Dakota City herald. [volume] (Dakota City, Neb.) 1857-1860, 1860-01-07
AVIsIp TO ST. JOHNS

At one o'clock. precisely, on Wednesday the
28th day Of last month, we straddled a nag Of
the Mustang order, and were soon ioltiug
westward, on our way to a town that boasts
Of the revereutial name Of 81. Johns. II
eeing the FIRST time We had yentured outside
the corporate limits Of Dakota City, uuless to
GROSS over into Iowa, we determined to no
tise things on COR way. We were particular
ly imp rSssed with the beauty. Of the country,
the richuess Of the soil, the ABUNDANCE Of
timber, aud tho evident marks Of thrift aud
Industry, everywhere discernaSle. At a dis.
taneo Of three miles, Icing measure, and an
hcurs's leisure jogging, We reached the town
Of Logan.
Logan is situated on the Missouri bottom
alongside the river, has o good hotel, a saw
and grist mill, and bears unmistakable signs
u having been knocked In the head. There
was time when Logan was tbestowu Of this
county; but bad times operate on it w~oelully
Leaving this place We bore to the Northwest,
for a mile or ~ IRE, aud we're soon in the
peighborhood Of the Logan Timber. Here a
sawmill was putting and blowing at n furious
rae, and mon we're .%busying themselves in
navigating logs into It and lumber out Of it
There we altered our course and went as near
lJ west as the curves and angles in the road
would permit On either aide we're snug
houses on every half mile Of ground, up and
down the bottom, as far as tho eve could
reach. Standing in tho rear, or oT to one side
Of nearly all, we're stacks Of hay and grain
and each house hsd ts crib Of corn handy In
which the bushels could he counted by the
hgndred. Here was the first wheat We saw
IN the Territory We took some pains 10 in
quirs into tho result Of the crop and found
that spring wheat does exceedingly we'll
The lowest average yield We heard Of was
forty bushels 10 the scro, and the highest,
hny-three. We heard Of but one man that
raised winter wheat, but we're unable to learn
What sucoesS he had. The current opinion
IL that winter wheat would not thrive well, in
consequence Of the bard f%rosts, aud the land
being stripped Of snow by the wild winds Of
a Nebraska winter, Nevertheless, we think
good crops Of winter wheat can be raised, II
the seed grain is ploWed into the ground to
;be depth Of four or Ave inches. This YOU
protect the roots Of the wheat from exposure
10 the frosts and air, when the ground up
heaves in the spring.
In due time Sc. Johns hove in sight and We
hove in sight Of st. Johns. The town is not
startlingly large, but what il lacks in immens-
iy Is mcrs than made up in beauty oflSoation.
From the Bluffs which OVsrhSug the town, and
which also form q part Of the town limits, the
eye oSn sander over q large portion Of Dakota
Territory, Nebraska Tertiary, and the State
OF Iowa. Sioux City, Dakota City, Logan,
and OmAdi eau be seen very plainly from the
place, We visited the mill o. the Tracy Broth
srs, sai found il b. a 'Srge new building. ia
which there is a circular saw fsur feet in
diameter, a run Of stone, and a machine to
So shingles, II being 8 holiday week there
-e bad poo opportunity Of judging Of its msr.
as. Ise NAL has a good repuisu on and ndis
raterially to the appearance q q YA-e-