, 1874-12-15
DAKOTA.
Its Present Population n1td
Prospects.
Tho Eooontrioitios Of q Fur Western
"Blizzard."
a Few Words on tho Black Hills--'
Bionnial Meeting Of tho Leg
islaturo.

Correspondence Of The cAitnao 7ribHnt.
yANKroN, Oak. Ter, Dec. 10. 1871.
Three yaarn ago, tho knowledge of thoavcrasa
raadcr Of Chicago dnily In regard to Daknta
was Of very Indefinite ctaractor. lilo bu'ld-
Ing of tho Union Pacific, md of other railroads
]cadiug to tho Wast and South. had turned tho
oyos OF omigrantB nnl capitalists towardB No
braaka, Kansas, md Colorado, mud tint section
OF the West waA wn,t and extensively advortHod
throughout tho East aud tho intorlor. Tho
cons,,s Of 1870 showed 4 wito population in
Dakota Of bnt iittlo over $4,000; aud, as TINT
trnc, thero Was not milo Of railroad within tho
Torritory At tho samo timo Ii waB, aud still is,
THE s1osT EXTENSIVE IN Al.EA
Of any Of tho Territories, being nearly 400 milcB
s1uaro, md containing fully 10000 square
miles. It was also at TINT limo. and Btill Is,
much nearer to Chicago than any OF tho other
Torritorics, and roascssca very many natural nd
vantages which wore for = long limo overlooked.
Tho public lands Of thla Territory hayo ,,oyor
boon exposed to dlraot salo by tho Government,
aud they hnyo only hceu obtainab1o by
actunl settlers undor tho provisions Of
tho Homestead nnd Presumption nets.
Tl,s has bcen an advantage, and
also n disadvantage. It llas lod to G uucl, moro
compact bG[liElHeNt OIL lu4 country @AAA AAlus
which Ia aoen III Iowa md NohrNsaa, uinco largo
tracts could not DO bought up horo by spoculat-
ors to bo held until they should become yalna-
bio; but epco,.lators and corporations, having
no waros to Eet here, l,avo not tasou my panB
to advertise tho country. Still, tho Territory
has gradually boon filling up, and, during tho
past two voars, will, groat rapidity. lilo yoso
cast Mt tho rocent election shows population OF
fully ..--.s.....
EDHTY THnuRASp.
tlroc-fourths Of tllis being in tho southeastern
portion OF tho Torritory, In tho Valley Of tho Mis-
souri, extending westward abont LOO milea, and
northward from GO to 100 miloa, It WIS 1t first
Thought tint tho l,ottoua-lauds alono wcro val
uablc, but e1pcri riouao has demonstrated that Tho
boncii- or tnhle-lhnds arc really oven bcttor than
these, They may DO worked earlior III tho
apring, aud actually endure drought nuoh thu
best, Tho grass Is shorter, but IN yory nutrl-
tious, even after tho frost has Killed It;
while, for wLeat-ra:alns, tlls land is un-
oxcelod. Like nll now countries, tho settlers
hero havo hnd 10 contond nsainst difficulties,
chief among which hRv0 been drought md
grapstoppars. With tho acttlama1t ot tho
country, howorer, thu rainfal! laa atpadlly IN.
creasod cycry year, and hna been since 1870 AMI
p1o; whilo MiNnceotn, 1ora, kcbraahn, mud
katisas, hayo alllio autforod moro from grass
honpors.
Thas 1,as4 A'i far = 2o a i,avo had Two uaf, nero
1ln1rcs Of anow,-scarccly enough to coyor tho
ground, aad disappearing boforo noon There
mud. and tho reads are ab smooth and hard Ms
floor. Tho 1nost unpleasant feature OF tho
country is tho wind. Which h)ows uhont onc-
lsalt the time, nj il docs in oil prairla sections.
Occasionally. in winter, this wind devolopea into
FuLL-a1,uwS nL1zxAEu,"
which las boon accurately tleiil,aA ~ northwest
etorm that "gcts up on 1t5 1liul Iess and
hs ho" to 9hGso % arc tho "n,9 ner to aa sSpe e.r #
spilng, aud frequently, without warning, a.
though tllero waB no storm ut all Inst winter
worthy Of tho mime. When 1t docs come it ia
grind II ii il torsilic aud the reraon WHO has
far failed to experience . honaation falling hut
little abort Of atht Of fingara- Tour inches
OF snow will soryo tho purpoao Oh we'll rs q
dozen, for oyery particle IL kept in perpetual
and velocity, md IL loaded witt, ine snow. keep
ing up . constant roar, dizzy and night,
Tor throo days pcrhapa; mud, during that tinso,
1louBe or ots,or object llalfAquara away causiot
be seen for sing 10 instant Of time. People aro
not noighborly Mt R'1eh times, and tho weekly
prayer-neetine In llublo to ba neglected; bnt
members OF family have all oxcaliont uhance
to get acquainted with each othor. At Tho sanlo
tmo, thcro IL very little actual DISTRESS tir suffer-
ing,-certnin!v fnr leBs than that attending n
shoAo' .rAss'eA', 'N'1 4'sN't ~ ~" N.Y.,
comfortable; aud, It be hos not. ho eau 50 to bed
anu taso good nap. HAoh tha sform lias spent
ita force, it tesnilnntos with tho utmost aor!pt-
ncsa, md, tor tlnyH nlter%ard, tho asy IS bright
nnd clear, WILL scarcely proezo stirring.
BUSINESS.
Tho building @ OF the DAKOTA southern ltatlroad
from Sioux City 10 iauktoil, WHICH WaS eo1n-
pleted two years ngo this wi1lter. brought mitch
OF tho busincsa which l1ad Formerly been AZ tho
former to tho latter place. Especially has this
been truo with reforones to tho transportation
Of army md Indian supplies to tho various
military posts, mud agencies mp tho llissonri
Rlyar. Steamboats, have loaded lcro for tho
past two summers, and business l,as beon quito
aetlvo. During the pnst Hunson, snuse 800 biild-
incs have boon erected in Yangson.-afa fair rro-
potion Of ti1on, boiug brick, aud many very
good and substantial III ovcry way. Many OF tic
oLlor country-town l,ave a1so improved quito
,apiIy. aud tic surrounding, country i,us' ad-
ya,,cod very much. iot tho money-preya-
sro il fe1t lloro ne it =. ID olsc-
yhcro: and, wAiIo all fuel the nccogyity '
lor ccononi2ine, there arc mcuy adyonturcra
md iilo mon. wtiu puzzle tho orojnary jniugt, i.