St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-08-18
Letter from southeastern Da-
kOta.


GO WEST Tf-FACILITIEs FOR TRAY
EL-CANADA-CHICAGO - FROM CHI
CAGo TO SOUTHEASTERN DAKOTA
DELL RAPIDs-THE PRAIRIE-HAY-
ING-HARyEsT-wHO THE PEOPLE
ARE-How THE PEOPLE LIvE-FI-
NANCIAL - CONCLUSION OF THE
WHOLE MATTER.
When the editor of the CGIedOnidn
CHANGED to learn that l purposed to
take a little tour to Dakota, he asked
me to give through that paper my i'm
preston of the country passed through.
He was very particular to state that |
was to give the exact facts. RecOgniz
ing that injunction as a compliment to
my general accuracy, and keeping it
carefully in mind all the while, | will
proceed to give such results of my OBJ
servatiOns as may be of general inter
est to any readers of the CaIedonian
who may be thinking of turning their
footsteps towards our great prairie
land.
Shall those advanced in years go
west? Yes, why not? The older boys
are all ont here and the rest will soon
follow. Why not go and see them
Don't send Joseph, let Jacob come
himself and see with his own eyes those
marvels related by the enthusiastic
westerner.
FACILITIES FOR TRAVEL.
Nor are there such impediments as
existed few years ago. The low rates
of fare, the ease and quickness of jour
ney remove many obstacles heretofore
existing. From st. Johnsbury to Chi
cago second-class ticket good for Il
ride in tirst-class cars by being en-
dOrsed at Montreal, can be obtained
for Sl7. This journey over the Grand
Trunk railway necessitates but one
change of ears and two hours deten-
ton at Montreal. For few dollars
extra a person can avail himself of ele-
CANT sleeping cars, and if his past life
has been so well ordered, and he has
believed so thoroughly in the ''federal
character of Adam" that he can trust
his life implicitly to a railroad train,
then he can ''lie down to peaceful
dreams" as comfortably as in his own
! Vermont home.
CANADA.
The Grand Trunk was chosen to get
Il little glimpse of Canada. | was
much surprised at the beauty of the
scenery and the fine level land. | saw
almost no corn, but barley and oats,
particularly the former, were abundant
and very fiOurishing.
CHICAGO.
AS it is my purpose to write of Da-
kota and the frontier l shall not pause
to speak of this magnificent "Queen o.
l. the West" | cannot stop to tell of it,
. stupendOus business enterprises, its
l. grand triumph of engineering skill il
i its water works, taking the water o
I Lake Michigan through tunnel ex
$ tending two miles under the lake, o.
: its vast stock-yards and pork pack
ing establishments, it's palatial hotels
its cable-cars, its churches and Othe
benevolent and Christian institutions
its awful wickedness and abundan
rum.
FROM CHICAGO TO SOUTHEASTERN,
Il. DAKOTA.
N p A land-explOrer's ticket from Chca
y, 90 to Sioux Falls and return, good 70
s- forty days, costs $3.50. The route i
/. over the Chicago, Milwaukee and ST
Paul railway, going and returning owe
d ID different routes. This is first-elass il
every respect. The depot in Chicag
IT. is one of the most elegant in America
" " and is claimed to be the longest in tn
of world. The time from Chicago to Del
Rapids is twenty eight hours with bu
We one change of cars.
ID DELL RAPIDS.
in This town where my interests centr
in ut present is hardly six years old.
is situated on the Sioux river and take
its naMe from the dells. These cOnsis
of branch of the Sioux flowing be
tween walls of rock. These walls var
m in height from few feet to sixty, pei
of pendicular for the most part. The wa
n ter in this warm stream reaches, i
lie some places, to the depth of forty feet
N, In this part of the country few thing
N. U in nature are more attractive to til
sr eye of the tourist, and boat rid
nd through these dells is romantic in til
extreme.
The town is one of those hasty affair
-s that have sprung into existence so raj
idly within the last decade. Six yea
ago there was hardly a building hel
and the whole land unbrOken prairie
10 now it is town of some four hundre
ap inhabitants with all the advantag,
he be that go to make up town in the eas
rly No sooner is a town started here tina
the representatives of every professiO
trade or calling flock to it like CHECKER
. to dough-dish. Although the raj
7. road has been built but two years, tn
ice enterprising little town already COZ
tains three hotels, three saloons, tv
restaurants, three hardware stores, tv
90; harness shops, five stores of gener
ne merchandise, one clothing establis
ur- ment, two blacksmith shops, four M
p. chine agencies, two furniture store
. one milliner's shop, two boot and sh
stores, one creamery, two lumb
yards, two large grain elevators, thr
warehouses. two grain and feed store