The true northerner., 1879-01-31
LAND OF THE DAKOTAS.


lbcccht VoufAbIb, huO cSpociuhy VIC
able special correspondents whom you
sent here some weeks sine ,, have written
so much of this country, which only a
few years since was regarded by large
majority OF the American people as an
uninhabitable waste, that / should de-
spair of adding anything to the mass OF
valuable information already furnished
were it not that it is not only big but
truly wonderful country, and new dis
coveries and developments are con-
stantly being made. He who comes
here tomorrow will find something that
escaped his predecessor of to-day. In
fact, new countries, like new babies, are
always developing something wonderful,
and, rs the last baby to put in an APP
pearance in household is sure to
eclipse its predecessors on account of its
beauty and brightness. so Dakota, the
youngest of Uncle Sans children, is de-
cidedly the most promising of the lot.
Everything here is on scale never be-
fore thought of by the most imaginative
dreamer. The prairies are larger and
richer than any other. A gentleman to
whom / appealed to-day for informa-
ton as to the extent of the valley of
the Red river of the North lying in this
Territory remarked that he was unable
to furnish correct data as TO the area
covered, but he was certain that the
whole of New England would be mere
speck compared to it and that he could
show me single farms here that con-
tanned more acres than the State of
Rhode Island. Iiis,. it must be con-
fessed, was rather en- extravagant esti-
mate, but, as my informant had onlv
been here a few weeks, felt inclined to
be charitable toward him, especially as
he came from Chicago, where the peo-
pie are educated to expect and realize
extravagant results. As regards the
farms, however, it may surprise some of
your Eastern readers when / say
that the Grandine farms, forty miles
below here on Red river, contain $4,000
acres, and the proprietors have an ele-
vator on the river at the farms and one
here; they also have a steamer and a
number of barges for the purpose of
bringing their wheat to the railroad.
Other farms, including those Of Messrs.
Cass, Cheney, and Dalrymple, are also
wonders in point of size. A snug little
plantation of 10000 acres is also being
put into cultivation about ninety miles
west of here on the line of the North
ern Pacific. This small patch is owned
by Messrs Adams and Russell, of New
York, and managed by the latter gen.
tleman, who says he hopes to increase
its size soon, as he is negotiating for a
number of additional tracts, and it is to
be hoped that he will secure them, as it
would be pity to have the gentlemen
hampered for room. o.
The counties are laid out on scale
to correspond with the farms. This
(Cass) county is forty-two miles square,
contains forty-nine townships, and
1,128, 800 acres of land, more than FIVE
sxths of which is unsurpassed for
growing every species of crops adapted
to this climate. The country is
traversed through its whole length by
the Red river, and also contains numer-
Gus small streams that furnish abundant
water for stock purposes. Wells of
fine water are found everywhere by
sinking from twenty to thirty-fiFe feet,
and small lakes of unsurpassed beauty,
whose waters are clear as crystal, dot
the prairies Mt frequent intervals.
These miniature lakes will be of
incalculable value to the settlers, as
they guarantee a never-failing supply
of water, which, owing to its interior
origin, is Of unsurpassed purity. Many
of them also swarm with fish of the
finest description.
Notwithstanding the lateness of the
season, there is perfect rush for lands
from buyers who have been attracted
here. learn from General Manager
Sargent, who, by the way, has brought
the road from obseurity to popular no.
tice, that the Northern Pacific Rail
roads land sales in October were $4,000
acres, and for September $1,000. Thus
far the current month they have been
unusually large. These sales, however,
only include part of the lands taken
up, as there are millions of acres in
that part of Dakota traversed by the
Northern Pacific that are subject to
entry under homestead and timber acts.
These are being rapidly taken up for
settlement by an industrious and intel
igent class of emigrants from the older
States, very large percentage of whom
are experienced farmers, and have the
capital to enable them to render the
farms available. Mechanics are also
focking here in large numbers, and so
far they have found an open field for
their services at remunerative prices. 1
am crediblJ informed that during the
past summer and current fall the de-
mand for both skilled and unskilled
labor has exceeded the supply. This
demand will be largely increased next
spring, as the heavy influx of immigra-
ton will cause unusual activity in build
ing and other improvements. There
will also be increased openings for COM
mercial enterprises.
The wheat lands of this district en-
brace an area of 300 miles north and
south by go east and west, one-half of
which are in Dakota, and the remainder
in the Canadian Province Of Manitoba,
all of which is and will for years find
its most direct outlet to market over the
Northern Pacific railroad. -e
There is a prevalent idea in the States
tias the severity of Dakota's climate
renders it Objectionable. This, 1 am
satisfied, is a mistake. i never saw