Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1882-06-22
The Truth About Dakota,
correspondence Ofthe Chicago Express


, Correspondence Of the Chicago Express.
PERRY, Iowa, May 30.-DakOta ter
ritory is receiving so much attention
that | thought it might not be money
altogether lost to join the throng and
make tour of inspection, as it were
and, if possible, read the future of
that great valley known as the James,
or, as the DOkotsians call it, Jim
river valley. Any one interested can
locate the valley by looking on map
of that territory. l first crossed Jim
river little east of Huron, the county
teat or court town for seven counties,
being located near the geographical
center of Jim river valley, and claiming
population of 1900, though not yet
quite two years old. In justice to all
the towns in the valley, let me say
though came TO them hungry and Il
stranger, they fed me, so to speak, and
"took me in" 1t is my opinion in SO
doing they net more profit than man
ever can reap by raising wheat, though
that valley may compete with any 9TH
er valley in the world in that particu-
lar cereal. In fact, they claim to raise
twenty bushels Of wheat per acre on
newly.turned sod, and a number of
men claimed that they raised sixty
bushels of corn per acre last year.
noticed few patches of old corn
stalks, and it is my opinion that stalks
and all would not go more than that.
When boy, l travelled through the
leading valleys OF the Pacific coast
from Washington territory to Mexico,
and l believe | never saw more beauti-
full land in one valley than is to be
found in the James river valley. The
soil at the surface has a reddlsh-brown
cast, though it is claimed to be black.
On high land or second bottom from
Two to three miles on either side of the
river considerable gravel will be found,
and some ridges are covered with lime
rock. dug several places on the first
bottom and found streaks that looked
very much like burnt lime that easily
pulverized in my hands, with an occa.
siOnal lime rock the size of walnut
and very pure From four inches to
two and a half feet from the surface
there is white clay and like putty in
Consistency. Around Huron the sub
soil is more of a yellow and gradually
gets whittier as you ascend the valley.
In many places blue clay is found at
depth of eight feet. AS the country is
just being settled the difficulty Of get
ting water is not yet known or realized. |
The only water | tasted in the terrific.
ry | thought fit to drink was at the
terminus of the Northwestern railroad
at Ordway, 90 miles north of Huron.
| found considerable alkali in some
places. Minnesota, Wisconsin, Hi
nOis, Michigan, Indiana and Iowa are
the states that are paying the hotels
and railroads for the music by which
their people are enabled to waltz across
the 43 40 parallels. The emigration
that is pouring into Dakota sur
passes anything of the kind l ever
saw before. Every train was load.
ed with people seeking lands
not houses. Hotels are not able to ac.
commOdate all who stop | believe
money is more plentiful and times are
livelier there to-day than will ever be
again, though the whole territory be
planted to wheat. People who 60 take
plenty of money with them and those
who settled there a few years ago seem
to think the llush times they now see
are the returns from Dakota's own re.
sources, Little shauties seem to 20 up
like mushrooms all over the valley.
0ne.third Of the claims are taken by
young men who intend to leave as soon
as they Can "prove up" Another
third are taken by heads of families
who have gone alone and intend to
leave as soon as they can prove up"
The remaining third that have been
taken are divided between few who
have gone in good faith for homes, and
a set of scOundrels who pass off as 10
eating agents, ile fraudulent claims,
and then sell the accomplishments.
There is not one man in ten in that
valley that has even horsel They 90
by rail, hire lumber hauled for a shanty,
lay in supply of provisions, and watch
their claims until they "prove up" as |
before stated, and then leave. Should
the Indians make a raid through that
valley it would be almost impossible
for the people to make good their es-
cape. ! understand the government
has stopped the supplies at the Sisseton
agency on the east side of the James
river, and there i5 no telling what those
indians may undertake. 1t is to be
hoped that peace may prevail, but the ,
red mans love for the white mans
scalp is a poor guaranty for lasting
peace. There are yet in Brown county ,
q few townships to be surveyed, but !
squatters were settling on the unsur. ,
veyed land all along Sand lake, in the !
north part of that county, and it will
likely be all surveyed by the last of ,
June. The land Office for that district ,
Is at present az Watertown, but there
will be one at Aberdeen, by July. To
+h"0a who have ooOd homes farther =,
.- ' -' ." ".-. -t''.'i 'NrHOu ,
h, @acvnei .iA ou5.3ay rys not ,
voj a' tinac ailas, .-, .... get
Mr. aH. l.sn,1 s,d9 :H 81. 1t a |
I..l l.. .r jH2DaH 'a4,., ,g.. We 'I'"V i
= l..
sver put a stop to the cry OF "No !
Remit" KENDALL CAMERON.
Pure Gold out of SCOT