The Western advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1872-1874, 1874-08-15

the Rock river valley above and below
Luverne, just before night fall and had
the finest view on the trip with the ex-
ception Of the view ut the Big Sioux
The Luverne people had gotten up one
of their finest sunsets for the occasion,
and as we descended into the valley the
sky seemed to be vieing with the earth
in an elaborate effort to draw out all
the admiration i'll our party.
At Luverne we met 4 number of ac-
quaintances and learned that the wheat
crop is fair, better, in fact, than expec-
ted. Farmers were busy threshing and
the average yield, it was thought,
would be fifteen bushels. The grass
hopper did not injure Rock county Sc
riously, and we are Informed that prob
ably no one would be compelled to ask
for relief. We judge that Rock county
is all that has been claimed for it as Il
wheat county. We saw no lakes nor
sloughs there, and consequently less
grass land than in this county. but
everywhere we saw magnificent reach
es Of wheat land. While at Luyerne
we called on MI. Jenkins, of the Her.
aid, Mr.. IIadley, Judge Crosby and
; others, and we regret that we had not
time to accept the Judges invitation to
take 4 ride out to the "Rock.'' We
hope before long to make another visit
and take in this elevation, which, if
we are correctly informed, is an out
crop of the Old Red Sandstone, which
rises toa considerable height above the
river, and forms rocky wall along the
bluff for some distance. The rocks
are visible from the road five or six
miles this side of Luverne. We found
a good hotel and several good business
houses i'll Luverne, and the promise of
thriving county-seat.
Beyond Luverne there are many
beautiful farms and we saw 4 great
deal of wheat in the shock. In some
places we noticed that all the heads
had been eaten off on some Of the
shocks, and on inquiry learned that the
gophers had eaten the wheat after it
had been shocked.
Soon after entering Dakota We reach
ed VALLEY Springs. Here we were we'll
received by Mr.. Wood, the originator
of the Valley Spring Settlement, and
thoroughly intelligent and wi@le-awake
gentleman who gave up the manage
ment of New York railroad for the
peaceful pursuit Of agriculture under
the invigorating skies of Dakota. The
place takes it's name from several
springs of clear cold water which flow
from the bank of Beaver Greek. The
valley here is beautiful and from the
height on which Mr.. Wood lives some
forty farms can be counted. On our
return we stopped over night with Mr..
Stone, also New Yorker, at Valley
Springs, and had a capital breakfast of
prairie chickens which our party had
shot the day before. OF course it is
unnecessary to explain to any one ac-
quaihted with the persons comprising
the party that these chickens We're
killed III Dakota, where the law don't
apply. Nobody would suspect any one
OF our party Of shooting a prairie
chicken, contrary to the law notwith-
standing, except in self-defense.
The view from the hill this side of
Sioux River and the one from the 9TH
Ell side just after reaching the top Of
the bluff, are the finest views we have
seen in the Northwest. AS we nelred
Sioux Falls we saw a number of farms
which already seemed to haye had years
of cultivation.
Sioux Falls has iine location on the
Sioux River and is one of the brightest
and sprightliest towns on the frontier.
Some Of the store-rooms are large and
fitted up i'll city style and the hotel is a
very neat and well-kcpt house. Of
course we could not avoid comparison,
and we estimated that the buildings in
Sioux Falls, if sold at public auction,
would sell for about one-lAalf as much
as the buildings in Worthington. We
saw no fences nor trees planted on the
streets, nor improvements of that kind.
We visited the falls which are certain
]y worth visiting as 4 great natural
wonder. The Falls are formed by an
upheaval or out-crop of the same Old
Red Sandstone, and the rocks are in
sections, as though dressed and built
mp by hand. There are three or four
falls, the whole distance being, we be-
lieve, about 10 feet. At this season
of the year, there is very little water
but in the Spring the volume must be
considerable. We have no doubt that
in time these falls will he utilized and
will furnish considerable power for
manufacturing, but it will require a
large outlay Of money to make them
available. We called at the Panta-
graph office, OH our way to the Falls,
and found Ed Dillabough, formerly Of
the ADVANCE, in charge. We regret
that we had not time to call and see
the Independent, and we promise to do
better next time.
We returned more than ever impress
with the beauty ana fertility Of the
magnificent country tributary to Wor-
Ellington. With good pike from here
! to Sioux Falls WOrthinptOn in q few