Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-06-18
Correspondence Of the Herald
Interesting Letter from Dakota.

EDITOR HEnALD.-My ideas of the
advantages oftraveling through Iowa
on horseback were all correct so far
as observing the country was con-
cerned but if / did entertain any
anticipations of romance or adven-
tnre, those anticipations were not
realized. 1t was q long and tedious
ride. When | put up with the set
tiers my presence was sometimes
honored with pie aud cake for both
supper and breakfeast, though in
many places these things was press
ent only in imagination.
There are two kinds of prairie in
Iowa-one high, rolling and wet, the
other, high, rolling and dry. You
find the first kind between Iowa
Falls and Newell, and the other al
most verywhere else. Earth, air,
fire and water seem to be the ele-
ments necessary for 3 good town
and where | found these rightly com
bined in the shape of rich soil, TIM
Der, and water power, there | found
flourishing towns, such as Manches-
ter, Independence, Waterloo, Cedar
Falls, Webster City and Fort Dodge,
also Cherokee and lie Mar, which,
though now in their infancy, bid fair
to rival all the rest at no distant day.
Between lie Mar and Beloit, where
| struck the Big Sioux river, l rode
for twenty miles without seeing
house, over grand rich prairie with
never tree in sight, but supplied
with an abundance of right good wa
ter, Crossing the Sioux into Dako>
ia, found the country pretty well
settled. Approaching this place
from the South, you gradually as
cend until you are on the top of a
high ridge. Before you is what
seems AT first great basin, the ridg-
es with gentle slopes appearing to
form complete circle around it. A
river winds through, bordered with
willows and here and there clump
OF trees. Near the center are two
groves and cluster of bright new
looking houses. And this is Sioux
Falls from four miles away. Just in
front Of the town the river forms an
island having an area of three acres,
and covered with large trees mostly
elm and maple. About quarter of
a mile further down is the large is
land of about twenty acres, also COW
cred with timber. All around this
island the soil seems to have been
removed leaving exposed surface
of smooth hard rock of a color Vary
ing from dark gTey to light brown
ish red, and called pipe-stone. Be-
low the island these rocks, in the
form of cubes, from tho size of goods
oox to that of meeting house, are
promiscously jumbled about, as if
some immense old temple had been
tumbled down the side of gentle
hill. The two parts of the river APP
proach each other around The lower
end of the island, leaping over and
clashing around the rocks, and be-
tween them, as though they had
parted in frolic; coming together,
they form the main fall, which is
about twenty feet high and as many
wide. There are several smaller falls
making in all 100 feet. The two
cascades formed by the waters as
they approach each other are go sit
uated that you cannot SEQ both from
any one point near at hand don't
think there is anything grand or i'm
posing about these falls, but they
are exceedingly picturesqe and beau
tiful As many lovers hooks, and
places for a poet, painter or day
dreamer, you will rarely if ever
fino any other place. You can climb
all over any of the rocks, and each OF
a thousand persons could hide him.
self from all the rest in the hooks
and cranuies which they form.
M. GRIGsBY.
Sioux FALLS, DAKOTA June O. 1872