Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-08-31
THE VALLEY OF THE Jim.


periences He Enc 0untereil.
YANKToN, Aug. 80. 1878.
Editors Press Dc Dnkotaian:
Perhaps your readers would be interested
III few fresh and friendly words on the
beautiful "Jim" river valley. In London
an1 Boston each Englishman and yankee"
thinks his own hearth-stone is the hub of
the universe, and they, that is, the Jim
river people tell me that the soldiers who
came into Dakota under General Sully in
1864, and the missionaries who used to
preach and pray in these regions with the
view of converting the Indians from the
worship Of the one "Grcat Spirit" to the
worship of two or three great spirits, most of
them made up their minds some years ago
that the Dakota river was a sort of tire or
boundary rim Of western fertility and civil
ization. But many soldier and missionary
has missed his aim. And if those true
hearted but misinformed pioneers of the
past could have stood with me last Tuesday
evening on the beautiful and rich bluff
lands back of the substantial stone mansion
OF the elder Bowen, sixty miles north of
Yankton, and could have looked east, west,
north and south, on the stacks of ripened
grain and harvested hay, and on the fields
Of ripening, waving corn, and the numerous
quiet and modest. but comfortable dwellings
that dotted the plain; all touched TO shad.
ows of gold in the light of the setting sun :
or could they have stood on the same spot
with me at sunrise of Wednesday or Thurs.
day morning and have noticed how soft and
humid was the atmosphere, how fresh and
pure the air, and watched the countless dew
drops sparkling through the rich prairie
grass, still fresh and green among abundant
praire flowers in these late August mornings,
they would no longer talk of drought and
sterrillty and barrenness with all these
riches and beauties of nature blazing in
their faces under the light of the morning
sun.
But, peace be to their memories-the
early soldiers and missionaries have now
done with their preaching and shooting, and
in all probability have ceased to bother their
poor heads as to whether the sun rises or the
ram falls on the Jim river or west of it at all.
Snlly has gone and even Custer is gone and
instead Of them Sheridan is here-or at
Chicago-which in these days of steam cars
and palce coaches is pretty much the same.
In place of the missionary we have churches
Of Unity here in Dakota, and, as far as l
can learn, the poor Indian, whose untutored
mind sees God in clouds and hears HIM in
the wind, gets more good beef than old
fashioned ortbo1 OK gospel from his christian
supplanters in these late days. And l Judge
the lddian like most .pagans and christians
that know OF, prefersthe beef to the gos-
pei any and every day. 1t is a weakness
that human flesh is heir to. But l too sm
getting off the "trail'-that is, the Jim river
valley, and wandering heaven only knows
where.
started out to say that what with the
speed and comfort of friend Brinkerhoff's
mail and stage line the journey from Yank-
ton to Rockport and ndsvicinity is by no means
the serious undertaking it used to be, but a
pleasant trip crowded with great variety of
beauty, and hence, according to old philos.
ophy-a joy forever; and having tried it
some weeks ago and extracted good deal
of pleasure and sunlight out of it, with some
information AMI prospect of land claims
ETC., l was quite eager for renewal of the
journey few days ago; not wholly for rec
reation Messrs. Editors-and l was back
just about the time Of your announcement
that had got away--but that was my fault
l suppose for not reporting, as per modern
usage should have done. Well sirs their
is n, midnight haste or discomfort in start
ing on or in making this journey though
remember few weeks ago some Of my
friends-I suppose with summer "blizzards"
and Sully soldiers-notions in their heads,
tried to dissuade me from the under
taking as one that 4 sensitive
man and preacher had better by all means
avoid. You get up at the usual hour, say
80 a. m., take your time to dress comfort
ably-not in hot haste-with suspenders
out Of gear and hat where your shoes ought
to be eat your breakfast slowly; as good di.
Restion and clear head demand, and start,
say at 7:20; the air fresh and inviRoratine.
the driver in good humor, and the horses
feeling their oats and ready to 60. Then off
from Yankton 10 Mosher's. to Rudd's, to
Scotland, where the we'll known, the honor
able, the genial and sociable general-Camp.
bell BY name and nature. furnishes you
good ddinner-vegetables, fresh from his own
garden, game in season; aud bacon ont Of
season, but we'll seasoned. At any rate, and
for one hour all the good cheer and freedom
aud hospitality Of the olden times, and all
for twenty-five cents-no half fare for
preachera. "a there is no neet, with such
reasonable fares.
F'rom Yanktou there ia beautiful and