Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-11-27
The Northern Pacific.
Correspondence Kansas City Times. 4


Correspondence Kansas City Times.
LITTLE FALLS. MINN.,s Nov. l.-Thinkin
that perhaps line from this tar away land b
a former Missourian, would prove acceptabl
to some of the many readers of the popula
Times, I have concluded to give you a fe,
items on trip over the Northern Pacific Rail
road through Minnesota and Takota. Leav
ing Braincrd, the sea of the Companv's ma
chine shops and round houses, and contain
ing some twelve hundred souls, we face to th
west and find ourself borne through pine for
ests and across meadows until we reach AL
drich, in Wadena county, and here the seen
changes, q beautiful country, consisting Q
rolling prairie, studded with beautiful lake
and belted with hard wood timber, lies befor
US. Passing further west we enter the parl
region in Otter Tail, and Becker counties
this is without exception the finest country il
Minnesota and withal the most beautiful an,
attractive. The prairie is high and rolling
and crystal streams wind away in every dir Q
ton, connecting chains Of lakes which ar
peopled with choice fish of the pickere, bas
and pike varieties. Groves Of hardwood tim
ber dot the landscape, and their frequency
and beauty has conferred upon this country
the name "Park Region" and, being con
tanned in the wheat belt Of the Northwest, il
affords to the immigrant splendid advantages
ior settlement, and, judging from the improve
ments seen around US, the country is being
rapidly settled by an intelligent and we'll to
do class of people from, the New England
States. Detroit, in Becker comfy, is roman
tically situated on the lake of the same name
and is very popular summer resort. Sweep.
ing westward we enter the famous Red Rive,
valley, without exception the richest agricul.
tural region in the world, the farmers para
disc, where from forty to sixty bushels OF
plain fifty miles wide and d'one hundred long
depth and producing almost spontaneously
every variety of vegetable. The queen city Of
this valley is Fargo. only three years old, and
now boasting population of 200. Fargo
is situated in Dakota on the west bank of the
Red river, which flows north into Lake Win
nipeg. Opposite to Fargo in MINES ota is
Moorhead, q live, busy little town, but over
shadowed by its rival just across the narrow
stream that cools their jealous rivalries. Fort
unes have been made here within the past
two years Homesteads have been entered
and sold within few months for hundreds of
dollars. Preferred stock Of the company has
been bought and located here, and fortunes
realized in this way, (for it is fact, not gen.
orally known, that the company will exchange
their lands for preferred stock at its par
value.) Timber is abundant along the
river for all ordinary Purposes. And the
stream is navigable for large steamers, which
run from this point, Fargo, t" Lake Winnipeg,
the river flowing north. Leaving Fargo, in
Dakota, we enter upon an immense prairie,
stretching away to the setting sun. Objects
are distinctly visible for miles and miles away
Here are located the largest wheat farms in the
world. little villages in themselves and en-
ploying hundreds of hands to cultivate them,
and when marshalled in farm array pre- ent a
spectacle Of agricultural grandeur, and evince
the wonderful progress, growth and product
veness of Dakota. In this Territory plowing
is done when the ground is frozen, and easily
Zone too, for the frost Prlverizes and loosens
The soil. Far away to the north and south the
earth and sky seem to meet, vast ocean OF
waving grass between-nor for fifty miles
1oes the scene change, and not until we reach
he valley of the Cheyenne river and approach
he village of Valley City, cradled in the very
ap of Romance. surrounded by lofty bluffs
covered with timber. The blue waves of the
liver winding below, and the exceeding rich
hess of the soil, render Valley City one of the
most enchanting spots on terra irma, and we
ire 10th to leave it, but must away and visit
JAMESTOWN, on the James, or Dakota River,
another beautiful town site, and containing
lbout four hundred enterprising and wide-
wake citizens. jamestown has fine pros
oects, surrounded by a fine country, and with
excellent trading facilities, must build up and
become large town Of several thousand peo-
pie. There is superior Gov ernment land in
his valley and the railroad offers rare induce
nents to actual settlers. There is plenty of
timber along the river for all necessary pur-
poses. The DEVILS Lake military post re-
,e'ves supplies here. From jamestown we
lgain ascend until we reach broad prairie,
which rolls away to the Missouri River. This
'oil is fertile and productive, as Mr.. Clark
las shown, by raising seventy five bushels of
BATS to the acre and selling his crop to the
United States government for $4,000 in cash.
To the cak ltalist who farms on a large scale
lere is a splendid opening for investment of
'api:al. With anticipations high iii view the
rontier city, Bismarck, wo strain our vision
o catch the gleam of her church spires and
'ehold them not. But in the dim distance we
discern the flag of of our country floating
rom the battlements of Fort Abraham Lin
'oln, the guardian of Bismarck. Here is Bis
narck about which more has been written
han any other town on the continent. Bis
narck contains about two thousand iuhabi-
ants and does enough business for ten thous
md. All here is hustle and confusion.
Teams are loading for the Black Hills, and
ong lines of prairie schooners are being mar
haled into line to carry the immense quanti-
les of accumulated freight from this termi-
,ous to its destination. Here we find several
hipment to the East over the Northern Pacific.
nd on1op1iH cnooinoono of fho
hey are too, Bismarck will afford as much
Material for the novel writer as any town in
America. Here Dickens might always find
) subject to portray character. Bismarck is
lestined to become an important point CON-
nercially. country of great resources and
immense in extent is tributary to this point
md must eventually make this a Wholesale
entre for this region. The city is we'll laid
'ut, about one mile from river, and contains
ome very imposing buildings, commodious
lotels and some churches. The inhabitants
IRE of the Argus-eyed family, and possess the
sharpness of frontiersmen, yet
hospitable and kind. The railroad
8 being rapidly extended from this point
toward the Yellowstone. which is
represented to be the finest stock feeding coun-
ry west of the Missouri. Here the Buffalo
'ssemble in winter and feed upon the nutri-
ious grasses growing in the val 'ey of this
tream. The road is being extended under the
upurvision of Gen. Rosser. chief engineer
Who is, by the way, an ex- Confederate general
rom the old Dominion, nor is he the only
J. >utherner we find here breathing the glorious
atmosphere of this latitude. and "frsighted
With health, strength and vigor. The wop-
lelful progress made by this company under
he management of Superintendent Sargent
md the other officers and directors, is marvel
'us, without government aid, and relying
olely upon their own magnificent resources,
packed by the finest wheat region in the
world, they have demonstrated that in climate
md agricultural resources, Northern Minneso-
a and Dakota are without rival. And in
he next four years, when the locomotive on
his line sweeps down the Pacific slope, the
Northern Pacific will prove the great national
inc that is to cheaper freights between the
Atlantic and Pacific via the lakes