The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-04-07
north of the forty-slxth parallel and anothe.

north OF the forty-slxth parallel and anoth.,
territory west of the Missouri river. It has
| received a good deal of attention among The
people; butt preponderence of opinion lat
terly seems to favor making all south of The
iorty-sixth parallel into one state and all t.
the north one territory. The masses are no,
clamoring for immediate admission; but tn,
majority of the business men desire one STATE
shall be Immediately carved out of souther,
Dakota and admitted during the forty-seventI
congress. All recognize the fact that the pres
ent legislature is a crude affair (although j,
contains minority OF excellent men), and til.
exercise of much care will be necessary in ner.
fecting territorial laws SO that the new state
institutions shall be founded on sometbinp
solid. You cannot safely build big honse
upon a pile of cobble stones.
What Will the politics of the new state
probably be Well, I am willing to saw this !:
While Dakota is undoubtedly Republican in
sentiment nearly two to one, by reason Of
having such large German and Scandinavian
immigration, yet, unless excessive taxation
1s avoided and honest men are entrusted with
public affairs these people, knowing so little
about American institutions, are likely to
try any new party, or even the Democratic
party, which may promise relief. To make
Dakota safely Republican state it is absolutely
necessary that Republican leaders in Congress
and In the territory shall keep the confidence
OF these new voters. If the ex,ravasant and
dangerous policy of many of the so-called Re-
Publicans III the present legislature prevails,
the new state will be just is likely to send
Democrats as Republicans to congress.
TLATrER1Na BUSINESS PROSPECTS.
What is the condition of business affairs in
the Territory? Very hattering. Indeed, we
have LOO miles of railroad completed, and
800 miles more are graded ready to receive the
iron as soon as spring opens. About twenty
towns were built up last year on the lines of
these new roads. A still greater number will
probably be built during the present year, and
we look for at least $1,000 new settlers during
the year. Ihirty-thret pr cent. more ground
was plowed and sown in wheat last season
than the season preceding it. The stock in
terest suffered very much during the past VIM
ter by reason of it's unlocked for severity: but
the lesson will be beneficial to the ranchmen,
teaching them to provide better shelter and
more ample supplies for their herds and tlocks.
The yield of gold in the Hills is stead ly increas
ing. The Homestake combination yielded last
wear nearly three millions, and other mines are
being opened and worked all over the counties
OF Pennington, Lawrence and Custer. The Black
Hills, with the completion of the railroad,
will become summer resort. When I first
reached them thought was back in the
neighborhood of my home in the White
Mountains of New Hampshire. The scenery
is very similar; the air IS always cool and
pure, and there are no troublesome insects'
Do you have an Indian question among
you? asked the correspondent.
Not troublesome one as yet. The re-
servation is about20O miles long, by about $50
miles wide. Government issues rations to-, |
think, upward of 10000 Indians, who are
peaceable and apparently contentcd, and who
seem to be making some progress toward
civilization. think the government should
so far modify its present policy as to allow
Indians who will work to do so. They make
good Transfers, and struggle for the oppor-
at a dollar q hundred pounds They might
be made herdcrs, and the beef furnished by The
government he raised on the reservation
They might also be taught to pillow and har-
row, and thus raise their own corn. Two or
three dollars week, paid in silver dollars on
Saturday night, would he great nducement
for them to become industrious, and the out
lay might be saved many times over"