578 



MINNESOTA. 



at an early day ; thus, by means of the St. Paul 

 and Pacific and Winona and St. Peter's lines, 

 a continuous railroad communication will be 

 formed from almost every populous district of 

 the State to Chicago and other Eastern markets. 

 The city of St. Louis will be reached by the 

 Minnesota Central Kailroad and its connections, 

 while our wealthy tier of counties bordering 

 on the Iowa line, will be equally well cared for 

 by the completion of the Southern Minnesota 

 road." 



In the latter part of 1805 Professor Eames, 

 the State geologist for Minnesota, returned 

 from an exploring expedition from the region 

 around Vermilion Lake, which lies in the 

 northeast corner of the State, about eighty 

 miles north of Lake Superior, and two hundred 

 and thirty from St. Paul. He reported in the 

 vicinity of this lake, and, in fact, throughout 

 nearly the entire country between the lake and 

 Lake Superior, extensive formations of gold and 

 silver-bearing quartz, and immense bodies of 

 iron ore of a superior quality. The field ac- 

 curately examined in the vicinity of the lake 

 exhibited a formation of talcose and silicious 

 slate, which the ore-bearing quartz veins 

 traverse, upward of six miles in width and 

 ten in length. All the indications went to 

 show that this mineral range is very exten- 

 sive. Both the talcose and silicious slates are 

 very rich in veins of gold and silver. Within 

 a distance of half a mile eight veins were ex- 

 amined, varying from one inch to ten feet in 

 width, and all of them are auriferous or silver- 

 bearing. Some of these veins were traced to 

 the distance of seven miles. Numerous speci- 

 mens of this quartz have been assayed at the 

 United States mint and elsewhere, and, though 

 they were taken from the surface, have yielded 

 $30 of gold and silver to tlie ton. 



An immense iron range was also discovered 

 in the same vicinity, its first exposure being 

 about two miles long and three-quarters of a 

 mile wide, extending northeast. It was ex- 

 amined to the thickness of fifty feet, and it is 

 supposed that it extends much below this depth. 



The effect of these announcements was to 

 greatly excite the speculative spirit of the 

 people, and the spring of 1866 will doubtless 

 witness a considerable emigration to Vermilion 

 . Lake, where a plentiful supply of timber and 

 unlimited water-power offer facilities for the 

 prosecution of quartz crashing and solid min- 

 ing. The locality is in the neighborhood of 

 the Chippewa reserves, and trouble is antici- 

 pated from the Indians, who have been led to 

 believe by traders and others that the aurifer- 

 ous regions were not included in the territory 

 eded by them by the treaty of 1854. No steps 

 have yet been taken to remove this tribe be- 

 yond the limits of the State, but the popular 

 feeling in favor of such removal grows every 

 year stronger, and it will doubtless soon take 

 place. 



The fur trade continues to form an import- 

 ant item of industry, and employs several 



MISSISSIPPI. 



thousand persons, white men and Indians, 

 The value of the furs obtained in 1865 waa 

 between $400,000 and $500,000, which is some- 

 what under the yield of former years. Three- 

 fourths of the whole number are taken to Ne\v 

 York to be disposed of. The chief kinds taken 

 are mink, muskrat, otter, and beaver skins. 

 Deer skins have become comparatively scarce 

 in consequence of the great destruction of deer 

 caused by the Sioux Indians previous to their 

 expulsion from the State. 



Ten million bushels of wheat were raised in 

 Minnesota in 1865, the average yield being 

 twenty-five bushels per acre. Seven hundred 

 thousand bushels are reported to have been ex- 

 ported, at remunerative prices. 



MISSISSIPPI. In this State the military 

 operations during the last four months of the 

 war were of comparatively little importance; 

 but the people were much impoverished ; Con- 

 federate money was, of course, valueless ; and the 

 only currency was the notes of the Mississippi and 

 Tennessee Railroad Company, and Mississippi 

 cotton bonds. Industry was in a great measure 

 paralyzed. Immediately after the surrender 

 of the Confederate forces east of the Missis- 

 sippi River, movements were set on foot look- 

 ing to the restoration of the State to the Fed- 

 eral Union. Judge Barwell issued an appeal 

 to the people, calling for the appointment of 

 delegates to a convention at Vicksburg. Gov. 

 Clarke called an extra session of the State 

 Legislature to be held at Jackson on the 18th 

 of May, and, with a view to the preservation of 

 order and the protection of property, issued 

 the following proclamation : 



. MERIDIAN, Miss., May 6, 18(55. 

 To the People of Mississippi : 



Gen. Taylor informs me that all Confederate armies 

 east of the Mississippi River are surrendered, with 

 all Government cotton, quartermaster, commissary, 

 and other stores. Federal commanders will only 

 send such troops as may be necessary to guard pub- 

 lic property. All officers and persons in possession 

 of public stores will be held to a rigid accountability, 

 and embezzlers will certainly be arrested. 



Arrangements will be made to issue supplies to tho 

 destitute. I have called the Legislature to convene 

 on Thursday, the 18th instant. They will, doubtless, 

 order a convention. The officers of the State Gov- 

 ernment will immediately return with the archives to 

 Jackson. 



County officers will be vigilant in the preservation 

 of order and the protection of property. Sheriff* 

 have power to call out the pause comitatus, and the 

 militia will keep arms and other orders for this pur- 

 pose, as in times of peace. 



The State laws must be enforced as they now are 

 until repealed. If the public property is protected 

 and peace preserved, the necessity of federal troops 

 in your counties will be avoided!. You are, there- 

 fore, urged to continue to arrest all marauders and 

 plunderers. The collection of taxes should be sus- 

 pended, as the laws will doubtless be changed. 



Masters are responsible, as heretofore, for thr pro- 

 tection and conduct of their slaves, and they should 

 be kept at home as heretofore. Let all citizens fear- 

 lessly adhere to the fortunes of the State, 

 the returning soldiers to obtain civil employment, 

 contemn twelfth-hour vaporers, and meet facts with 

 fortitude and common sense.. 



CHARLES CLARKE, Governor of Miss. 



