi River. The necessity, therefore, of connecting the +head of its navigation with a harbor on Lake Superior, and a port on +the Mississippi, is sufficiently apparent. As each of these lines of +railroad will run through the most fertile and desirable portion of +the territory, they will have a value far beyond the mere object of +transporting the products of the Red River valley. + +The construction of these roads-- in fact the mere location of them-- +will secure a population along the routes at once, and will open a +country equal to any in the world. + +As these views have been fully elaborated in my report of 1850, I +refer you to that paper for the detailed information upon which these +views and suggestions are based. + +I am sir, respectfully, your obedient servant; + + JNO. POPE. + C. C. ANDREWS, Esq., + Washington, D. C.] + _______ + +If the division last mentioned-- or one on that plan-- is made, there +will then be left west of the state of Minnesota an extent of country +embracing more than half of the territory as it now is; extending from +latitude 42 degrees 30' to the 49th degree; and embracing six degrees +of longitude-- 97th to 103d-- at its northern extreme. The Missouri +River would constitute nearly the whole of its western boundary. In +the northerly part the Mouse and Pembina Rivers are among its largest +streams; in the middle flows the large and finely wooded Shayenne, +"whose valley possesses a fertile soil and offers many inducements to +its settlement;" while towards the south it would have the Jacques, +the Big Sioux, the Vermillion, and the head waters of the St. Peter's. +In its supply of copious streams, nature seems there to have been +lavish. Of the Big Sioux River, M. Nicollet says, its Indian name +means that it is continuously lined with wood; that its length cannot +be less than three hundred and fifty miles. "It flows through a +beautiful and fertile country; amidst which the Dacotahs, inhabiting +the valleys of the St. Peter's and Missouri, have always kept up +summer establishments on the borders of the adjoining lakes, whilst +they hunted the river banks. Buffalo herds are confidently expected to +be met with here at all seasons of the year." The Jacques (the Indian +name of which is Tchan-sansan) "takes its rise on the plateau of the +Missouri beyond the parallel of 47 degrees north; and after pursuing +nearly a north and south course, empties into the Missouri River below +43 degrees. It is deemed navigable with small hunting canoes for +between five hundred and six hundred miles; but below Otuhuoja, it +will float much larger boats. The shores of the river are generally +tolerably well wooded, though only at intervals. Along those portions +where it widens into lakes, very eligible situations for farms would +be found." The same explorer says, the most important tributary of the +Jacques is the Elm River, which "might not deserve any special mention +as a navigable stream, but is very well worthy of notice on account of +the timber growing on its own banks and those of its forks." He +further observes (Report, p. 46) that "the basin of the river Jacques, +between the two coteaux and in the latitude of Otuhuoja, may be laid +down as having a breadth of eighty miles, sloping gradually down from +an elevation of seven hundred to seven hundred and fifty feet. These +dimensions, of course, vary in the different parts of the valley; but +what I have said will convey some idea of the immense prairie watered +by the Tchan-sansan, which has been deemed by all travellers to those +distant regions perhaps the most beautiful within the territory of the +United States." + +The middle and northern part comprises an elevated plain, of average +fertility and tolerably wooded. Towards the south it is characterized +by bold undulations. The valley of the Missouri is narrow; and the +bluffs which border upon it are abrupt and high. The country is +adapted to agricultural pursuits, and though inferior as a general +thing to much of Minnesota, affords promise of thrift and properity in +its future. It is blessed with a salubrious climate. Dr. Suckley, who +accompanied the expedition of Gov. Stevens through that part of the +West, as far as Puget Sound, says in his official report: "On +reviewing the whole route, the unequalled and unparalleled good health +of the command during a march of over eighteen hundred miles appears +remarkable; especially when we consider the hardships and exposures +necessarily incident to such a trip. Not a case of ague or fever +occurred. Such a state of health could only be accounted for by the +great salubrity of the countries passed through, and their freedom +from malarious or other endemic disease." + +Governor Stevens has some comprehensive remarks concerning that part +of the country in his report. "The Grand Plateau of the Bois des Sioux +and the Mouse River valley are the two keys of railroad communication +from the Mississippi River westward through the territory of +Minnesota. The Bois des Sioux is a river believed to be navigable for +steamers of light draught, flowing northward from Lake Traverse into +the Red River of the North, and the plateau of the Bois des Sioux may +be considered as extending from south of Lake Traverse to the south +bend of the Red River, and from the Rabbit River, some thirty miles +east of the Bois des Sioux River, to the Dead Colt hillock. This +plateau separates the rivers flowing into Hudson's Bay from those +flowing into the Mississippi River. The Mouse River valley, in the +western portion of Minnesota, is from ten to twenty miles broad; is +separated from the Missouri River by the Coteau du Missouri, some six +hundred feet high, and it is about the same level as the parallel +valley of the Missouri." (Report, ch. 4.) + +M. Nicollet was a scientific or matter of fact man, who preferred to +talk about "erratic blocks" and "cretaceous formations" rather than to +indulge in poetic descriptions. The outline which follows, however, of +the western part of the territory is what he considers "a faint +description of this beautiful country." "The basin of the Upper +Mississippi is separated in a great part of its extent from that of +the Missouri, by an elevated plain; the appearance of which, seen from +the valley of the St. Peter's or that of the Jacques, looming as it +were a distant shore, has suggested for it the name of Coteau des +Prairies. Its more appropriate designation would be that of plateau, +which means something more than is conveyed to the mind by the +expression, a plain. Its northern extremity is in latitude 46 degrees, +extending to 43 degrees; after which it loses its distinctive +elevation above the surrounding plains, and passes into rolling +prairies. Its length is about two hundred miles, and its general +direction N. N. W. and S. S. E. Its northern termination (called Tete +du Couteau in consequence of its peculiar configuration) is not more +than fifteen to twenty miles across; its elevation above the level of +the Big Stone Lake is eight hundred and ninety feet, and above the +ocean one thousand nine hundred and sixteen feet. Starting from this +extremity (that is, the head of the Coteau), the surface of the +plateau is undulating, forming many dividing ridges which separate the +waters flowing into the St. Peter's and the Mississippi from those of +the Missouri. Under the 44th degree of latitude, the breadth of the +Coteau is about forty miles, and its mean elevation is here reduced to +one thousand four hundred and fifty feet above the sea. Within this +space its two slopes are rather abrupt, crowned with verdure, and +scolloped by deep ravines thickly shaded with bushes, forming the beds +of rivulets that water the subjacent plains. + +The Coteau itself is isolated, in the midst of boundless and fertile +prairies, extending to the west, to the north, and into the valley of +the St. Peter's. + +The plain at its northern extremity is a most beautiful tract of land +diversified by hills, dales, woodland, and lakes, the latter abounding +in fish. This region of country is probably the most elevated between +the Gulf of Mexico and Hudson's Bay. From its summit, proceeding from +its western to its eastern limits, grand views are afforded. At its +eastern border particularly, the prospect is magnificent beyond +description, extending over the immense green turf that forms the +basin of the Red River of the North, the forest-capped summits of the +haugeurs des terres that surround the sources of the Mississippi, the +granitic valley of the Upper St. Peter's, and the depressions in which +are Lake Traverse and the Big Stone Lake. There can be no doubt that +in future times this region will be the summer resort of the wealthy +of the land." (pp. 9, 10.) + +I will pass over what he says of the "vast and magnificent valley of +the Red River of the North," having before given some account of that +region, and merely give his description of the largest lake which lies +in the northern part of the territory: "The greatest extension of +Devil's Lake is at least forty miles,-- but may be more, as we did +not, and could not, ascertain the end of the north-west bay, which I +left undefined on the map. It is bordered by hills that are pretty +well wooded on one side, but furrowed by ravines and coulees, that are +taken advantage of by warlike parties, both for attack and defence +according to circumstances. The lake itself is so filled up with +islands and promontories, that, in travelling along its shores, it is +only occasionally that one gets a glimpse of its expanse. This +description belongs only to its wooded side; for, on the opposite +side, the shores, though still bounded by hills, are destitute of +trees, so as to exhibit an embankment to the east from ten to twelve +miles long, upon an average breadth of three-quarters of a mile. The +average breadth of the lake may be laid down at fifteen miles. Its +waters appear to be the drainings of the surrounding hills. We +discovered no outlets in the whole extent of about three-quarters of +its contour we could explore. At all events, if there be any they do +not empty into the Red River of the North, since the lake is shut up +in that direction, and since we found its true geographical position +to be much more to the north than it is ordinarily laid down upon +maps. A single depression at its lower end would intimate that, in +times of high water, some discharge might possibly take place; but +then it would be into the Shayenne." (p. 50.) + +Such are some of the geographical outlines of the extensive domain +which will be soon organized as a new territory. + +What will it be called? If the practice hitherto followed of applying +to territories the names which they have been called by their +aboriginal inhabitants is still adhered to, this new territory will +have the name of Dacotah. It is the correct or Indian name of those +tribes whom we call the Sioux; the latter being an unmeaning +Indian-French word. Dacotah means "united people," and is the word +which the Indians apply to seven of their bands.[1] These tribes +formerly occupied the country south and south-west of Lake Superior; +from whence they were gradually driven towards the Missouri and the +Rocky Mountains by their powerful and dreaded enemies the Chippewas. +Since which time they have been the acknowledged occupants of the +broad region to which they have impressed a name. Several of the +tribes, however, have crossed the Missouri, between which and the +Rocky Mountains they still linger a barbaric life. We may now hope to +realize the truth of Hiawatha's words:-- + + "After many years of warfare, + Many years of strife and bloodshed, + There is peace between the Ojibways + And the tribe of the Dacotahs." + +[1 The following description of the Dacotahs is based on observations +made in 1823. "The Dacotahs are a large and powerful nation of +Indians, distinct in their manners, language, habits, and opinions, +from the Chippewas, Sauks, Foxes, and Naheawak or Kilisteno, as well +as from all nations of the Algonquin stock. They are likewise unlike +the Pawnees and the Minnetarees or Gros Ventres. They inhabit a large +district of country which may be comprised within the following +limits:-- From Prairie du Chien, on the Mississippi, by a curved line +extending east of north and made to include all the eastern +tributaries of the Mississippi, to the first branch of Chippewa River; +the head waters of that stream being claimed by the Chippewa Indians; +thence by a line running west of north to the head of Spirit Lake; +thence by a westerly line to the Riveree de Corbeau; thence up that +river to its head, near Otter Tail Lake; thence by a westerly line to +Red River, and down that river to Pembina; thence by a south-westerly +line to the east bank of the Missouri near the Mandan villages; thence +down the Missouri to a point probably not far from Soldier's River; +thence by a line running east of north to Prairie du Chien. + +This immense extent of country is inhabited by a nation calling +themselves, in their internal relations, the Dacotah, which means the +Allied; but who, in their external relations, style themselves the +Ochente Shakoan, which signifies the nation of seven (council) fires. +This refers to the following division which formerly prevailed among +them, viz.:-- + 1. Mende-Wahkan-toan, or people of the Spirit Lake. + 2. Wahkpa-toan, or people of the leaves. + 3. Sisi-toan, or Miakechakesa. + 4. Yank-toan-an, or Fern leaves + 5. Yank-toan, or descended from the Fern leaves. + 6. Ti-toan, or Braggers. + 7. Wahkpako-toan, or the people that shoot at leaves. + +-- Long's Expedition to Sources of St. Peter's River &c., vol. 1, pp. +376, 378.] + +If it be asked what will be done with these tribes when the country +comes to be settled, I would observe, as I have said, that the present +policy of the government is to procure their settlement on +reservations. This limits them to smaller boundaries; and tends +favorably to their civilization. I might also say here, that the title +which the Indians have to the country they occupy is that of +occupancy. They have the natural right to occupy the land; but the +absolute and sovereign title is in the United States. The Indians can +dispose of their title to no party or power but the United States. +When, however, the government wishes to extinguish their title of +occupancy, it pays them a fair price for their lands according as may +be provided by treaty. The policy of our government towards the +Indians is eminently that of protection and preservation; not of +conquest and extermination. + +Dacotah is the name now applied to the western part of Minnesota, and +I am assured by the best informed men of that section, that such will +be the name of the territory when organized. + _______ + + PART III. + + TABLE OF STATISTICS. + _______ + +I. LIST OF POST OFFICES AND POSTMASTERS IN MINNESOTA. +II. LAND OFFICES, &c. +III. NEWSPAPERS PUBLISHED IN MINNESOTA. +IV. TABLE OF DISTANCES. + _______ + + I. + + POST OFFICES AND POSTMASTERS. + _______ + +I HAVE been furnished, at brief notice, with the following accurate +list of the Post Offices and Postmasters in Minnesota by my very +excellent friend, Mr. JOHN N. OLIVIER, of the Sixth Auditor's Office: + +LIST OF POST OFFICES AND POSTMASTERS IN THE TERRITORY OF MINNESOTA, +PREPARED PROM THE BOOKS OF THE APPOINTMENT OFFICE, POST OFFICE +DEPARTMENT, TO DECEMBER 12, 1856. + +Post Office. + +Postmaster. + +BENTON COUNTY. + +Belle Prairie + +Calvin C. Hicks. + +Big Lake + +Joseph Brown. + +Clear Lake + +F. E. Baldwin. + +Crow Wing + +Allen Morrison. + +Elk River + +John Q. A. Nickerson. + +Itasca + +John C. Bowers. + +Little Falls + +C. H. Churchill. + +Royalton + +Rodolph's D. Kinney. + +Sauk Rapids + +C. B. Vanstest. + +Swan River + +James Warren. + +Watab + +David Gilman. + +BLUE EARTH COUNTY. + +Kasota + +Isaac Allen. + +Mankato + +Parsons K. Johnson. + +Liberty + +Edward Brace. + +Pajutazee + +Andrew Robertson. + +South Bend + +Matthew Thompson. + +Winnebago Agency + +Henry Foster. + +BROWN COUNTY. + +New Ulm + +Anton Kans. + +Sioux Agency + +Asa W. Daniels. + +CARVER COUNTY. + +Carver + +Joseph A. Sargent. + +Chaska + +Timothy D. Smith. + +La Belle + +Isaac Berfield. + +Scandia + +A. Bergquest. + +San Francisco + +James B. Cotton. + +Young America + +R. M. Kennedy. + +CHISAGO COUNTY. + +Amador + +Lorenzo A. Lowden. + +Cedar Creek + +Samuel Wyatt. + +Chippewa + +J. P. Gulding. + +Chisago City + +Henry S. Cluiger. + +Hanley + +John Hanley. + +Rushseby + +George B. Folsom. + +Sunrise City + +George S. Frost. + +Taylor's Falls + +Peter E. Walker. + +Wyoming + +Jordan Egle. + +DAKOTA COUNTY. + +Athens + +Jacob Whittemore. + +Centralia + +H. P. Sweet. + +Empire City + +Ralph P. Hamilton. + +Farmington + +Noredon Amedon. + +Fort Snelling + +Franklin Steele. + +Hampton + +James Archer. + +Hastings + +John F. Marsh. + +Lakeville + +Samuel P. Baker. + +Le Sueur + +Kostum K. Peck. + +Lewiston + +Stephen N. Carey. + +Mendota + +Hypolite Dupues. + +Ninninger + +Louis Loichot. + +Ottowa + +Frank Y. Hoffstott. + +Rosemount + +Andrew Keegan. + +Vermillion + +Leonard Aldrich. + +Waterford + +Warren Atkinson. + +DODGE COUNTY. + +Avon + +Noah F. Berry. + +Ashland + +George Townsend. + +Claremont + +Goerge Hitchcock. + +Concord + +James M. Sumner. + +Montorville + +John H. Shober. + +Wasioga + +Eli. P. Waterman. + +FAIRBAULT COUNTY. + +Blue Earth City + +George B. Kingsley. + +Verona + +Newell Dewey. + +FILLMORE COUNTY. + +Bellville + +Wilson Bell. + +Big Spring + +William Walter. + +Chatfield + +Edwin B. Gere. + +Clarimona + +Wm. F. Strong. + +Deer Creek + +William S. Hill. + +Elkhorn + +Jacob McQuillan. + +Elliota + +John C. Cleghorn. + +Etna + +O. B. Bryant. + +Fairview + +John G. Bouldin. + +Fillmore + +Robert Rea. + +Forestville + +Forest Henry. + +Jordan + +James M. Gilliss. + +Lenora + +Chas. B. Wilford. + +Looking Glass + +Lemuel Jones. + +Newburg + +Gabriel Gabrielson. + +Odessa + +Jacob P. Kennedy. + +Peterson + +Knud Peterson. + +Pilot Mound + +Daniel B. Smith. + +Preston + +L. Preston. + +Riceford + +Wm. D. Vandoren. + +Richland + +Benjn. F. Tillotson. + +Rushford + +Sylvester S. Stebbins. + +Spring Valley + +Condello Wilkins. + +Uxbridge + +Daniel Crowell. + +Waukokee + +John M. West. + +FREEBORN COUNTY. + +Albert Lea + +Lorenzo Murray. + +Geneva + +John Heath. + +St. Nicholas + +Saml. M. Thompson. + +Shell Rock + +Edward P. Skinner. + +GOODHUE COUNTY. + +Burr Oak Springs + +Henry Doyle. + +Cannon River Falls + +George McKenzie. + +Central Point + +Charles W. Hackett. + +Pine Island + +John Chance. + +Poplar Grove + +John Lee. + +Red Wing + +Henry C. Hoffman. + +Spencer + +Hans Mattson. + +Wacouta + +George Post. + +Westervelt + +Evert Westervelt. + +HENNEPIN COUNTY. + +Bloomington + +Reuben B. Gibson. + +Chanhassen + +Henry M. Lyman. + +Dayton + +John Baxter. + +Eden Prairie + +Jonas Staring. + +Elm Creek + +Charles Miles. + +Harmony + +James A. Dunsmore. + +Excelsior + +Charles P. Smith. + +Island City + +William F. Russell. + +Maple Plain + +Irvin Shrewsbury. + +Medicine Lake + +Francis Hagot. + +Minneapolis + +Alfred E. Ames. + +Minnetonka + +Levi W. Eastman. + +Osseo + +Warren Samson. + +Perkinsville + +N. T. Perkins. + +Watertown + +Alexander Moore. + +Wyzata + +W. H. Chapman. + +HOUSTON COUNTY. + +Brownsville + +Charles Brown. + +Caledonia + +Wm. J. McKee. + +Hamilton + +Charles Smith. + +Hackett's Grove + +Emery Hackett. + +Hokah + +Edward Thompson. + +Houston + +Ole Knudson. + +Loretta + +Edmund S. Lore. + +Looneyville + +Daniel Wilson. + +La Crescent + +William Gillett. + +Mooney Creek + +Cyrus B. Sinclair. + +Portland + +Alexr. Batcheller. + +Sheldon + +John Paddock. + +Spring Grove + +Embric Knudson. + +San Jacinto + +George Canon. + +Wiscoy + +Benton Aldrich. + +Yucatan + +T. A. Pope. + +LAKE COUNTY. + +Burlington + +Chas. B. Harbord. + +LA SUEUR COUNTY. + +Elysium + +Silas S. Munday. + +Grandville + +Bartlet Y. Couch. + +Lexington + +Henry Earl. + +Waterville + +Samuel D. Drake. + +McLEOD COUNTY. + +Glencoe + +Surman G. Simmons. + +Hutchinson + +Lewis Harrington. + +MEEKER COUNTY. + +Forest City + +Walter C. Bacon. + +MORRISON COUNTY. + +Little Falls + +Orlando A. Churchill. + +MOWER COUNTY. + +Austin + +Alanson B. Vaughan. + +Frankford + +Lewis Patchin. + +High Forest + +Thos. H. Armstrong. + +Le Roy + +Daniel Caswell. + +NICOLLET COUNTY. + +Eureka + +Edwin Clark. + +Hilo + +William Dupray. + +Saint Peter + +George Hezlep. + +Travers des Sioux + +William Huey. + +OLMSTEAD COUNTY. + +Durango + +Samuel Brink. + +Kalmar + +James A. Blair. + +Oronoco + +Samuel P. Hicks. + +Pleasant Grove + +Samuel Barrows. + +Rochester + +Phineas H. Durfel. + +Salem + +Cyrus Holt. + +Springfield + +Almon H. Smith. + +Waterloo + +Robert S. Latta. + +Zumbro + +Lucy Cobb. + +PEMBINA COUNTY. + +Cap Lake + +David B. Spencer. + +Pembina + +Joseph Rolette. + +Red Lake + +Sela G. Wright. + +Saint Joseph's + +George A. Belcourt. + +PIERCE COUNTY. + +Fort Ridgeley + +Benjn. H. Randall. + +PINE COUNTY. + +Alhambra + +Herman Trott. + +Mille Lac + +Mark Leadbetter. + +RAMSEY COUNTY. + +Anoka + +Arthur Davis. + +Centreville + +Charles Pettin. + +Columbus + +John Klerman. + +Howard's Lake + +John P. Howard. + +Little Canada + +Walter B. Boyd. + +Manomine + +Joseph A. Willis. + +Otter Lake + +Ross Wilkinson. + +Red Rock + +Giles H. Fowler. + +St. Anthony's Falls + +Norton H. Hemiup. + +St. Paul + +Charles S. Cave. + +RICE COUNTY. + +Cannon City + +C. Smith House. + +Faribault + +Alexander Faribault. + +Medford + +Smith Johnson. + +Morristown + +Walter Norris. + +Northfield + +Calvin S. Short. + +Shieldsville + +Joshua Tufts. + +Union Lake + +Henry M. Humphrey. + +Walcott + +Joseph Richardson. + +SAINT LOUIS COUNTY. + +Falls of St. Louis + +Joseph Y. Buckner. + +Oneota + +Edmund F. Ely. + +Twin Lakes + +George W. Perry. + +SCOTT COUNTY. + +Belle Plaine + +Nahum Stone. + +Louisville + +Joseph R. Ashley. + +Mount Pleasant + +John Soules. + +New Dublin + +Dominick McDermott + +Sand Creek + +William Holmes. + +Shak-a-pay + +Reuben M. Wright. + +SIBLEY COUNTY. + +Henderson + +Henry Pochler. + +Prairie Mound + +Morgan Lacey. + +STEARNS COUNTY. + +Clinton + +John H. Linneman. + +Neenah + +Henry B. Johnson. + +Saint Cloud + +Joseph Edelbrook. + +Torah + +Reuben M. Richardson. + +STEELE COUNTY. + +Adamsville + +Hiram Pitcher. + +Aurora + +Charles Adsit. + +Dodge City + +John Coburn. + +Ellwood + +Wilber F. Fiske. + +Josco + +James Hanes. + +Lemond + +Abram Fitzsimmons. + +Owatana + +Samuel B. Smith. + +St. Mary's + +Horatio B. Morrison. + +Swavesey + +Andrew J. Bell. + +Wilton + +David J. Jenkins. + +SUPERIOR COUNTY. + +Beaver Bay + +Robert McLean. + +French River + +F. W. Watrous. + +Grand Marias + +Richard Godfrey. + +Grand Portage + +H. H. McCullough. + +WABASHAW COUNTY. + +Greenville + +Rodman Benchard. + +Independence + +Seth L. McCarty. + +Lake City + +Harvey F. Williamson. + +Mazeppa + +John E. Hyde. + +Minneska + +Nathaniel F. Tifft. + +Minnesota City + +Samuel E. Cotton. + +Mount Vernon + +Stephen M. Burns. + +Reed's Landing + +Fordyce S. Richard. + +Wabashaw + +J. F. Byrne. + +West Newton + +Austin R. Swan. + +WAHNATAH COUNTY. + +Fort Ripley + +Solon W. Manney. + +WASHINGTON COUNTY. + +Cottage Grove + +Stephen F. Douglass. + +Lake Land + +Freeman C. Tyler. + +Marine Mills + +Orange Walker. + +Milton Mills + +Lemuel Bolles. + +Point Douglass + +R. R. Henry. + +Stillwater + +Harley Curtis. + +WINONA COUNTY. + +Dacota + +Nathan Brown. + +Eagle Bluffs + +William W. Bennett. + +Homer + +John A. Torrey. + +New Boston + +William H. Dwight. + +Richmond + +Samuel C. Dick. + +Ridgeway + +Joseph Cooper. + +Saint Charles + +Lewis H. Springer. + +Saratoga + +Thomas P. Dixon. + +Stockton + +William C. Dodge. + +Twin Grove + +Oren Cavath. + +Utica + +John W. Bentley. + +Warren + +Eben B. Jewett. + +Winona + +John W. Downer. + +White Water Falls + +Miles Pease. + +WRIGHT COUNTY. + +Berlin + +Charles W. Lambert + +Buffalo + +Amasa Ackley. + +Clear Water + +Simon Stevens. + +Monticello + +M. Fox. + +Northwood + +A. H. Kelly. + +Rockford + +Joel Florida. + +Silver Creek + +Abram G. Descent. + _______ + + II. + + LIST OF LAND OFFICES AND OFFICERS IN MINNESOTA. + _______ + + GENERAL LAND OFFICE, + + December 8, 1856. + +SIR: Your two letters of the 6th instant, asking for a list of the +land offices in Minnesota Territory, with the names of the officers +connected therewith,-- also the number of acres sold and the amount of +fees received by such officers, during the fiscal year, ending 30th +June, 1856, have been received. + +In reply, I herewith enclose a statement of the information desired, +save that the amount of fees for the fiscal year cannot be stated. + + Very respectfully, + + THOMAS A. HENDRICKS, + + Commissioner, + +C. C. ANDREWS, Esq. + + LIST OF LAND OFFICES AND OFFICERS IN MINNESOTA. + +LAND DISTRICTS. + +Name of Register + +Name of Receiver. + +Number of acres sold during the fiscal year ending 30th of June, 1856. + +Amount of purchase-money received therefor. + +Stillwater + +Thos. M. Fullerton + +Wm. Holcomb + +103,141.31 + +128,930.23 + +Sauk Rapids + +Geo. W. Sweet + +Wm. H. Wood + +49,712.44 + +65,355.41 + +Chatfield (late Brownsville) + +John R. Bennet + +Jno. H. McKenny + +238,323.26 + +298,920.90 + +Minneapolis + +Marcus P. Olds + +Roswell P. Russell + +139,188.96 + +186,651.77 + +Winona + +Diedrich Upman + +Lorenzo D. Smith + +264,777.38 + +335,845.66 + +Red Wing + +Wm. P. Phelps + +Chr. Graham + +206,987.32 + +265,173.84 + + + + +1,002,130.67 + +$1,280,867.81 + +Since the 30th June, 1856, the following offices have been established +and officers appointed. + +Buchanan + +Saml. Clark + +John Whipple + +Ojibeway + +Saml. Plumer + +Wm. Sawyer + _______ + + III. + + LIST OF NEWSPAPERS PUBLISHED IN MINNESOTA. + +PIONEER AND DEMOCRAT + +St. Paul + +Daily and Weekly + +MINNESOTIAN + +St. Paul + +Daily and Weekly + +TIMES + +St. Paul + +Daily and Weekly + +FINANCIAL ADVERTISER + +St. Paul + +Weekly + +UNION + +Stillwater + +Weekly + +MESSENGER + +Stillwater + +Weekly + +EXPRESS + +St. Anthony + +Weekly + +REPUBLICAN + +St. Anthony + +Weekly + +DEMOCRAT + +Minneapolis + +Weekly + +FRONTIERSMAN + +Sauk Rapids + +Weekly + +NORTHERN HERALD + +Watab + +Weekly + +INDEPENDENT + +Shakopee + +Weekly + +REPUBLICAN + +Shakopee + +Weekly + +DEMOCRAT + +Henderson + +Weekly + +COURIER + +St. Peter + +Weekly + +DAKOTA JOURNAL + +Hastings + +Weekly + +SENTINEL + +Red Wing + +Weekly + +GAZETTE + +Canon Falls + +Weekly + +JOURNAL + +Wabashaw + +Weekly + +ARGUS + +Winona + +Weekly + +REPUBLICAN + +Winona + +Weekly + +SOUTHERN HERALD + +Brownsville + +Weekly + +Carimona + +Weekly + +DEMOCRAT + +Chatfield + +Weekly + +REPUBLICAN + +Chatfield + +Weekly + +RICE COUNTY HERALD + +Faribault + +Weekly + +St. Cloud + +Weekly + +OWATONIA WATCHMAN AND REGISTER + +Owatonia + +Weekly. + _______ + + IV. + + TABLE OF DISTANCES. + _______ + + TABLE OF DISTANCES FROM ST. PAUL. + +MILES + +To St. Anthony + +8 3/4 + +Rice Creek + +7 + +15 3/4 + +St. Francis, or Rum River + +9 + +25 + +Itasca + +7 + +32 + +Elk River + +6 + +38 + +Big Lake + +10 + +48 + +Big Meadow (Sturgis) + +18 + +66 + +St. Cloud (Sauk Rapids) + +10 + +76 + +Watab + +6 + +82 + +Little Rock + +2 + +84 + +Platte River + +12 + +96 + +Swan River + +10 + +106 + +Little Falls + +3 + +109 + +Belle Prairie + +5 + +114 + +Fort Ripley + +10 + +124 + +Crow Wing River + +6 + +130 + +Sandy Lake + +120 + +250 + +Savannah Portage + +15 + +265 + +Across the Portage + +5 + +270 + +Down Savannah River to St. Louis River + +20 + +290 + +Fond-du-Lac + +60 + +350 + +Lake Superior + +22 + +372 + +Crow Wing River + +130 + +Otter Tail Lake + +70 + +200 + +Rice River + +74 + +274 + +Sand Hills River + +70 + +340 + +Grand Fork, Red River + +40 + +380 + +Pembina + +80 + +460 + +Sandy Lake + +250 + +Leech Lake + +150 + +400 + +Red Lake + +80 + +480 + +Pembrina + +150 + +630 + +Stillwater + +18 + +Arcola + +5 + +23 + +Marine Mills + +6 + +29 + +Falls St. Croix + +19 + +48 + +Pokagema + +40 + +88 + +Fond-du-Lac + +75 + +164 + +Red Rock + +6 + + +Point Douglass + +24 + + + Red Wing + +Winona's Rock, Lake Pepin + +30 + +60 + +Wabashaw + +30 + +90 + +Prairie du Chien + +145 + +235 + +Cassville + +29 + +264 + +Peru + +21 + +285 + +Dubuque + +8 + +293 + +Mouth of Fever River + +17 + +310 + +Rock Island + +52 + +362 + +Burlington + +135 + +497 + +Keokuk + +53 + +550 + +St. Louis + +179 + +729 + +Cairo + +172 + +901 + +New Orleans + +1040 + +1941 + +Mendota + +7 + + +Black Dog Village + +4 + + +Sixe's Village + +21 + + +Traverse des Sioux + +50 + + +Little Rock + +45 + + +Lac Qui Parle + +80 + + +Big Stone Lake + +66 + + +Fort Pierce, on Missouri + +240 + + + TABLE OF DISTANCES FROM ST. CLOUD. + +To Minneapolis + +62 + +Superior City, on Brott and Wilson's Road + +120 + +Traverse des Sioux + +70 + +Henderson + +60 + +Fort Ridgley + +100 + +Long Prairie + +40 + +Otter Tail Lake + +60 + +The Salt Springs + +120 + +Fort Ripley + +60 + +Mille Lac City + +60 + +DISTANCES FROM CROW WING. + +To Chippeway Mission + +15 + +Ojibeway + +50 + +Superior City + +80 + +Otter Tail City + +60 + +St. Cloud + +55 + _______ + + PART IV. + + PREEMPTION FOR CITY OR TOWN SITES. + _______ + + PREEMPTION FOR CITY OR TOWN SITES. + +AT a late moment, and while the volume is in press, I am enabled to +present the following exposition of the Preemption Law, addressed to +the Secretary of the Interior by Mr. Attorney-General Cushing. (See +"Opinions of Attorneys General," vol. 7, 733-743-- in press.) + + PREEMPTION FOR CITY OR TOWN SITES. + +Portions of the public lands, to the amount of three hundred and +twenty acres, may be taken up by individuals or preemptioners for city +or town sites. + +The same rules as to proof of occupation apply in the case of +municipal, as of agricultural, preemption. + +The statute assumes that the purposes of a city or town have +preference over those of trade or of agriculture. + + ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE + + July 2, 1856. + +SIR: Your communication of the 20th May, transmitting papers regarding +Superior City (so called) in the State of Wisconsin, submits for +consideration three precise questions of law; two of them presenting +inquiry of the legal relations of locations for town sites on the +public domain, and the third presenting inquiry of another matter, +which, although pertinent to the case, yet is comprehended in a +perfectly distinct class of legal relations. + +I propose, in this communication, to reply only upon the two first +questions. + +The act of Congress of April 24, 1841, entitled "An act to appropriate +the proceeds of the sales of the public lands and to grant preemption +rights," contains, in section 10th, the following provisions: "no +lands reserved for the support of schools, nor lands acquired by +either of the two last treaties with the Miami tribe of Indians in the +State of Indiana, or which may be acquired of the Wyandot tribe of +Indians in the State of Ohio, or other Indian reservation to which the +title has been or may be extinguished by the United States at any time +during the operation of this act; no sections of lands reserved to the +United States alternate to other sections of land granted to any of +the States for the construction of any canal, railroad, or other +public improvement; no sections or fractions of sections included +within the limits of any incorporated town; no portions of the public +lands which have been selected for the site of a city or town; no +parcel of a lot of land actually settled or occupied for the purposes +of trade and not agriculture; and no lands on which are situated any +known salines or mines, shall be liable to entry under or by virtue of +this act." (v Stat. at Large, p. 456.) + +An act passed May 28, 1844, entitled "An act for the relief of +citizens of towns upon the lands of the United States under certain +circumstances," provides as follows: + +"That whenever any portion of the surveyed public lands has been or +shall be settled upon and occupied as a town site, and therefore not +subject to entry under the existing preemption laws, it shall be +lawful, in case such town or place shall be incorporated, for the +corporate authorities thereof, and if not incorporated, for the judges +of the county court for the county in which such town may be situated, +to enter at the proper land office, and at the minimum price, the land +so settled and occupied, in trust for the several use and benefit of +the several occupants thereof, according to their respective +interests; the execution of which trust, as to the disposal of the +lots in said town, and the proceeds of the sales thereof, to be +conducted under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the +legislative authority of the state or territory in which the same is +situated; Provided, that the entry of the land intended by this act be +made prior to the commencement of a public sale of the body of land in +which it is included, and that the entry shall include only such land +as is actually occupied by the town, and be made in conformity to the +legal subdivisions of the public lands authorized by the act of the +twenty-fourth of April, one thousand eight hundred and twenty, and +shall not in the whole exceed three hundred and twenty acres; and +Provided also, that the act of the said trustees, not made in +conformity to the rules and regulations herein alluded to, shall be +void and of none effect:" * * * (v Stat. at Large, p. 687.) + +Upon which statutes you present the following questions of +construction: "1st. What is the legal signification to be given to the +words, 'portions of the public lands which have been selected as the +site for a city or town,' which occur in the preemption law of 1841, +and which portions of the public lands are by said act exempted from +its provisions? Do they authorize selections by individuals with a +view to the building thereon of a city or town, or do they contemplate +a selection made by authority of some special law? + +"Do the words in the act of 23d May, 1844, 'and that the entry shall +include only such land as is actually occupied by the town,' restrict +the entry to those quarter quarter-sections, or forty acre +subdivisions, alone, on which houses have been erected as part of said +town, or do they mean, only, that the entry shall not embrace any land +not shown by the survey on the ground, or the plat of the town, to be +occupied thereby, and not to exceed 820 acres, which is to be taken by +legal subdivisions, according to the public survey, and to what +species of 'legal subdivisions' is reference made in said act of +1844?" + +These questions, as thus presented by you, are abstract questions of +law,-- namely, of the construction of statutes. They are distinctly +and clearly stated, so as not to require of me any investigation of +external facts to render them more intelligible. Nor do they require +of me to attempt to make application of them to any actual case, +conflict of right, or controversy either between private individuals +or such individuals and the Government. + +It is true that, accompanying your communication, there is a great +mass of representations, depositions, arguments, and other papers, +which show that the questions propounded by you are not speculative +ones, and that, on the contrary, they bear, in some way, on matters of +interest, public or private, to be decided by the Department. But +those are matters for you, not for me, to determine. You have +requested my opinion of certain points of law, to be used by you, so +far as you see fit, in aid of such your own determination. I am thus +happily relieved of the task of examining and undertaking to analyze +the voluminous documents in the case: more especially as your +questions, while precise and complete in themselves, derive all +needful illustration from the very instructive report in the case of +the present Commissioner of Public Lands and the able brief on the +subject drawn up in your Department. + +I. To return to the questions before me: the first is in substance +whether the words in the act of 1841,-- " portions of the public land +which have been selected as the site for a city or a town,"-- are to +be confined to cases of such selection in virtue of some special +authority, or by some official authority? + +I think not, for the following reasons: + +The statute does not by any words of legal intendment say so. + +The next preceding clause of the act, which speaks of lands "included +within the limits of any incorporated town," implies the contrary, in +making separate provision for a township existing by special or public +authority. + +The next succeeding clause, which speaks of land "actually settled or +occupied for the purposes of trade and not agriculture," leads to the +same conclusion; for why should selection for a town site require +special authority any more than occupation for the purposes of trade? + +The general scope of the act has the same tendency. Its general object +is to regulate, in behalf of individuals, the acquisition of the +public domain by preemption, after voluntary occupation for a certain +period of time, and under other prescribed circumstances. In doing +this, it gives a preference preemption to certain other uses of the +public land, by excluding such land from liability to ordinary +preemption. Among the uses thus privileged, and to which precedence in +preemption is accorded, are, 1. "Sections, or fractions of sections +included within the limits of any incorporated town;" 2. "Portions of +the public land which have been selected for the site of a city or +town;" and, 3. "Land actually settled or occupied for the purposes of +trade, and not agriculture." Now, it is not easy to see any good +reason why, if individuals may thus take voluntarily for the purposes +of agriculture,-- they may not also take for the purposes of a city or +town. The statute assumes that the purposes of a city or town have +preference over those of trade, and still more over those of +agriculture. Yet individuals may take for either of the latter +objects: a fortiori they may take for a city or town. + +Why should it be assumed that individual action in this respect is +prohibited for towns any more than for trade or agriculture? It does +not concern the Government whether two persons preempt one hundred and +sixty acres each for the purposes of agriculture, or for the purpose +of a town, except that the latter object will, incidentally, be more +beneficial to the Government. Nor is there any other consideration of +public policy to induce the Government to endeavor to discourage the +formation of towns. Why, then, object to individuals taking up a given +quantity of land in one case rather than in the other? + +Finally, the act of 1844 definitively construes the act of 1841, and +proves that the "selection" for town sites there spoken of may be +either by public authority or by individuals:-- that the word is for +that reason designedly general, and without qualification, but must be +fixed by occupation. That act supposes public land to be "settled upon +and occupied as a town site," and "therefore" not subject to entry +under the existing preemption laws. This description identifies it +with the land "selected for the site of a city or town," in the +previous act. It limits the quantity so to be selected, that is, +settled or occupied, to three hundred and twenty acres, and otherwise +regulates the selection as hereinafter explained. It then provides how +such town site is to be entered and patented. If the town be +incorporated, then the entry is to be made by its corporate +authorities. If the town be not incorporated, then it may be entered +in the name of the judges of the county court of the county, in which +the projected town lies, "in trust for the several use and benefit of +the several occupants thereof, according to their respective +interests." Here we have express recognition of voluntary selection +and occupancy by individuals, and provision for means by which legal +title in their behalf may be acquired and patented. + +I am aware that by numerous statutes anterior to the act of 1841, +provision is made for the authoritative selection of town sites in +special cases; but such provisions do by no means exclude or +contradict the later enactment of a general provision of law to +comprehend all cases of selections for town sites, whether +authoritative or voluntary. I think the act of 1841, construed in the +light of the complementary act of 1844, as it must be, provides +clearly for both contingencies or conditions of the subject. Among the +anterior acts, however, is one of great importance and significancy +upon this point, more especially as that act received exposition at +the time from the proper departments of the Government. I allude to +the act of June 22d, 1838, entitled "An act to grant preemption rights +to settlers on the public lands." This act, like that of 1841, +contains a provision reserving certain lands from ordinary preemption, +among which are: + +"Any portions of public lands, surveyed or otherwise, which have been +actually selected as sites for cities or towns, lotted into smaller +quantities than eighty acres, and settled upon and occupied for the +purposes of trade, and not of agricultural cultivation and +improvement, or any land specially occupied or reserved for town lots, +or other purposes, by authority of the United States." (v Stat. at +Large, p. 251.) + +Here the "selection" generally, and the "selection" by authority are +each provided for eo nomine. It is obvious that the provision in the +latter case is made for certainty only; since, by the general rules of +statute construction, no ordinary claim of preemption could attach to +reservations made by authority of the United States. The effective +provision in the enactment quoted, must be selections not made by the +authority of the United States. + +In point of fact the provision was construed by the Department to +include all voluntary selections: lands, says the circular of the +General Land Office of July 8, 1838, "which settlers have selected +with a view of building thereon a village or city." + +It seems to me that the same considerations which induced this +construction of the word "selection" in the act of 1838, dictate a +similar construction of the same word in the subsequent act. Besides +which, when a word or words of a statute, which were of uncertain +signification originally, but which have been construed by the proper +authority, are repented in a subsequent statute, that is understood as +being not a repetition merely of the word with the received +construction, but an implied legislative adoption even of such +construction. + +II. The second question is of the construction of the act of 1844, +supplemental to that of 1841; and as the construction of the elder +derives aid from the language of the later one, so does that of the +latter from the former. The question is divisible into sub-questions. + +1. Does the phrase "that the entry (for a town-site) shall include +only such land as is actually occupied by the town," restrict the +entry to those quarter quarter-sections, or forty acre subdivisions +alone, on which houses have been erected as part of said town? + +2. What is the meaning of the phrase in the act "legal subdivisions of +the public lands," in "conformity" with which the entry must be made? + +I put the two acts together and find that they provide for a system of +preemptions for, among other things, agricultural occupation, +commercial or mechanical occupation, and municipal occupation. + +In regard to agricultural occupation, the laws provide that, in +certain cases and conditions, one person may preempt one hundred and +sixty acres, and that in regard to municipal occupation a plurality of +persons may, in certain cases and conditions, preempt three hundred +and twenty acres. In the latter contingency, there is no special +privilege as to quantity, but a disability rather; for two persons +together may preempt three hundred and twenty acres by agricultural +occupation, and afterwards convert the land into a town site, and four +persons together might in the same way secure six hundred and forty +acres, to be converted ultimately into the site of a town; while the +same four persons, selecting land for a town site, can take only three +hundred and twenty acres. In both forms the parties enter at the +minimum price of the public lands. The chief advantage which the +preemptors for municipal purposes enjoy, is, that they have by statute +a preference over agricultural preemptors, the land selected for a +town site being secured by statute against general and ordinary, that +is, agricultural preemption. In all other respects material to the +present inquiry, we may assume, for the argument's sake at least, that +the two classes stand on a footing of equality, as respects either the +convicting interests of third persons, or the rights of the +Government. + +Now, the rights of an agricultural preemptor we understand. He is +entitled, if he shall "make a settlement in person on the public +lands," and "shall inhabit and improve the same, and shall erect a +dwelling thereon," to enter, "by legal subdivisions, any number of +acres not exceeding one hundred and sixty, or a quarter-section of +land, to include the residence of such claimant." (Act of 1841, s. +10.) And of two settlers on "the same quarter-section of land," the +earlier one is to have the preference. (Sec. 11.) + +Now, was it ever imagined that such claimant must personally inhabit +every quarter quarter-section of his claim? That he must have under +cultivation every quarter quarter-section? That he must erect a +dwelling on every quarter quarter-section? And that, if he failed to +do this, any such quarter of his quarter-section might be preempted by +a later occupant? + +There is no pretension that such is the condition of the ordinary +preemptor, and that he is thus held to inhabit, to cultivate, to dwell +on, every quarter quarter-section, under penalty of having it seized +by another preemptor, or entered in course by any public or private +purchaser. He is to provide, according to the regulations of the Land +Office or otherwise, indicia, by which the limits of his claim shall +be known,-- he must perform acts of possession or intended ownership +on the land, as notice to others; and that suffices to secure his +rights under the statute. It is not necessary for him to cultivate +every separate quarter of his quarter-section; it is not necessary for +him even to enclose each; it only needs that in good faith he take +possession, with intention of occupation and settlement, and proceed +in good faith to occupy and settle, in such time and in such manner, +as belong to the nature of agricultural occupation and settlement. + +Why should there be a different rule in regard to occupants for +municipal preemption? The latter is, by the very tenor of the law, the +preferred object. Why should those interested in it be subject to +special disabilities of competing occupancy? I cannot conceive. + +It is obvious that, in municipal settlement, as well as agricultural, +there must be space of time between the commencement and the +consummation of occupation. There will be a moment, when the equitable +right of the agricultural settler is fixed, although he have as yet +done nothing more in the way of inhabiting or improving than to cut a +tree or drive a stake into the earth. And it may be long before he +improves each one of all his quarter quarter-sections. So, in +principle, it is in the case of settlement for a town. We must deal +with such things according to their nature. Towns do not spring into +existence consummate and complete. Nor do they commence with eight +houses, systematically distributed, each in the centre of a forty-acre +lot. And in the case of a town settlement of three hundred and twenty +acres; as well as that of a farm site of one hundred and sixty acres, +all which can be lawfully requisite to communicate to the occupants +the right of preemption to the block of land, including every one of +its quarter quarter-sections,-- is improvement, or indication of the +improvement of the entire block,-- acts of possession or use regarding +it, consonant with the nature of the thing. That, in a farm, will be +the erection of a house and outhouses, cultivation, and use of +pasturage or woodland: in a town, it will be erecting houses or shops, +platting out the land, grading or opening streets, and the like signs +and marks of occupation or special destination. + +The same considerations lead to the conclusion that it would not be +just to confine the proofs of occupation to facts existing at its very +incipiency. The inchoate or equitable right, as against all others, +begins from the beginning of the occupation: the ultimate sufficiency +of that occupation is to be determined in part by subsequent facts, +which consummate the occupation, and also demonstrate its bona fides. +If it were otherwise, there would be an end of all the advantage +expressly given by the statute to priority of occupation. Take the +case of agricultural preemptions for example. A settler enters in good +faith upon a quarter-section for preemption; his entry, at first, +attaches physically to no more than the rood of land on which he is +commencing to construct a habitation. Is that entry confined in effect +to a single quarter quarter? Can other settlers, the next day, enter +upon all the adjoining quarter quarters, and thus limit the first +settler to the single quarter quarter on which his dwelling is +commenced? Is all proof of occupation in his case, when he comes to +prove up his title, to be confined to acts anterior to the date of +conflict? Clearly not. The inchoate title of the first occupant ripens +into a complete one by the series of acts on his part subsequent to +the original occupation. + +In the statement of the case prepared in your office, it is averred +that numerous precedents exist in the Land Office, not only of the +allowance of town preemptions as the voluntary selection of +individuals, but also of the application to such preemption claims of +the ordinary construction of the word "occupation" habitually applied +to agricultural preemption claims. That is to say, it has been the +practice of the Government, not to consider municipal occupation +"circumscribed by the forty-acre subdivisions actually built upon; * * +but that such occupation was (sufficiently) evidenced, either by an +actual survey, upon the ground, of said town into streets, alleys, and +blocks, or the publication of a plat of the same evidencing the +connection therewith of the public surveys, so as to give notice to +others of the extent of the town site:" all this, within the extreme +limits, of course, of the three hundred and twenty acres prescribed by +the statute. + +I think the practice of the Land Office in this respect, as thus +reported, is lawful and proper: it being understood, of course, that +thus the acts of alleged selection, possession, and occupation are +performed in perfect good faith. + +Something is hinted, in the report of the commissioner, as to the +speculation-character of the proposed town settlement,-- and, in the +official brief accompanying your letter, as to the +speculation-character of the proposed agricultural preemption. I +suppose it must be so, if the land in question has peculiar aptitude +for municipal uses. But how is that material? The object, in either +mode of attaining it, is a lawful one. Two persons may lawfully +preempt a certain quantity of land under the general law, and intend a +townsite without saying so; or they may preempt avowedly for a town +site. As between the two courses, both having the same ultimate +destination, it would not seem that there could be any cause of +objection to the more explicit one. + +So much for the first branch of the second question. As to the second +branch of it, the same line of reasoning leads to equally satisfactory +results. + +The municipal preemptor, like the agricultural preemptor, is required +to take his land in conformity with "the legal subdivisions of the +public lands." I apprehend the import of the requirement is the same +in both cases. Neither class of pre-emptors is to break the legal +subdivisions as surveyed. The preemptor of either case may take +fractional sections if he will, but he is in every case to run his +extreme lines with the lines of the surveyed subdivisions. In fine, as +it seems to me, there is nothing of the present case, in so far as +appears by the questions presented, and the official reports and +statement by which they are explained, except a convict of claim to +two or three sectional subdivisions of land between different sets of +preemptors, one set being avowed municipal preemptors, and the other +professed agricultural preemptors, but both sets having in reality the +same ulterior purposes in regard to the use of the land. The +Government has no possible concern in the controversy, except to deal +impartially between the parties according to law. The agricultural +preemptors contend that different rules of right as to the power of +individual or private occupation, and as to the criteria of valid +occupation, apply to them, as against their adversaries. The municipal +preemptors contend that the same rules of equal right, inceptive and +progressive, in these respects, apply to both classes of preemptors. I +think that the latter view of the law is correct, according to its +letter, its spirit; and the settled practice of the Government. + +The investigation of the facts of the case, and the application of the +law to the facts, are, of course, duties of your Department. + +I leave here the first and second questions; and, proposing to reply +at an early day on the third question, + +I have the honor to be, very respectfully, + + C. CUSHING. + +Hon. ROBERT McCLELLAND, + + Secretary of the Interior. + + THE END. + _______ + + ADVERTISEMENT. + +THE OFFICIAL OPINIONS OF THE. ATTORNEYS GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES. +Edited by C. C. ANDREWS, Esq. VOLUME VII. (8 vo.) now ready. +Washington: Published by R. Farnham. + +"In this series the proudest names of American law have found some +appropriate record of their labor and their wisdom. * * No student of +the law can find more valuable reading than in these opinions. We +would urge upon him to turn now and then from the common place reading +of the profession to the great studies which impart, to the law the +dignity of a science. If less immediate in the rewards they bring, +they are the only studies which can win for the legal aspirant the +true glory of a great lawyer."-- Monthly Law Reporter. + +"Mr. Andrews is entitled to the thanks of his professional brethren +for the very satisfactory manner in which he has presented these +opinions."-- American Law Register. + +"On such examination as I have been able to give it (Volume VI.), the +volume seems to me to be full of instruction; the argument most +clearly and fairly conducted; the researches thorough, and the +conclusions, in so far as I can form a judgment, just."-- Rufus +Choate. + +"But we should fail entirely in our object, of calling attention to +this work if we did not particularly commend it to the notice of the +statesman and the general reader. * * These volumes constitute a great +treatise on constitutional law; the work, not of one man, but of a +succession of able men from the age of Washington, who have examined +and revised each other. We regard it, therefore, as one of the most +valuable publications which has embellished our political and legal +literature."-- National Intelligencer. + +A TREATISE ON THE REVENUE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES, in one volume, 8 +vo. By C. C. ANDREWS, Esq. (Soon to be published by Little, Brown and +Company. See their list of new Law Books.) + +REFLECTIONS ON THE OPERATION OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF EDUCATION. By C. +C. ANDREWS, Esq. Boston: Crosby, Nichols and Company: 1853. + +"The substance of the pamphlet appeared some time since in a monthly +journal, and the author has now revised it and published it in a more +permanent form. His views are sensible, and well deserve attention."-- +Boston Daily Advertiser. + +"This is an earnest and well written essay; designed to remedy what +the writer justly regards an important defect in the present system of +education-namely, the want of a proper degree of moral instruction. +His observations evince an enlightened mind, as well as a +philanthropic spirit; and they deserve to be considerately pondered by +all whom they may concern."-- Puritan Recorder. + +"His practical remarks are of particular value, and show that the +author has devoted much thought to the topic of which he treats."-- +Boston Daily Atlas. + +"We have perused this publication with more than ordinary interest. +The object of the author is to suggest some remedies for the +acknowledged defects in the operation of our system of education. This +object is pursued by a masterly hand, in a lucid and comprehensive +manner."-- Evening Transcript. + +"This contribution to the cause of common school education is highly +creditable to the author, and we have no doubt, if it can be +extensively circulated, will be productive of very beneficial +results."-- Christian Witness. + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 4981 *** |