St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-01-14
Dakota.

Another of our great northwestern
territories stands knocking at the doors
of Congress, asking admission to the
Union. Dakota was organized as Il
territory in 1861, and then embraced
what is now included in Idaho and
Montana. As at present constituted,
however, it is one of the largest terrific
ries in the national domain, having an
area of over 100000 square miles. 1t
extends from Nebraska north to Mani
tOba, aud west from Minnesota to Mon
tana and Wyoming, and has all the
natural resources of great and pros
porous state. The Missouri river is
navigahle for its entire length through
the territory, from southeast to north
west, and its tributaries and their feed
ers make it well watered for the west
ern country. The climate is pure, dry
and exceedingly healthful. The soil is
remarkable for its fertility and depth,
especially on the river bottoms, whose
grain-beaIing capacity would keep En-
gland waiting many years for the ex-
haustiOn of the soil which appears to be
her only present hope of ever being
able again to compete with the United
States in grazing growing. Wheat has
yielded in Dakota thirty to fifty bushels
to the acre, corn seventy bushels, oats
forty to seventy-five. All the grains,
fruits and vegetables of the middle
states grow finely there. As Il grazing
country, it is unsurpassed for the rich
ness of its grasses and the availability
of its measureless fields. The streams
and hill lands are fairly wooded, and
there is an abundant water power In
addition to this, her mines are rich, and
are still far from being developed.
The Northern Pacific road, under the
new syndicate management is being
rapidly pushed westward from Bis
marck, and the prospects are that it
will soon reach across the territory,
opening up a wide extent of desirable
farming and grazing country. The
population in 1870 was but I4,I5I, in-
Guiding 1900 Indians, who did not
maintain tribal relations. There were
523l white male citizens. The reports
of the last census have not yet been
bulletined by the government, and all
estimates are therefore unofficial, and
more or less unreliable. Immigration
received check by the disaster of 1873,
which stopped work on the railroad,
but for the last four years the gain has
been considerable. 1t is, however, un-
likely that the population has passed, if
indeed, it has reached, the unit of rep
resentatiOn in Congress, which, under
the last apportiOnment, was l33, 1000.
If the number of members shall not be
increased, the unit under the census of
this year will probably be 165, 900 to
10000. But, should Dakota be ad-
mitted, she would he entitled to one
member, whatever her population, two
senators and three votes in the electoral
college. There are at present but five
states with so small representation
Colorado, Delaware, Nebraska, Nevada,
OregOn-and three of these will pToba-
bly, gain each a member in the new ap-
pOrtiODment. 1t is, in some respects,
an iBOppOrtune time for young terri
tory to seek admission to the Union.
There is a perceptible restlessDess in
the old and populous states at the equal
representation in the Senate of these
western boIoughs, with barely pOpula-
ltion enough for a congressional district.