Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-11-16

accepted a seat in their wagon for
trip in that territory. The first fiv,
or six miles of our journey was thrO
the same wave-like hills and bluff
that We had seen in coming into
Sioux City; then we cross the bridge
that spans the Big Sioux, and are IN
Dakota. West Of the Missouri, in
. Nebraska, and east Of the Big Sioux
in Iowa, the country rises high and
broken. Both streams are bOrdered
. somewhat with timber, and between
them is the rich bottom lands Of the
two rivers. The two streams are hut
a little distance apart for seventy
miles above their junction and old
Indians say that long ago they could
i paddle their canoes, in time of high
water, entirely across this valley
But the land is now entirely above
high water mark, though its forma-
ton indicates that the Indian tradi-
ton is true, and that the land has
been formed by the sediment depUs-
tied by successive overflOws of the
Missouri, for on the surface the land
is light clay loan, such as the river
leaves after an overflow, and foot or
two below the top the ordinary deep,
black soil of the praIries. This mar
row strip of valley between the rivers
is the Oldest and richest in Dakota,
and farms are held st figures that
would do credit to the States. The
farms end buildings are in pleasant
contrast with the usual style Of west
eTn farms. Instead OF the sod COW
cred house, and stable of poles and
straw, of too many parts Of the
west, the houses are tastily built and
painted, like those in Gods coun-
try ,"-as hOmesick emigrants call the
east-the fields fenced and well culti-
waited. One of our company, who
had Travelled extensively through sew
eral of the States, pronounced the
wheat, which was then mostly in
shock, the best he had seen. Very
few settlers were here in 1850, but now
the country has more wealth, and,
indeed, does not look as new as many
parts of Trumbull county.
A few miles from where we entered
the territory, we passed through a
French settlement. The ventilators
and weathercOcks of the barns, the
steep roofs and odd architecture of the
houses, the cross on the little church,
the strange dress and speech of the
people, all seem like a village on the
M0selle rather than the Missouri
Their well kept farms and rOOmy
barns Indicate good farming. Out
west" the foreign element one meets
is entirely different from that in OHIO.
The rich Irish brogue Is less frequent,
and instead, there is the sPuIter Of
Swedes and NOrwegians-very good
settltr rs in their way, used rs they are,
by their D evious life rs fishermen, to
disregard the cold nOrthwesters of a
prairie country. They are usually
good tempered people, with a. a.capacity
for adapting themselves 10 their new
home and the different manner of
living, that is quite surprising. In
shrewdness in driving a bargain, and
the tenacity with which they clinch
the almighty greenback, they out
Yankee the Yankee. Of a party /
met in Iowa, who, from their leather
vests and sealskin knapsacks, seemed
to be put lately over, / asked the dis
tance to a town a little way ahead,
and was told in broken English, " a
dollar and seventy-five cents" The
frugal fellows had, Doubtless, made
them elves familiar with U. S. money
before attempting the table of long
measure, and thought I was asking
the going wages.
We met a wagon full Of half breeds
"A mixture of the French and Indian
our friends showed us,
by the roadside, the farms of several
of these half-breeds, some of whom
have been Indian traders, and are
well TO do. Some of the full blOOded
have taken homesteads on
the Big Sioux, and make passable
farmers.
At Elk Point, still in the fertile
valley between the rivers, our trip
for the present ends. This thriving
village is the county seat of Union
county, and next to Yankton, the
capital of the Territory, is the larg-
EST town. The well settled and well
titled country around, supports a
thriving trade, though it yet lacks
railroad, all the cOuvenieuces of the
States can be found in this far-Off
Territory. The principal drawback |
seems to be the lack of a market for .
wheat, as the distance to a railroad /
prevents it being raised with profit. I
But this, it Is hoped, will be Temedied .
next year, as a railroad is located, and I
awaits only a land-grant from Con-
yrPss, to be pushed 10 completion
The newspaper of eastern Dakota is .
published here. This paper, the Elk
Point Leader, deserves well of the
people of this portion of the Terri
OTy for the able manner in which its
interests are indicated by it. The
,ditor has evidently seen service in
he newspaper line, and would do
,redit to a paper Of larger pretensiOns
han the Leader.
a number of former denizens of the
Buckeye State are here; but mention
# them or the Inducements to emf
rate must be delayed till a more con-
'enient season. PHI