The Republican journal., 1881-03-31
From the Far West

EITEKS FROM MAINE PEOPLE IN IDAHO AND DA
kOTA TERRITORIES.
\ correspondent III Bonanza City sends us an
eloquent appeal for emigration from the eastern
cities TO Idaho and djacent territories 50 far as
this section is concerned, however. want our
young. energetic and progressive men at home.
We cannot spare them and if they do leave Us We
can only temper our regrets with the hopes that
sooner or later they may all become rich and return
to their native States. The aims Of the Journal
ard Of this correspondent conflict, therefore. and
though we are willing to admit the great natural
advantages of Idaho and the inducements it offers
t. the farmer, We think our young men may do
quite we'll at Eome-if they see tit. As to min
ing, that is d lottery at best. Our correspondent.
after describing rich mine says And then
think Low the eastern people hesitate about start
ing vest But every eastern man who goes west
does not find valuable mine nor possess the
means for working one as many of our citizens
know to their cost However. We hope our cor
res ondcIt will favor again and tell us some
thing of the Maine people in the territory
Another correspondent writes rs from Stafford
Trail county, Dakota Territory. He left Waldo
county four years ago, and is now located in the
Red River valley, about ten miles from the Red
River and thirty-tive miles north of Fargo CT tie
soil and climate he says:
The surface Of the country is nearly level prai-
ne. The soil is black clay loan, with clay sub
soil from two to three feet deep The principal
cops are wheat, oats and barley, OF which wheat
is king Potatoes, and all kinds of vegetables and
garden truck are raised in abundance They are
-ffai ti..r4 I,,fr l,,a.
the Territory. | have no doubt but 1t will be d
paying crop The climate is very bearabe, even
II the mercury does 60 down to forty. sometimes
There has been but day this winter when it
went as low as that The climate is very dry and
one does not feel the cold SO sensibiy as in the
damper atmosphere Of the eastern states
IAc country is being developed very rapidly
Last year two railroads built Though this
valley. The Northern Pacific Company have built
branch road. called the Utssleto;I branch and i;
completed as far As Bi Blanchard town thirty five
miles Forth of Cassleton The road is to be built
tlity or sixty miles farther North this summer
The other road was built by the ST Paul Mime
aolls and Manatoba Railroad Company. To give
You some idea Of amount OF wheat raised in this
vicinity, the town Of Blanchard. where last De
tober was only open prairie has shipped since that
date lr'h00 bushels Of wheat The town now has
tour stores. fur ware houses, two hotels, post
aiice, blacksmith shop and saloon
In tins connection, | wish more particularly to
u.
date my letter, as 1t was named in honor Of the
late Benjamin Stafford of Hope, Knox county
Name. 1t will be remembered by a good many of
the readers Of the journal, this being his tavorite
paper that he invested quite largely in the North
ern Pacific Railroad bonds which at one time
We're hardly worth anything At the appraisal of
MS estate the bonds was appraised two cents on
a Collar. 1t has no doubt proved to be the
best investment he ever made This town, Stafford
Is located on the land bought Of the railroad com
mus nf a, "a.
In the vicinity of this town, the inhabitants are
mostly from Maine, and came from the towns Of
Appleton. 1arsmont. Hope and Montville. Five
miles North of Stafford. is the town of Comstock
hlS town too, has been built up since the first of
Novenber 1t has now population of one an
dfed and twenty five inhabitants. Of which some
OF the most prominent are from Maine There are
i've stores. two hotels blacksmith shop. depot a
large steam elevator, bank building and two sa
loaLs The last named institution am sorry to
say, II the minds of too many is the most import
ant OF all
Tie Phillips Photograph publishes some ex-
tracts from private letter from Marindal. Dakota
Territory. The writer lett Strong Me, year
ago, to build a new home i'll the West The biz
yards are described as something terrible, and the
cold III winter extreme. The summers are so hot
as to be almost unendurable but the lights are
cool The writer says
Our house is partly underground and wonld bc
very comfortable only that we cannot afford wood
| enough, as We have Ia haul it fror. the Missouri
| river, twenty miles away. The kinds of wood we
| have here which are different from Maine woods
| are cotton woed, linden wood and box elder
| There must be terrible suffering this winter IN
| these prairie homes. as they unprepaIed for
! such winter Have la no sleighing here for
4 years before and only atew weeks of cold weather
| Many thousands OF cattle have died for want Of
/ shelter and hay. Usually stock nd their own liv
| ing by grazing, through the winter months. the
tall prairie grasses and shelter is ever provided
| tor them
The gentleman who sends this letter to the
| Photograph adds
| am OF lhe opinion that II our young men would
| t'Alebl themselves II our own state. with the
| same sacrifices they make il a new ern home
/ they would IN few Years make themselves as well
| oft and better than to 20 west