The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-10-25
Dakota Territory.
from our Yankton Correspondent

Il states or territories, embracing within i
= limits an area of country nearly twice as lars
rs the united kingdom of Great Britain an
Ireland and having within Its borders
: tract equal to 10000 square miles or 10000
600 acres of land. 1t extends to BIRTHS
America on the moth, TO the Missouri an
Robrava rivers on the south, and from u
Red and Big Sioux rivers on the east to tn
territories of Wyoming and Montana on tn
west. II lies between the 42d and 49ti
degrees of north latitude, and between tn
10Th and eth degrees of longitude west from
Washington. The climate Is mild an'
healthful in general, although at times w
have some severe wind storms especially dur
| ing the months of March and April, but they
are usually of short duration and are no
accompanied by RAIN and snow, as often al
| in northern Illinois and Michigan.
The winters, as tar ms | have learned in my
short sojourn here, are neither as long nor
as severe as in the above mentioned places
The coolest days that were had last winter
the thermometer stood at but 20 degrees below
zero, being some six degrees less or warmer
than at Chicago.
Sleighing is almost unknown, there being
SO little snow here that cattle frequently sub
sist the entire winter on the luXuriant grasses
OF the plains valleys and plateaus. The
summers are much pleasantcr than in the
same latitude further east from the fact that
Tiers is usually q nice breeze springs up in
the forenoon and continues to great extent
.Aruu-ho4. the entire day. The evenings are
COO. and pleasant making il agreeable to
industrious persons as well as to those other
MS. disposed. ui which latter class there are
tu, few however, for which we are truly
thankful. Fruit j. at present somewhat
..-c.. ID. j. presume usually the case in
--a countries, from the fact shat the all
.a,osu.n. topic is for the first few years, to
,ci a house to live in, and barns and sheds
20 Yr.,ec, stock.
I think that fruit can be grown here quite
4: Well Is in southern Wisconsin, and have
10 doubt but there will be an abundance
rawn in a few years and from which a
aaIsome competence will be realized, az
here vii. always be ready sale for fruit of
u kinds, as also for vegetables to the river
.eople, ond especially as long as troops are
,4,oncI at the different forts and military
o,tS.
Wild fruits and berries grow spontaneously
long the different brooks and rivers of the
.rritory. The larger streams water the rich
alley, through which they are skirtcd by /
r-c groves Of bass and cottonwood, as also
y some few ash maple, oak and elm trees
Large numbers Of steam boats annually
,ccnl the Missouri loaded with merchandise
nd machinery for the different posts and
'scryations along the river, as well as for the
lining regions Of the mountains
There have been as many as seven or eight
Gamers lying atthe levce here at Yankton at
nee, many Of which were being loaded pre-
aratory to startingsup the river.
The soil varies from about twelve inches TO
everal iect in depth and is composed Of a
ind Of black sandy loan and is light, loose
nd spongy, and derived from an accumula.
on Of vegetable matter, which renders it
warm aud dry, and enables farm.
; to get their grains and seed sown and
antcd quite early.
Corn yields from 81 to &c bushels per acre. i
is from 80 to 100, wheat from % to 80 and u
'tatocs from l1j to 325. Corn can now be i
Id al 40 cents per bushcl, oats 42 cents. =
lcat - cents, potatoes 50 cents. t
The ordinary pine fencing lumber is worth b
cnty-fve dollars per thousand feet, and u
lcrs in proportion to the kind and quality. +,
The public lands of Dakota are as yet not II
the market, and can only be gotten by pre-. a
ipting or taking homcsteads !.
The requirements OF precmpting are that =
person shall select the unoccupicd quarter fl
tion that he wishes 10 take, build a house, II
east II by 10 feet square, and otherwise 1"
tivatc and improve five acres Of land, live n
it six months and finally pay one dollar OF
twenty-five cents per acre 20 the govern. ~
mt at the /. $. land office and get his a
cnt. The only requirement, for getting a Il,
ncstcad are tina. the person shall select the br
d as above, pay the land office fee of about II
rtecn dollars, and live on the land five u,
rs and improve it. n,
according to the government geological re
ycys there are mines of gold, silver, iron, ~
,Dcr and lead ia he r,upJ in ,}, ,.rr;,,,,.,. | :,