Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-04-08
ST. PAUL TO FARGO.
Notes of a Railroad Trip Across
Dakota,
BY WAY OF THE NORTHERN PACIFIC.
The Minnesota Pineries-The Great Red
River valley-DeVelOpment Of the
County - It's Resources
and Future.
Through Minnesota-The PIneries-A
Hidden Town,

Through Minnesota-The PInerieS-A
Hidden Town.
Sef Correspondence Of he Sunday Register.
BISMARCK, ID. T., April S.-The distance
between ST. Paul and Fargo, the point
where the Northern Pacific railroad strikes
the Territory Of Dakota, is by rail PA
miles. The difference of latitude between
the two places i about two degrees, Fargo
being that much farther north than st.
Paul and few miles south of the 4Ith
parallel. The road follows the Mississippi
river, which is not navigab!e for steam
boats above 81. Paul, along the east side as
far rs Brainerd, a distance OF l55 mIleS,ani
there, crossing the stream, bears OIL in
direction very little north Of west to
Fargo. Leaving st Paul. the rosd through
Minnesota passes, for the space of ll9
miles, through an excellent agricultural
country, gently undulatlnS and we'll SUP
pNsd with an abundance OF a young growth
Of timber, some uf which has been plated,
hut more Of ~ has grown up Spontaneously
since the settlement Of the country has
nut stop to the prairie fires. Ii Is OH
Clsly stated that more than twenty mill
ions Of forest trees have been planted on
tingthe owners of the land to this species
of culture by liberal bOunties. About one
third Of the land surface of Minnesota Is
rovcTcd with forest. What is called the
spineries" begin at Fort Ripley, ll9 miles
northwest OF ~. Paul. The beautiful
VcrCunjai green Of the pine trees makes
pleasing change in the scene after passing
over the snowy expanse OF the country
south OF them. The first pine trees
bat
the ground j. but thinly occupied
bY them. As Brainerd is approached,
however they are found larger aud much
more numerous, and the town itself is half
hidden By the trees which ill up every va
cant lot and space. The only way 10 see
the place is 10 90 all over it unless you
make : balloon sSCPnsiOpl and even when
YOU have walked through all the streets
Won have been able 10 find you cannot be
sure that turning - ne thiCk Clump of pine
trees will not reSea mother row OF houses
which have escaped our previous Observa
ton. This pleasant ,wu has population
Of $3.50 and Is rapi growing in cOnSe
CueuCe Of the Nor, I'm Pacific railroad
shops being erected IN. 9. These, it is said,
will. when completed, "mPloy 200 men.
Brs:nerd has also a considerable trade in
lumber and in selling supplies TO the hardy
men who cut IL The sandy soil OF this re
CiOn of Northern Minnesota, in which the
pine grows so plentitully, is said 10 be not
generally adapted To agriculture, and II IS
likely that the fertile prairies west OF 1t
will be we'll occupied before any cOnsidera.
bic amount of farming is done here. The
great tim her belt extends along both sides
Uf the railroad about one hundred miles
west from Brsinerd, and about that dis
lance east of the town toward the lead OF
Lake Superior. The tinberis mainly pine,
but there is large admixture OF oak, ash,
maple birch and elm.
The Red River GaIIeS-The Northern
Pacific BeIt-Deyirs Lake.
As the Red River which forms the
boundary between Northern Minnesota and
Northern Dakota, IS approached the woods
become thinner and the character OF the
soil improves. This stream, of which the
full name is The Red River of the North
flows between the TWO States for distance
of over two hundred miles, about half the
depth OF Dakota from north to south.
Its course IS generally almost
due north, and il emptIes into the
AsSinibOIus river, al the city OF WiHnepeg,
about sixty miles north OF the American
bOundry. in The British province OF
Manitoba. What is called the Red River
Valley extends for q space of about twenty
tive miles on each side Of the river, and is
y remarkable tine wheat cOUntry, as all the
word knows, for who has not heard Ot
The Land oil No l Hard The soil OF
this valley was described TO me by several
farmers. with whom / talked, TO be- rs fol-
lows The surface soil IS black loan,
varying in depth from ten inches to two
Iret. The SubsoIl is a porous, spOngy clay
mari from three TO four feet in depth and
resting on a com pact blush clay. Both
suri-Ce and SuhsUiiS are strongly imPreS'
mated with mineral salts and lime in var
ious forms. While one can hear a great
deal of phenomenal yields of wheat and |
oats. think, from what | can learn, that q |
fair estimate OF the common average pro- |
ductIUn in the Red River counties and the |
region in DAKOTA along the Northern |
Pacific which road belts the territory |
slout sixty miles north Of its central, east |
and west line, would be twenty bushels of 4
wheat 70 the acre and fOrty-hye bushels OF /
oats 10 the acre. The soil in the valley of .
the Cheyenne river, which is crossed by the I.
~ T. l.. K. at Valley City, Barnes county, |
illty-eight miles west OF Fargo, and the soil /
n the James River Valley, which the rail /
road crosses at jamestown, Stutsman
county, ninety-lOur miles west OF Fargo |
are of the same general character rs that OF
the Red River Valley, and the same may
be said Of the uplandy between the valleys
The only difference saw or heard spoken
of was in this, that the soil OF the James /
River Valley has more sand in it. The
Jim River people say that this IS an ad.
vantage, rs the ground is more fria5le and
more easily worked. The Red river
crowd, though, who are No. l hard /
10 set ahead Of in boom talk rejOin |
tina: the jim river soil won't do !
as we'll AS theirs in dry season mot hold
ing the moisture we'll, and that they ques-
ton whether il will last as long. Who |
shall decide when boomers disagree |
Both communities agree, though, IN sing !
ing the praises of North Dakota over South |
Dakota. They allege that in Southern Da- !
kOta there is much more liability TO loss |
from graSshoppers and blight, the latter /
the effect of long continued, injurious, hot |
winds and they say that the country !
everywhere north Of the Northern Pacific |
belt is better than south OF 10. Just now ]
there seems TO be a prospect OF great rush |
of settlers towards the Devils Lake region, |
which is in the northeastern part of Da- |
kOta. in the second tier OF counties, that is |
counting either from Minnesota or the |
British possessions. Both the Northern
Pacific and the 81. Paul, Minneapolis and
Manitoba railroads are pushing branches
from their main lines in the direction OF
this lake, which IS expected to be not only
the centre Of 3 prosperous agricultural re-
gion, but
Great Attraction to summer Tourists.
Following the main line OF the Northern
III
a few miles from due west direction IN
crossing Dakota, We find about twenty-h'e
miles west Of jamestown market change
in the surface Of the country. Instead oil
the gently uDdulating land which We nave
passed through Up to this time we see Tor
thirty or forty miles (Hidder county aud
parts OF Stutsman and Burleighl very
braken country, the hills, however, not be-
ing very high. These hills are called the
a..
The British boundary at the northwest cor
ner Of Dakota, and runs in south
erly direction until it disappears
on the elevated prsiries of Central DAKOTA;
The SUBMITS and rather abrupt slopes oil
these hills are partially covered with lime
stone and granite boulders caught by the
Prominencts from the icebergS OF the gla-
cial period. Occasionally amongst the CO.
teams there are spaces Of good land, not too
stony, which are we'll suited for small
farms. but generally the country occupied
by the coieans is not practicable for farm