Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1872-03-20
Cor.r-esponsIence.
BLaIa. Union Co. ID. T. !
March 9th, lSTa. (
D,zr NsEslsaleT -

J. Your welcome visits are one Of Il
: pleasures vOuehsafed to . sirargF 10
strange land.
Some Of the peculiaritios which sirii
my mind Is the absence Of land viii.
will not admit Of cultivation. Anoih,
Is the absence Of timber 10 such va
quantities a. | have been accustomed /
see in my native state. Yet, With a du
degree of care aud attention. none nee
suffer for want offuel in Eastern or South
err Dakota. Along all the rivers thcr
is more or less timber, and If used vii,
economy, will last the inhabitants till suel
time as railroad facilities or tree eultur
can supply the demand.
The Big Sioux river which forms tn,
southeastern boundary Of Dakota 70
nearly 90 miles, is a very clear and ruplt
stream, and would rot in this respect, re
feet discredit upon a mountainous country
As We ascend this river. the first town ",
meet is Richlaud. Whether it derives it,
name from the fertility Of the soil, or from
its founder, MIR. Rich, | cannot say; but
Of one thing / can assure you,-the name
was not misapplied. From thence We pass
through rich bottoms aud beautiful groves,
and many farmhouse with an appendage
of many titled acres. Leaving the two
thriving villages of Portland and Calliopc
without any description as they are situa.
ted in Iowa.
Here let me digress fer little and men,
ton one valley whose local cog. is Eden
Bottoms. If ever saw any place that
deserves. apeilatiOn upon earth, this has a
right to the claim, which it received at the
hands of Lieut. A. B. Wheelock, who, by
the way, was born in Vermont aud is
fine specimen man, six .iect-three and Of
a commanding appearance, besides being
perfect gentleman Three years ago this
place was not Inhabited by more than
three or four families; now there is one
on nearly every quarter section. III
that had not been the case | would
not have travelled further.
Fifteen miles father north we come to
the town of Canton, which is the shire of
Lincoln County. 1t is situated on the
west bank of the. river, on a prairie that
las IN elevation Of fIom 90 to 40 feet
sbove the liver. The land is Just descend.
ng enough TO drain of the surface water.
10 the north and west the land lies in gen.
lie swelis until they are lost IN the hori.
on. The streets are regular and the
buildings very substantial ard neat look
ng structures. There are three hotels,
hree stores and saloon or two; there is
lso three lawyers and three NJ. D., but
hat they fud to do cannot imagine, for
i are SO healthy. I
Twenty miles northward we find the 1
oted town Of Sioux Falls which is Justly {
celebrated for two things its beautiful S
emery and remarkable fall the river makes ,
yer broken strata of rock. feel con- t
lent that the rock will be quarried very $
itensively in the future not far distant; u
ut utilizing the water. power for mill pur- o
oses will be attended with expense.
as expecting to see something more, as o
lie the power is represented to have the Il
opacity to run u hundred burrs at once Y
all seasons Of the year. think it will n
'mparc favorably with the fail at Nor. q
sville. This was one of the first towns !,
tiled in the Territory. The first family "
owed here as early as 1858, and at that \
me there was garrison hero which re. h
aimed till the Minnesota massacre, when d
e troops left and the inha oitants were II
mpeled to leave. A few however, re. n
rned to their old homes with military 4
serve. Two years ago last June, the II
nd was put in market, and now there is b.
Vt vacant claim within FIVE miles and
1t few within ten miles of town. The !,
aspects are favorable that the town will
vo one, if not two, railroads running
to it within year. :
More anon, L. A. B. :
ID . /" - ------- {,