The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-12-04

Landscape became more dreary and barren;
the lakes more alkaline and in many places
the alkali, oozing from the ground, looked
like great patches Of snow.
Near the little settlement OF jamestown,
(known on the frontier as "Jimtown, saw
the first genuine savage Indian ever beheld
He was remarkably tall. dignitied, and dirty
He wore a blanket, had feathers In his hair,
and was the nearest approach tn genuine
"cigarsto Indian" | have yet seen. There
were several other most misunderstanding
"bucks," and several miserable, degraded
slatternly squaws gazing at tie train with
evident curiosity. This was Mr.. 80" the
moor Indian. "the noble red man. Hence.
forth Cooper's novels will be hollow mock.
ery TO me; and | will never be able to appre.
ciate even such alarming tales as Big Foot
Jake" or Pug Nose Dan" published by the
enterprising Mr.. Beade, ard sold Tor the
small sum of ten cents.
We reached Bismarck about ) =. NJ on the
first inst. How proud the Prussan states
man would feel If he should see his name
sake, The tawn consists, principally, of one
street about twice as long as Court street, in
Ottawa The "s,ores" are of "a rather mono.
tpnous character, one sells liquor; another
deals in ardents spirits; a third dispenses
"tancle-foot' and "Jersey.lightning;' and so
on 0d fnten. The town has improved
wonderfully, however in the last two years
there was only one man shot during my stay
of four days IN the young city. The inhabit.
ants were eagerly awaiting the hanging of a
"nigger," but stern, memorable duty called
me away too soon, and | was unable TO be
present at that amusing entertainment
Near Bismarck, on the bleak prairie, is
diminutlve "poter's field in which are bu-
rieu those unfortunate individuals who 'die
I n
few graves and was Informed how their &C
cupants had died, | thought had AT last
come across that healthy town where they
had to kill people to start graveyard; but
| was informed that the respectable" GENE.
tery was in another part of the town.
The suspension of work on the Northern
Pacific naturally had a depressing effect 90
the business of Dakota, and the people Of
Bismarck are, consequently, in rather poor
circumstance, financially, at present Be
sides there is no country support Tor the
town as the land In the vicinity Of the village
ls, for agricultural purposes, scarcely worth an
equal space of ground in the internal regions.
To be sure, turnips and potatoes seem to
grow well enough, but the corn is decidedly
scrubby in appearance, and the soil requires
so much manuring and irrigation as to fright
en- away any ambitious farmer. The soil is
fertile enough in some spots, but other por-
tons are so thoroughly impregnated with al
kali as to be absolutely barren. With the ex
ception of small grove near the river banks,
there are no trees anywhere near Bismarck
and none are being planted, as they could
not thrive without ruinously expensive irrl
CATION.
While awaiting the arrival OF the boat,
passed a day very pleasantly at Fort Abe
Lincoln, opposite Bismarck. | obtained my
first view OF the Missouri as we crossed 1t al
ter dark We were too late for the ferry, and
were obliged, in consequence, to cross ~ Il
small skiff. The night was one of Egyptian
darkness, and the silence was broken only by
the splash OF the oars and pulling OF the sa-
ble.hued darkcv, WHO found il rather trying
work to row against the strong current. The
boat finally touched lie opposite shore; We
leaped out into thick stratum OF soft mud,
and after climbing an eminence sleeper and
more difficulty OF ascent than lions Hlll,
arrived at the tort.
Fort Lincoln Is garrisoned by six compa'
MES of the It'll Cavalry, and two companies
OF infantry-one from the 9th, the other from
the 18th Infantry. 1t is large, pleasant
post, and has the great advantage of receiving
a tri weekly mail, which is vastly better than
having letters arrive only three times cen
fury, as they do at some posts. There were
'rumors of wars" at the fort and at Bismarck.
A man had been killed by Indians near the
latter place; there were startling stories OF
imminent danger at the Indian council;
every one was talking of Indians, and all
was excitement. However, nobody at Bis
marck had been scalped when | left that
place.
The good boat Far West" arrived at last,
and we were soon on our way up the Missou-
ri. This river IS famed fOI swift and treach-
erous currents; for ever-changng sand-bars,
which make navigation very difficult; ana
for being the diriest stream known to man
kind 'ihe dark, muddy water OF tins river
is used for drinking on all the Missouri
steamers. AS soon as one RECEIVERS from the
idea that this water has been used for wash,
ing purposes by all hands on the steamer,
and becomes convinced that its impurities
arise from good, honest mud, he finds it good,
cool water.
The waves caused by the boats frequently
tear away huge masses of earth from the
banks, only to deposit them in some other
place in the form of q bar. The channel,
in fact, Is so changeable as to make sound
ings necessary on every trip. 1t Is interest
ing to watch the operation OF taking sound.
ings; and amusing to hear The strange calls
of the man taking them. How weird and
mysterious he loves to make his callsl How
he delights in singing them out in such a
way as TO mystify the passengers, for whom
he feels such supreme contempt! "Six
Ee.e.ctp "Seven and a h-a-a,a.lf," etc, are
repeated after him by another mclodlous
wretch who appears on the upper deck, who
screams mo boltim" after the first yells "no
bottom" Finally the boat strikes on sanu.
bar, and then a queer kind of apparatus, con
sisting of huge levers worked by IN engine,
and known by the unpoetiCal name of "a mig.
ger" is brought into play TO pry the boat off
again. When we struck our first bar, and |
heard the deck hands curslng about "tnat
- - Niger imagined that some IN
fortunate African had been the cause OF run.
ming the boat on the bar; and eagerly rush
ed forward to see the poor darkey catch his
Just dues from the captain, who was not adj
dicted to awarding his punishments III home
Iopathjc doses; but, alas! he only referred to
, an unpunishable machine, and there was no
Excitement after all