Books: Minnesota and Dacotah
C >>
C.C. Andrews >> Minnesota and Dacotah
Pages:
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 | 9 |
10 |
11 |
12
"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.
_______
Pages:
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 | 9 |
10 |
11 |
12