The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-11-27
Notes of a Trip to skota.

| The growth of this hyperborean Ter
ritory is one of the wonders of the cen
fury, and until the old ideas of its frigid
climate and sterile alkali deserts are
wiped out, and one learns something Of
its vast extent, it's apparently infinite
resources and the marvellous productive
ness OF its soil, its unparalleled rise and
rush forward in population, wealth and
power is simply inexplicable. Six years
ago its vast boundless expanse of noun
tain and valley and plain was almost as
much an unknown land as the jungles
of the Niger or the shores Of the
Victoria Nyanza. Sioux Indians,
buffaloes and cinnamon bears were sole
monarchs of its mighty wildernesses,
and their savage dominion was only dis
puted by a few hardy hunters and a
half dozen struggling settlements under
the guns of frontier forts. Now, from
the Red River of the North to the
grand pampas of the Yellowstone it is
dotted all over with fourishing towns
and magnificent farms. Emigration is
pouring in with ceaseless tide from
every quarter Of the globe. You meet
on the streets Of Dakotan cities men OF
every nationality, and many of them
representing a magnitude OF moneyed
interests that would give them weight
in Wall or Lombard street. Dakotan
mining enterprises are among the most
gigantic on record. and Dakotan grain
and vegetables are becoming a not in
conspicuous feature Of the market re
ports Of the world.
THE FERTILITY OF TIE SOIL
In many portions Of this immense do
main is absolutely beyond conception.
Al Fargo I saw abundance of onions
and Irish potatoes that averaged from a
pound to a pound and Il half q piece in
weight turnips, beets and radishes that
weighed from ten to twelve pounds each,
and O tobacco stalk twelve feet in
height. At H. c. Ful!cr's, about mile
from the town, was shown through
four acres Of cabbages, the heads in
which averaged from twenty to twenty
five pounds in weight, and one head
that Mr.. Fuller presented 10 our party
weighed forty pounds. From thirty to
sixty bushels Of wheat and fifty to sixty
bushels OF oats to the acre is common
Weld, and there has never been a crop
failure since the Territory was settled.
What wonder that, with such soil and
millions Of acres vet TO be had at Gov
eminent rates, Dakota is going ahead
with whoop and rush that IS without
parallel or precedent
Ny trip from Fargo west was through
q land of i.Ye and smoke and biacAnesS,
| know now
WHERE TIE INDIAN SUMNER Smoke CoEES
FR0M.
Millions On millions Of square miles of
rank grass and weeds and woods, abiazs
night and day, from the Rocky Noun
tains TO the great lakes, and from the
Saskatchewan TO the Arkansas, furnish
smoke enough 10 hang a diapery OF blue
ana lavender haze over cur whole cont
u-at for weeks az time, and it would
em that such vast areas OF roaring
furnace Tres would be sufficient To ac-
3oa5 fox tAc warmer temperature that
.uavs accompanies the Autumnal seq
SOFA Il atmospheric Grape and dreamy
-all.0-. No one who has never sc.r
-aess lim.t.ess oceans CT c1ailagr5,,on
can form any conception OF their terrific
grandeur while af,me, o. CT the c,oomy
acsola;ednes. Of the swept region af er
the lurid glow is gone. The Tres this
Fall have been more wide spread and
destructive than ever before in the mem
o,ies OF a score of the oldest inhabitants.
Millions of tons Of hay. miles upon miles
Of railroad track, tres-.es, bridges, fences,
whole forests of pine, and in one instan e
nearly an entire town, have been swept
away by the resistless flood of fiery de
vastation. The day before | left Fargo
a young Swele IN the neghborhood,
though strong and fleet OF foot, was
caught 10y the red hurricane and burned
to death within 100 yards of a large
tract of plowed ground, where, if he had
reached il he would have been safe.
Sometimes, coming westward, our train
on the Northern Pacific Railroad ran for
miles between
TWO BoUSDLEss s-As or BILLowY FLAME;
And while I was in Bismarck, though
the whole surrounding country had been
burnt over, and there was no fire within
fifty miles, the dense, overhanging cano-
80, &c Inv, .aio,oJ Sr,pl-a la dim