Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-01-17
Especial Correspondence Daily Globe.

Special Correspondence Daily Globe.
FARGO, Jan. II, 1880.-Fargo claims the
proud appeliation of the "Queen City of the
Far West" and to all appearances is justly
entitled to 1t. Her growth has certainly
been phenomenal in many respects and far
exceeds the expectations of the most san
guine of the pioneers of ten years ago. As
if touched by the magic wand of Hermes, a
city of $500 people has within eight years
sprung up, which has already dotted its
mushroom semblance and presents in its
tout ensemble the unmistakable
evidences of solid and substantial prosperity {.
Commodious brick blocks, large and we'll
filed stores, capacious hotels and other in
sigma of thriving, prosperous communities
are visible throughout the city. Long lines
of freight cars, loading and unloading, block
the track and trains are almost constantly
arriving and departing. All this scene of
hustle and activity is in remarkable contrast
with the primeval quietude which reigned
over this spot but few short years ago, and
almost compels credence in the existence of
that isothermal line and
''BANANA BELT'
in the land of the Ojibwsys and the Dako-
tas, which Sam Wilkinson held up to the
gaze of prosaic Congressman in the avs i'm
mediately succeeding the ''late unpleasant
ness"
Instead Of being mere "hole in the
ground wherein capital was engulfed," as
the Chicago papers were fond of contemptu-
ously designating it, the Northern Pacific
railroad has developed into powerful and
lucrative corporation, and in its progress
from its then crippled and powerless condi-
ton to its present prosperity, has opened
up vast region of unsurpassed fertility,
which but for this road would doubtless
have remained unplowed save by the hoofs
of countless herds of buffalo. A days in
spection of the operations of the road at
Fargo sufices to show the magnitude and
importance of the traffic as we'll as the
fertility of the region it has developed.
Much larger and more pretentious places
would be proud to possess one-half of the
traffic done here, and when the brief
period in which all this has been accom-
plished is considered, the wonder
increases and the mind is lead naturally
to inquire by what agency this metamorpho-
sis has been brought about. The answer is
brief and simple. The magic wand with
which the desert has been made to "bloom
and blossom as the rose'' is ''wHEAT." Here
upon the heretofore bleak and arid plains
of Dakota, this all-important cereal seems
to have found its fittest abidine place, and
here it is that it responds most plenteously to
the manipulations of the husbandman.
Hero 1t is indeed a staple, and reproduoes
itself in its very best form and condition.
As such it is of itself, mine richer than
Golconda's and far more lasting. The num-
Der of bushels marketed here and yet to be
the produce of last seasons almost fab
ulous, considering the newness and
still undeveloped condition of a large
portion of the surrounding region.
No attempt will here be made to give even
approximate figures of the grain production
of this portion of the Red River valley. But
its immensely is apparent on every hand and
will be readily acknowledged when it is con-
sidered that it is the parent source and NOV
ing spring of the present prosperous condi-
ton of Fargo. Hundreds Of thousands of
bushels have already found their way to the
markets of the world, and many more re-
main to be shipped when the prevailing
pressure upon the capacities for transporta-
ton of the road shall have been somewhat
abated. Another season will find the ratio
of production increased in still greater de-
gree over that of the last as compared with
1878, and still the region will not then have
reached its maximum. And SO it will 60 on
for years to come.
DAKOTA CARPET BAaaERs.
In my former letter I promised to give
the GLOBE readers an inkling of Dakota
politics, and of some of the leading political
aspirants for the main territorial loaves and
fishes. AS then promised, the subject is n OF
palatable one, and the briefest survey re-
veals decidedly interesting but disgusting
scramble for the fat places from aspirants in
all sections of the Territory. Carpet bagism
is not term peculiar and indigenous to
Southern soil. The term is used here
as freely and with as much gusto as IN
Louisiana or Mississippi, and is applied
to federal officials who have entered the ter
ritory with commissions in their pockets as
we'll as to new corners in quest of Office.
These are denounced by the older residenters
in unsparing terms and with such heartfelt
earnestness as to induce the listener thereto
to imagine that he has been suddenly trans
planted to one of the States above mention
ed. The older residents are disposed to
"bear, like the Turk, no brother near the
THRONE" and look with undisguised contempt
upon later arrivals who come with the man
ifest purpose to capture and appropriate to
their own use the good things of the land in
the shape of fat Offices. Such being
the case, it will readily be seem
that the "era of good feeling" has not reach
ed this portion of the footstool. The mil
lennium is by no means near at hand among
the "REPuBL1oAN BRETHREN of Dakota, nor
is its benign influence likely to be felt here
as long as there is an Office to be filled or
fat contract to be given out. Your fat Office
is per Sc a great disorganizer, and tends to
break up the bonds of affection and har-
mony among the ambitious brethren-every
man of whom has migrated hither with the
the sole and acknowledged purpose to got
Office, by hook or by crook. The territory
has become the battle-fe of politicians,
and the very air is filed with plots
and counterplots. Not only is
scbeming going on for the Offices
ain sight," but for those in prospective on
the coming in of the territory as State.
Deep laid plans, contingent on this event,
are in process of naturalization and will I'M
doubtedly be fully Matched out by the date