Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-07-01

since early spring and knowledge OF tnelF
presence in the neighborhood is sufficient
to inspire the isolated frontiersmen with
constant fear lest their horses or their oxen
may be coveted by the outlaws or the safety
of their homes rendered insecure by the
vengeful work of the lawless gang Because
Of this condition of affairs every man In the
outlying settlements is suspicious of his
neighbor and whatever he may say upon
subject is tinctured with the bitterness of
latent belief that the next man to him, If
not horse thief, Is giving to horse thieves
aid and comfort without which they could
not operate. Land hunters from the east
are admonished not to venture too far into
the wilderness. because beyond the border
of settlement law and justice are unknown
and the outlaw is monarch over the region
In which he has fixed his temporary home.
There Is vast amount of romance In all
this, ye: It has its effect upon men unaccus-
toned to the country. Strangers in a strange
land. they feel that danger turks behind
every hillock and is hidden in every patch of
brush before them. Therefore the existing
condition Of affairs hiss Its effect and that
effect is to retard the advancement of civili.
zation in the very direction 1t would natur-
ally take. These horse thieves have their
rendezvous in the Washington Hills, TWEEN.
ty-dve miles west from the river, in Wet
more county. There their stolen stock is
run and hid up in the timbered gulches un.
til it can be safely conducted to place of
sale. In the midst of wilderness, with
retreat secure from invasion, they can con-
duct their lawless avocation without dan
ger of interruption. With the Indian reser.
vation and the military posts on one side
and the farming and stock growing settle
ments on the other, they have two bounti-
full fieldsin which to operate and the pro-
fits are large. From the Indian country
alone they have this season taken not less
than one hundred and fifty head of horses
and ponies, while the settlers along the Jim
have been compelled to contribute more
than they could spare to enrich the Golfers
of this outlaw gang Of the washington
Hills. This is condition of affairs which
should not be permitted to exist. 1t is
hardship to settlers and bar to further set
tlement. That the end of all these oper.
ations is near at hand every settler will de-
voutly pray.
THE wEsslNGToN HILLS.
Much has been said and little or nothing
printed regarding these elevations and con-
more has gone forth in their favor
than can be said with due regard for the
truth. 1t was on hot summers afternoon
that we left the Jim river bottom at Santee's
and struck blind trail leading due west to
the hills, which were visible, twenty-five
miles away, from the summit Of the river
bluff. The intervening country is just as
nature made it-no plow has ever turned
its turf and no settler has erected his sod
domicile in the green and Aowery wilder.
ness of unbroken prairie. A few miles
back from the river succession of small
lake beds is encountered which continue for
several miles in the direction Of the hills.
There was little water in these basins, but
their presence would induce the searcher
after choice lands to hasten onward for
something more desirable out of which to
create home and farm. With the ex-
ception of this strip of basin country the
prairie appeared to be as we'll adapted to
agricultural purposes as is any portion of
Dakota, until the lands adjacent to the hills
were encountered, and there was found un-
mistakable evidences of too much alkali.
This was the plain, five miles in width,
commencing at the north fork of Firesteel
creek and continuing to the base of the
hills, which explorers had told us would
yield SO great an abundance Of hay. That
even explorers will sometimes ':yarn it"
there is the evidence of settled conviction
to attest. The grass is thin and short and
interspersed with bare patches, by far too
numerous, which are decidedly gumbo like
in appearance. The washington Hills con:
sist of low range running northwesterly
from about the center of Wetmore county
and finally losing their identity and hilly
characteristics in the great elevated plateau
known as the coteau du Missouri. The base
of these hills rests upon an elevated plain,
which renders the entire range of sufficient
altitude to be visible thirty or forty miles
away. They form the southern terminus of
the coteau above named-the place where
it comes to 80 sudden halt that portion
of it is piled upon itself, creating abrupt
hills resting upon q plain of considerable
altitude. The hills are covered with thick
growth Of buffalo grass, numerous patches
Of scrubby oak timber are found in the
gulches and interior parks and occasional
springs and streams furnish q good supply
of water. 1t had been related that an abund.
ant growth of timber existed in these hills
and marvellous stories had been told regard.
ing immense springs flowing like rivers
from beneath massive ledges of moss grown
rock. The reality is as we have given it
gulches and parks showing fair growth Of
low timber and dense underbrush and