Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-05-27

spanning the Fertile RegiOn---T0lcnS and
Cities Gro,cinO Up and Farns Multiply
in0---RO0ne for Hundred Milton Peo-
Ple--The Nert Century wa See Then,
Settled
Correspondence of the Globe.1
Sioux FALLS, Minnehaha County, Dakota,
May goth, 1878.-Here we are more than
ever at sea on the prairie, mile upon mile
apparently unlimited all around is spread
out this vast sea of billowy green. Away
south to Nebraska and still southwest to
the Missouri river and on to Wyoming and
the Rocky mountains, north to the British
Possessions, and east to the Mississippi
river, this marvellous region extends like an
emerald sea. Dotting it as 80 many islands
are towns springing up, farms rounding into
shape, and human habitations forming the
nucleus of growth and development that
will date new era in the history of the re-
public. Railroads are reaching out for the
commerce that is to come, and telegraph
lines are spanning the almost limitless space.
Within the coming century a hundred mil
lion people will dwell on these vast and fer
tile prairies, and the arts of peace will abide
with them, and opulence and power will
cluster dIOuiu tuell, because tuo e1eIeulS
are here to make such a people, and men
have become restless the world over, the
moving spirit possesses them, and this is the
most inviting field on the earth to-day, and
will be for hundred years.
Sioux Falls numbers, it is said, good
round thousand population, in addition to
come and go like the tide. The town is inst
in advance of the railroad, but the
whistle of the iron horse is heard
only fifteen miles distant. OF course real
estate flies like whirlwind and corner lots
are up in the thousands. The most encourage
ing feature of the good work going forward
is in the fact that large majority of those
who come here push right back into the
country and secure farm, turn over the
sod and lay the foundation for permanent
home. From two hundred and fifty to three
hundred claims have been taken this season
in the county west of here-McCoo
mostly by bona ide settlers. Very little de-
sirable vacant lands remain IN this county,
so they move on almost due west out into
McCook county, between the two vermil-
ions, and still on the James river, Hanson,
Davidson and Bramble counties. Rain or
shine, at all hours immigrant wagons are
stringing across the country with their stocks
of provisions, breaking teams and
plows, ready to commence operations
when they shall have made their selections.
Sioux Falls is pre- eminently the bright, par
ticular star over in this direction at the
present time and it's water power together
with its agricultural surroundings, will, with
out doubt, give it permanent, steady and
substantial growth that will eventually place
it among the prosperous cities of the new
Northwest. Outsiders coming in. think
these people have their expectations too
high, with real estate at corresponding ele-
walton, but they fail to see it in that light
Human affairs, like water, will, in time, find
their level, and SO here, if things are little
inflated just now. it is not unreasonable
This is the effervescing season of the coun-
try's high hopes, with brighter skies beyond
Eighteen months from now will sober the
people, and they will gather wisdom along
the way. They certainly have an excellent
water-power and magnificent country
and something must come Of it. To-day il
is fast place, and will be all this summer,
but after this year the growth will be more
steady and substantial, and business will
settle into more wholesome channels. Money
is plenty, and all branches of business are
gathering in the harvest while the sun shines
Real estate men lay back on their oars and
watch the corners; merchants outfit the ten
der feet and send them on their way rejoic-
ing; hotels gather them in, pile them up in
tiersand sleep them eleven deep; livery horses
es have no souls and can't talk back, so they
are shown no mercy; saloons are in full blast
and are not languishing for want
of supports building improvements are
going on quite briskly and gooc
mechanics command employment al
reasonable wages, and SO Oh through the en-
tire catalogue. There are already two good
| weekly papers published in the place, but il
would not be advisable to start another one
this year. The Episcopalians and Metho
dists have each church buildings, and the
Congregationalists and Baptists bold services
in the public halls, of which there are two
very good ones. At the foot of the rapids 6
two-run mill is in operation, and opposite
town, on the other side of the river, mil
with four run of stone will be ready for the
coming harvest. Seven or eight hotels &C
commodate the travelling public, of which
the Cataract is the leading one. Tc
keep pace with the demand, Mr.. w
H. Corson, proprietor of this house
will soon have completed an addition, large
fine structure, 44x8O feet, three stories II
height above the basement, which will in
crease the sleeping capacity to fifty rooms
! and add to the other apartments in about
the same ratio. The building is of wooc
and is to be veneered with brick, finished
and furnished tastefully, and in all it's de-
tails it will be frst-class hotel The grand
opening will take place about the time the
cars run in, sometime in July.
The Big Sioux river that waters this part
nf tho ,4rTo %ho
here, is beautiful stream flowing through a
valley as rich in natural elements as the
famed valley of the Nile. In places groves
of timber abound on the islands and on eithe,
shore, but that interest should not be counted
on for practical purposes, because, put it al
together it would not afford fence rail
apiece to the thousands who will eventually
settle along the rRer borders. Until tim
Der is cultivated that article must be i'm
ported, but for ordinary fuel the coarse
slough hay twisted into wisps about the size
of ordinary billets of stove wood, answers
very we'll, and in cook or heating stove it
serves the purpose Of more solid material
admirably. The hay is cheaper on the prai-
RE than wood in a timber country. Keep
away the prairie fires and it takes but few
years to raise fuel out Of the hardy, rapid
growing cottonwood, soft maple, willow. or
box alder, and with proper care in i've years
a grove of three or four acres will afford
ample fuel for a large family. The Sioux
Falls water power is calculated at 9.l2O
inches in volume, with a fall of 10 feet
in little more than half a mile. At what
stage of the, rivers flow that measurement
was taken the writer was unable to state.
The rapids and cascades, the large falls and
the smaller falls, Maiden's Whirlpool, Lone
Rock, Grand View, Fishers Glen, the rocks
and the caves, the dancing waters, the ten
acre island, with its charming grove, consti-