Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-12-15

horses 10 made. At the night stations large
and comfortable buildings are placed where
one can enjoy satisfying rest after the ia
tiguing days journey. A special and sur
prising feature of these wilderness hotels is
the excellence of the fare provided. The
tables were invariably laden with an abund- |
ance and variety which would do credit |
to the establishments of eastern public feed
ers. Riding over the prairie when the air
is keen and frosty. and an incipient blizzard |
Is seeking access through every button hole |
and around the overlapping edges Of everv
curtain of the stage cover, induces sppetites
of ravenous dimensions, but we found no.
where upon the route hotel meal thst was
not fully equal to the demands made upon
II. Even the hungry man Of the party,
our rapidly convalescing invalid, who
was in a suitable stomachic
condition to gorm.ndize stage load of
passengers, if nothing else came IN his
way, was perfectly satisfied, and was loud
in his praises of the liberality of the man
or men who took such excellent care Of the
appetites of travellers along this road. 1t is
the stage company which provides these
things. The eating and sleeping ranches
are conducted under its direction, and by
it's employees. l do not think the company
has gone into the hotel business for the pur-
pose of securing profit therefrom, as only
seventy five cents is charged for meal, and
supper, breakfast and a nights lodging can
be had for dollar and half Stage trav.
elers can readily dispose of dellars' worth
of food at a sitting, and sleep two or three
dollars worth in short night. Therefore,
figure it, the stage company is not keep.
ing hotel for the sake of pecunisry returns,
but for the accommodation of its customers.
Tbree-,eat, or nine passenger, canvas
covered hacks comprise the rolling stock Of
the line. and each stage is drawn by four
horses. The coaches are new, we'll made
and comfortable to ride in, and the horses
are strong, fleet of foot, and in excellent
condition. I have travelled some IN the
west, and never knew OF better equipped
stage line than this. A man who rode be.
side me on the trip out, who has travelled
extensively in Nevada and California, took
occasion to remark that the Bismarck line
was ahead of anything in those states,
which is pretty fair solt of praise. am
telling these things. not because Mr.. Seims
was kind enough to deadhead me over the
route. but because they are solidly true,
every one of them, and love the truth
The popularity of the line in its recommend
alton. 1t runs full coaches each way, and
has the bulk of the exDress business.
Our trip la.ted three days, ending Tues
day night, at the Sheridan house.
Bismarck, rather late, from the
fact that when We reached the Missouri at
Fl. Lincoln We found the river filled with
heavy float ice and were delayed several
hours waiting for the ferry boat to force its
way through the congealing mass. The
river closed for the winter just after We
crossed. I have noted down an instance
Of the extreme healthfulness of
the climate along this route,
which l consider convincing proof.
There was with us Deadwood merchant
Howe, was his name. He had just recover
ed from serious attack Of mountain fever
which had afforded him several glimpses
through deaths door. When We started
from Deadwood he was pale and emaciated,
hollow eyed and sunksn checked and when
we reached Bismarck his countenance had
broadened out several degrees and the rich
hue Of health was visible upon his cheeks.
The improvement was marvellous, but wheth-
er to attribute it to the climate, the ranch
fare, or both, is the problem. The man
who sat opposite him said that by watching
Mr.. Howe few minutes consecutively he
could notice him increase in flesh, but that
man had been leading wild life in the
mountains for several years and may not
have meant all he said. Still it was re-
markable case, and one worthy of comment.
Bismarck 1 had visited two years and q
half before, but it was not recognizable with
all the Improvements to which it has been sub
jected in that time. It's advancement is one
of those wonders for which the far VESTS oc.
casionably remarkable. 1t has been the
scene of an enormous transportation busi-
ness during the past year and it shows the
effect Of prosperity in every branch of its
business. The Sheridan house is the pride
Of Bismarck, and we'll it may be, a. it is
by far the largest and mostluxuriously furn-
ished hotel in Dakota. The large increase
of river and railroad business and the Black
Hills travel induced the erection Of this
house and it is doing good business. [
found Col. Lounsberry, Of the Tribune.
comfortably fixed in = new building with
his printing Office, post Office and residence
all under one roof From the surround
ings l infer thst be 10 proeperiug and he Dc
serves il for the lively int.rest be hss t.kes
10 the development Of this region. Allslosl
the Dakota division Of the Northern Psc16e