Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-10-28
GToccrilfe.
GEOGRAPHY AND TOPOGRAPHY,


Gracev!lle, as has been said, is located in
the northern part Of Big Stone county.
The village lies in the township OF the same
name Just one mile from its northern line,
which is also the county line. By rail,
Graceviue village is just twenty-eight
(2S) miles due west from Morris. and nine
teen ard one-half $50 miles east from
Browns Valley on the St. Paul, Minnea-
polls & Manitoba railroad Browns
Valley branch. 1t is just one hundred and
eighty-six GS6) miles from st. Paul, and
twenty (20) miles across the country to
Ortonville, at the foot of big Stone
lake. on the Hastings and Dakota division
Of the Chicago, Milwaukee st. Paul rail-
road.
TOPOGRAPHY.
The topography of the northern half of
Big Stone county, and the southern half of
Traverse, in which the colony before al
luded to is located, is extremely fine. Each
of the two counties takes its name from
the lake which bounds it upon the west
and whose combined length north and
south is over eighty {so) miles. Whatever
the theories concerning what mag have
been are, aohat is, is that Traverse lake
marks the extreme southern line at its
most southerly point of the northern or
Red river acdter-shed, while Big Stone APP
preaching it within four ~ miles marks
the commencement Of the southern acoter-
she'd which finds its outlet through the
Minnesota river. GraceviIle, located on
east Toqua lake, the most southerly of a
chain which connect with Traverse, and
twenty miles east of its (Traverse) SOUTH
ern end IS exactly On the dividing line be-
tween waters flowing north and
waters flowing south. On the north
of this dividing line, the famous Red river
valley finds its head, SO that the colony of
Graceville may be fairly said to be located
at the head of that great valley whose won
derful productiveness is the surprise and
admiration of the world. It is all level
prairie, more undulating than further
north down the valley, and is interspersed
with beautiful lakes which dot its surface
here and there, and connected with each
other by small creeks, which finally take
the overflow into lake Traverse. This sec
ton of country then, located as it is on the
dividing line between the two great water
sheds, and containing SO many lakes and
creeks, must of necessity be well watered
and also well drained country.
CLIMATE.
The climate of this section is ex-
cellent. The universal testimony of
the settlers is to the effect
that a more healthy region they never
knew. Malaria is utterly unknown, fevers
very rare and pulmonary affections, unless
contracted elsewhere.are never engendered
here: Atsuch an altitude as is found here the
atmosphere is rare and humid, and as you
breathe in the pure air your lungs expand
and you are filled with delight. There are
no fogs or vapors, and the only limit to
ones vision is that point where the rotund
ity of the earth produces the illusion of
the meeting of earth and sky. So Won
derfully fine and clear is the atmosphere
that the optical illusion, the mirage, so
often seen at sea, is frequently produced
here upon the open prairie. During last
July at point some fifteen miles east of
the lakes Traverse and Big Stone, the amaz
ing spectacle of these lakes located ON the
eastern horizon was as distinctly visi-
BILE with every irregularity of outline as
were the lakes themselves. This wonderful
and astonishing vision has been witnessed
at different times before and is as appar-
emily real and genuine as could possibly
be imagined.
soIL
From the consideration of the geography,
topography ard climate Of this section.