The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-03-08 00:00:00

A NEW AVTERNAN STATE.

The number of the United States is about to be
augmented by one. A Bill has been submitted to
Congress for organizing as a State the present territory
of Dakota, and if it does not pass during the present
Session it is sure to do so soon. Dakota lies to the
west of the States of Xinnesota and Towa, and north
of Nebraska. It is traversed from corner to corner by
the Missouri. Its area is set down in the surveys
at 150,932 square miles, or nearly one-fifth larger
than the whole area of the British Isles. But the
population at the census of 1870 was only
14,0U0. It has, however, increased very much
since, having at present considerably more thau the
60,000 requisite for its organiption as a State, and its
friends insist that its rate of development is so rapid
that it will certainly have 150,000 inhabitants by the
time the Bill passes. It is at present badly of for roads
of all kinds. The Northern Pacific Railroad runs
through its northern districts; b,ut the construction 9J
this line has been arrested at the town of LAsraitrcy, on
the Missouri, which is its teipporary western terminus.
Other lines are projeoted ; some have been actually
surveyed. At the western frontier, extending into the
adjoining territory of Wyoming, are the Black ills,
the scone ef the massacre by Elm* in S'(6 of General
Custer and inany soldiers of the United States'
4cniy. 4old mines have been lately discovered
tong those mountains and miners are already
flocking thither. Two promisihg tt?%lrns, Custer
ity and pe ad wop, have sprung up in the district.
'he soil of pakota is reported to be very suitable for
the cultivation of Wheat, and near the rivers for
paiqure—the two great staples of the faymor4 of the
interior. 'There id 4 natal' patch of comparatively
sterile land near the north-western corner of the same
character as much Of the soil of the neighbouring
gontans, The Republican party reckon on an addition
to the inimber Of their ensitors-upoii the adipission of
"Dakota ai3 a State, the political views of a majority
of the population being stated to be decidedly Republi•

THE FTAGUE IN 1799.—The Pall Mall Gazelle re-
marks Towards the end of 1709 great alarm was
occasioned by the arrival in this country of three
ships from Mogador, on the coast of Africa; for they
had left that place when the plague was raging there
with great violence. An order was immediately
loped by the Privy Council for the total destruction
of the Fillips and their cargoes ; and the adoption of
these measures Wee at once communicated to the
House of Commons, with a recommendation that an
allowance should be granted to the owners of
the vessels for the loss they had thus sus-
tained. On the motion of Mr. Tilt, the matter was
referred to Splect pomTpittpe, and, iu consequence of
their report a sum of 41,400 was granted as compen-
sation to the owners of the ships. The subsequent
appearance of the plague at Cadi and other Batts of
Qpairr seemed to show that the government of that
Eq were fully justified In the 'Ouse they,,toolc,
those days. when the sanitary condition of our towns
was utterly neglected, such precautions were all the
more neceFssary,"