The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1882-08-04
THE NEW NORTHWEST.
The Dakota Wheat Region
The Bad Lands and the
Yellowstone Country.

First Paper: z. Y Smalley: Century Magazine.
The Red River of the North Is the frontier |
Of what IL commonly called the New North
vSst. Il separates the State OF Minnesota
from the Territory Of Dakota. A queer, dis |
appointing, contradictory stream 1t Is, making
of due northward when all Ito neighbon run
south, finding IN outlet In distant and frield
Lake Winnipeg, and In highly unpatriotic
fashion draining OF the waters Of one OF The
richest sections OF Uncle Sans farm Into Inc
dominions Of the Queen. is disappointing
because you expect from Its imposing name
and the great figure 1t cuts upon the map TO
find . stream of size and dignity, and dis
cover when you cross 1t on the railroad bridge
between Morebead and Fargo nothing but
dirty, narrow ditch, across which . small boy
can pitch stone. II looks more like canal
than river, and Ii 30 narrow that coves are
dug in the banks for the little steamboats, to
turn around In. Yet this sluggish drain car
ries OF the surplus rainfall Of vast, rich
plain, forty miles wide and nearly two hum
dred long, and has an uncomfortable way In
the spring season Of rising up to the top OF
ito high banks In few hours and spreading
over the fat country. One day last April IL
rose thirty eight feet in q single day and q
night, submerging the farms and villages.
The people do not seem to mind these mum
datiops much, however. There Is scarcely
apy current In the widened stream, and II 1t
lifts settlers cabin of the ground 1t sets 1t
down again not far from the original location
and no great harm done. With the cheerful
philosophy of all pioneers the inhabitants OF
the valley call the river the "Nile Of Amer
ics,n and try to convince the newcomer, and
themselves too, no doubt, that the overflows
ore good for the land, while deploring that
they are due 10 the northwsrd course Of the
river, which breaks up first on Its upper wa
ters and is damned below by the ice In Man.
itoba.
The two smart towns Of Fargo and More
head look 1t each other across the muddy
Red River ditch with jealous eyes. They
will not bridge the stream, because each Is
afraid the other would profit by convenient
crossing. Vehicles ferry over on q rude hat
bost, worked by hand power applied to
rome stretched from bank to bank, and pc
destrians are beholden TO the railroad COM
pany for the use Of Its bridge. Morehead,
the Minnesota town, has three thousand in
habItants; Fargo, the Dakota town, boasts Of
elk thousand, and styles itself the Red River
metropolis. Both welter In sea OF black
mud In the season Of thsws and rains; both
are largely devoted to speculation In lots and
lands, and both are equally uhattractive TO
she eye. They are In reality single town,
commercially speaking, and remarkably
prosperous one too. The railroad system
has made them the distributing point for thu
entire Red River Valley, and out of theil
present tumble Of muddy streets, cheap-pin'
cottages and shsnties, vacant lots, saloons
stores, and lumber piles, will grow up
handsome city Of fifty thousand inhaoitanl
within The present generation. Alread!
there Is handsome hotel, rejoicing In tn
architectural oddities Of the Queen Ann
craze, . street railway, an electric ligh
company, water works, half dozen banks
daily Newspaper, number Of creditabl
churches and school buildings, and lev
pretty dwellings. Real estate speculation
runs wild. Visions Of second change haV'
turned the heads Of the inhabitants. III
talk is all about lots and values-how Rucl
this or that corner Is worth, what Jones PAL
Tor his strip Of mud, or what Smith holds hi
1t. The real estate agents have their once
In the hotels, In order to watch the arrival o
guests and seize upon the supposed capital
ist seeking investments, or the immigran
looking for q farm. No well-dressed stran
ger need wait long for an offer Of free rid
about the future city and q valuable guide :
explain the many choice openings waitin
Tor him and his money.
The spirit Of oil these far western town
seems essentially sordid. One wearies OF tn
nevsr-ending talk Of speculation and scheme
Tor money.getting, but on further acquain'
sncs With these eager, pushing pioneers, eac
with his exaggerated estimates OF bis ow
peculiar town, he finds that they have
much heart and generosity NJ the people
old communities, and great deal more put
lie shirt. Much OF their Boosting Of luck
investments and the rapid growth Of value
10 not altogether In their own selfish interes
They are on the skirmish line of civilization
and they feel bound to make . noise to q
tract the attention Of the main army and II
duce IL to move up to them.
The Red River Valley Ia IN enormous az
post Of rich black loan, almost perfectl
level, bounded on the east by the lake -dotte
: forest region of Northern Minnesota, and o
the west by rolling prairie belt, but Of .
most equal fertility. There Is no waste Ian
save In little depressions which collect SUI
face drainage and are called "slews"(slough'
In the local parlance. There Is scattere
belt Of settlement In the valley extendir
Z. back about ten miles on both sides OF u
river clear down to Winnipeg, and from ca
10 west across the valley the land b cultiv
ted for about the same distance on each sic
Of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The :
Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railro'
rms q line down the eastern side OF the VI
ley TO Winnipeg, and has : second line
the western bank TO Grand Forks, the chi
town between Fargo and Pembina. II
same companyis projecting or building ~
or three other branch lines In the valley, u
the Northern Pacific has thrown bran
northward from Casselton, little TOW
twenty miles west Of Fargo, which 10 wor
ing toward southwestern Manitoba; 1t Is
20 building diagonal line from Fargo soul
west 70 the valley Of the James. The col
petition Of railroad lines for the traftic Of
4, Red River country Is the best evidence OF
"' great productiveness. Nowhere else In
United States, unless II DO In the distant .
little known valleys Of Eastern Oregon .
Washington Territory, are such large crs
.of wheat raised with such small expense
such certainty Of success year after ye
The grain u sown late In the spring, - 90
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