New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-30
GOLD IN THE BLACK HILLS.
On THE ROAD.

Jue Dlhck Hills really begins when the traveller
leaves the railroad and starts overland by stage
| coach. He has the choice oftwo routes-one from
| Sidney, on the Union Pacific Railroad about 100
miles east of Cheyenne. and one from Bismarck, on
| the Northern Pacific The old stage-line from
| Cheyenne has been consolidated with that from
Sidney which has also become the principal fitting
out place, on the South for freight and emipant
trains for the Hills. The stages mako the Journey
In from hfty-two to sixty hours, according to the
condition of the roads, and tho bull trains" in
from twelve to fifteen or twenty days. The Sidney
| route is the one by which tho greater
| part OF tho mail and express matter is
| brought into the Hills and all the bullion carried
out. 1t is also tho favoute line for passengers be-
cause 1t avoids the Bad Lands" and Is traversed
by frequent streams of water and belts of grass.
The freight traffic, &C this season of the year. is
probably greater between Fort Pierre. on the Mis-
| souri, River, and Deadwood, than between Sidney,
Cheyenne or Bismarck and the Black Hills, the
length of the wagon haul from the river being about
! one hundred miles shorter than from either Of the
other three points When the river closes up in
| October or November this route has to be practi-
cally abandoned, and the Union Pacific route. which
! is open during the whole year. and makes the same
rates Tor freight as the other routes from all points
| in the East, gets the lions share of the business.
might write letter about each of the three
States Of Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska as seen from
! the window of railway car, for there is much In
the wonderful development Of the great agricultural
States OF the West 10 surprise and interest Eastern
| readers who do not themselves mako an occasional
journey into the Miss ssppi Valley. The statistics
Of the next census will show growth, both in pop
uaton and wealth. of the great central basin of the
continent and especially Of that portion of it west
of the Mississippi that will starte people who have
not been prepared for it either by actual travel
| or by careful study of the local statistics
| from year to year. One important political effect
| will be to place the "Sod South" even when In
| alliance with Tammany, In a hopeless minority.
| All the political advantage gained by the South
through the enfranchisement Of the freedmen will
| be moro than balanced by the increased population
of the West and Northwest, as shown by the next
census. But am not writing political letter, and
have only mentioned thus fact as likely to have
a most important influence on tho political future
of the country and one to which very little atten-
/ tion has been gwen In the East.
The most favorable reports from the crops Of tho
| grain-producng States that have been published
during the past few weeks have been confirmed by
my own observations The only exceptions that
have noticed are the hay crop which was injured
| by dry weather in the Spring and early Summer
! over large breadths of country from NewYork to
| Kansas and Nebraska, and the wheat crop of few
| counties along the Kansas Pacific Railroad which
! was short from the same cause. Everywhere else
| the farms look better than ever saw them look
before The wheat which is now being cut In
! Iowa and Nebraska is thick and eyen bear
| ing woll-iilled heads, and there IS no moro
beautiful sight than the harvest fields of
those States thckly covered with the shocks Of
golden grain. The corn crop Of the West was never
more promising. Everywhere it grows of rich,
dark color and is well advanced. Oats, barley and
other less important crops equally good, and
rode for hundreds Of miles the fertile praiTies
it seemed as though the West would have an album
dance of food for the whole world. Tooke, in his
History of Prioesr showed that the ears of Eng
lands greatest prosperity, before his time,
those in which the food crops most abundant.
If the prosperity of this country depends in very
large degree as ii undoubtedly does on the boun-
tiul yield OF our agricultural lands we have every
reason TO look forward with confidence to the fu-
! ture
! The first to be benefited by the bountiful crops
are the farmers who raise them, and everywhere,
especially in Iowa and Nebraska, TO be seen the
evidences of thrift aud increasing wealth. Farms
on which years ago saw only small rude
! houses or cabins which looked meaner and more
out of place because they stood III the midst OF such
fertile fields, now have comfortable cottages sur
! rounded by many evidences Of luxury and refine
| ment. Many of the farmers In these newer States
| have unquestlonably suffered during the years OF
! depression through which the country has Just
| passed. They We're extravaganza unfortunate or
! unwisely contracted debts on which they
had to pay runous rates OF interest ana ana
! some of them have been obliged TO sell out
at loss and begin anew further out on the frontier
where lands were cheaper hut, on the whole, the
! West has been moro prosperous during the past ten
years than any other part OF the country. II farm
| ors west OF the Mississippi RIVER cannot al0rd 10
live In ~ good houses or to indulge their families III
/ A. many expensive Injuries as those OF New-l ork
| Pam. lyu M OT
! il il not because they not doing well. major
/ ity of them went upon the lands they now occupy
only few years ago almost without capital. and II
| thev are now out of debt the value of their farms,
| stock implements and buildings represents their
! profits over their expenses ana the cost
! of maintaining their families. know OF no
/ other business in which rs large average
returns may be secured from as small inyes Inents
of capital aud skill. The men who settled the iahds
east of the Allegheny Mountains, after fifty years
of toll and priyltion, were poorer than the farmers
| ON the Western prairies who came here only ten
wears ago. The expensive houses and valuable farm
! improvements of the older portions OF the country
are not the creation OF the present generation, put
| fine accumulation OF the labor OF century ana "a
half or two centuries. handed down from lather 10
snn With tine greater resources OF the great Wess
VINO can predict the wealth OF these states aud OF
! their people at the end of the next quarter OF "A
! The farming lands of Nebraska have not been
! settled up as rapidly those along the Kansas IA
| chic Railroad in Kansas but the Iapidiy WI" i.'
which the frontier has been pushed out on tue INC
| of the Union Pacific during the Last thfSe OF Iout
wears still one OF the most surprising evidences oil
! The rapid growth of the West. Lands that few
wears ago we're supposed to be only fit for grazing
! are now producing magnificent crops OF Wheat and
| I'm ami the cattle ranges have been driven
| further West A friend in Kansas tells me that he
| has taken up three separate cattle ranges IN that
| state since he first moved 10 IL twenty
! vSars ago. each time selecting land so
| lar ont on tho frontier that he did not
suppose that it would be needed for farming
ptII,o.rs dining his lifetime. Twice he has been
ph!iged 10 remove and surrender the land TO pre-
emplors aud purchasers aud already the settle
ments are encrJachng upon his present rahche. Inc
rs that of Kansas for q few years TO come, but Its
! I-..-l--..-....t -. unre the Los MnndeIinl