The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-04-03
LAND OF THE DAK0TAS.
The Future wheat-FIelds of America.


LAND OF THE DAKOTAS.
The Future wheat-Ffelds of America.
Fargo Dakota Letter to Chicago Tribune.l
Recent tourists, and especially the
able special correspondents whom you
sent here some weeks since, have written
SO much of this country, which only
few years since was regarded by large
majority of the American people as an
uninhabitable waste, that I 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, as the last baby to put in an ap-
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-
tion as to the extent CT 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 VIC, I'D be mere
speck compared to it and hat he could
show me single farms her that con-
tanned more acres than the State of
Rhode Island. This, it must be con-
fessed, was rather an extravagant esti-
mate, but, as my informant had only
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 I say
that the Grandine farms, forty miles
below here on Red river, contain sc, 1000
acres, and the propr1etors 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 q
number of additional tracts; and it is to
be hoped that he will secure them, as il
would be pity to have the gentlemen
hampered Tor room.
The counties are laid out on O scale
to correspond with the farms. This
(Cass) county is forty-two miles square,
contains forty-nine townships, and
1,128,96 acres of land, more than five.
sixths of which is unsurpassed fol
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 ot
fine water are found everywhere by
sinking from twenty to thirty-fve feet
and small lakes of unsurpassed beauty
whose waters are clear as crystal, dol
the prairies at frequent intervals
These miniature lakes will be O.
incalculable value to the settlers, as
they guarantee never-failing supply
of water, which, owing to its interior
origin, is of unsurpassed purity. Man.
of them also swarm with fish of tht
finest description.
Notwithstanding the lateness of thu
season, there is perfect rush for land
from buyers who have been attracted
here. I learn from General Manage
Sargent. who, by the way, has brough
the road from obscurity to popular no
tice, that the Northern Pacific Rail
roads land sales in October were $500,
acres, and for September 1000. Thu
far the current month they have beel
unusually large. These sales, however
only include part of the lands takel
up, as there are millions OF acres il
that part of Dakota traversed by TIL
Northern Pacific that are subject t,
entry under homestead and timber acts
These are being rapidly taken up fo
settlement by an industrious and intel
igent class of emigrants from the olde
States, very large percentage of whom
are experienced farmers, and have th
capital to enable them to render th
farms available. Mechanics are ais
hocking here in large numbers, and s
far they have found an open field fo
their services at remunerative prices.
am credibly informed that during th
past summer and current fall the dc
mand for both skilled and unskille
labor has exceeded the supply. Thi
demand will be largely increased mex
spring, as the heavy influx CT immigrs
tion will cause unusual activity in builc
ing and other improvements. Ther
will also be increased openings for con
mercial enterprises.
The wheat lands of this district en-
Drace an area OF 3UO miles north an
south by 270 east and west, one-half {
which are in Dakota, and the remainde
in the Canadian Province of Manitob
all of which is and will for years fin
its most direct outlet to market over til
Northern Pacific railroad.
There is prevalentidea in the State
that the severity of Dakota's climai
renders it Objectionable. This, I al
satisfied, is a mistake. I never sa
more delightful weather than the pre-
ent winter, and the oldest settlers here sa
they suffer far less from cold here tina
in New England and some of IL
Central States, where the temperatur
although much higher, is changeabl
and air more penetrating, while here
is dry, pure, and highly beneficial
persons suffering from lung diseases.
, A VACUUM automatic brake lately tes
! ed in England will stop in 800 yards
train running at sixty mikes an hour.
fHE scarcity of stovepipe Jokes tn