Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1858-10-21
Northw estern lows.

| IL ny, Wuuout ldiTiy estiiuatiuS itS ieItilty
and resources. Nature is seldom frugal
or lavish Of everything. Her genial eli
mates, exhuberant soils and wild romantic
beauty, seldom domicile together, paying
common tribute to health and taste and
prosperity. Yet here are offered as many
of the advantages, and as few Of the dis.
advantages, of q western home, as can be
found anywhere in our fair domain. The
above region of country is plentifully in.
tersected by clear and rapidly flowing
streams, pouring their healthy waters into
the Des Moines from the one slope and
into the Missouri from the other. Numer.
GUS lakes are distributed over its surface,
most Of which rest in nnrnffled compo.
sure on pebbly beds. Very few Of them
are infected with that decaying vegetable
matter which saturates the atmosphere
with the elements of disease There is
an agreeable diversity Of rough and bro.
ken ranges of hills and of broad plains,
that seemingly intersect the horizon. Con.
tiguous to the Missouri, stretching inland
for many miles, also in the region of the
Des Moines, the former prevail while in
those counties in the vicinity of the diride
Of these rivers, are to be found the west
ern mans ideal Of both rolling and level
prairie.
Skirting every stream and ringing every
lake, timber is found, varying in quantity
according to its protection from the fire
At this season of the year trees are found
sprinsing up in abundanoe-the result Of
summers growth Soon the fall burn.
ing will sweep over them, and naught be
left but the scathed and blackened roots
thus showing that fire, and not the soil, is
unfavorable to their production. Besides
cultivating the locust has in this quarter
met with The most gratifying success.
During recent tour through this re
giop, We saw the happiest indications of
it's future prosperity. EnterpriSing settle
ments already extend the entire length OF
both Sioux, the Coon and the Des
Moines rivers. Many farms are enclosed
and under successful cultivation. The
song of "Harvest Home is no longer an
unfamiliar sound in those valleys. True
we saw none Of those paintings of specu
lation that are so readily autographed into
outrageous parks and uproarious ave.
nues, but there are towns springing up
with the demands of the country, that pre-
sent life.like appearance, in which the
hustle of patient industry, and the noise
Of the mill and the workshop, are more
familiar sounds than the going going
gone" Of corner lot. Especially is this
true of Spirit Lake-notoriou for the mas
acre of its inhabitants by the Indians in
the winter Of 81. The situation of this
place is delightful. Surrounded by fer
tile country, it lies in bend formed by
three lakes, from the largest of which is
derived its name. Large bodies of tim
Der, ample for building and farming pur-
poses, are on either hand, while magnif~
icent prairie is sweeping away in every
direction. Lumber is abundant, and the
work Of building IS being carried Oh with
an energy worthy the pioneering sous Of
New York.
Spirit Lake is splendid body of water
eight by fifteen miles, surrounded by tim
Der, and possessed of an excellent gravel
beach. Connected with this lake is the
tradition, that one fine morning when the
Indians left their wigwams, they beheld in
the center of the lake a grove, which
abonnded in every species Of game that
the sporting savage could desire. After a
jubilee over this unexpected gift Of the
Great Spirit, they set out III their canoes
for the happy hunting ground, when to
their great surprise, It sunk into the water
as suddenly as it had arisen. This they
called the Spirit grove, and gave the lake
the name it now bears.
1t is more than probable that this was
mirage, peculiar phenomenon Of nature
which it was cur privilege to witness while
in that region. The one of which we
speak occurred near the junction Of the
Ocheedan and Little Sioux rivers, in the
neishborhood of Spencer, town Just
starting, under favorable auspices. At a
distance it wore the appearance Of lake,
covered by light fog, which was driven
IN gentle fluctuations before the wind
Approaching nearer, a beautiful forest rose
up from the praire, distinct in its outline,
each shrub perfect in itself, with every
Stree it's leaf and each its hue peculiar,
The Illusion lasted for some time, was per
feet, and disappeared suddenly, leaving
nothing for the eye to rest upon but way.
ing grass and placid sky.
We feel confident that no portion Of our
country will repay the emigrant more large
ly for personal inspection and attention
than this. The only difficulty in the way
Of its free and speedy settlement is it's
great preponderancc Of prairie. Blu, this
is only temporary. Coal has been found
in the vicinity Of Fort Dodge, and near
Westfeld, upon the Big Sioux, in quantity
and quality sufficient for plentiful sup
ply of fuel. The only thing essential to
develop the untold wealth and resources
of this region is railroad, giving il &C
cess to the lumber of the North and East,
and making market for its produce. I'm.
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