News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-09-27
Letter from Dakota.
L ARGO, Dakota,
September y. 1888.

September 12, 1888.
Though two months have slipped
away since we crossed the famous Red
River of the north "tO the land of the
Dakotahs," your kind invitation has
been neglected, not forgotten. This
to give some impressions
of our surroundings is embraced the
more readily, because | am thus, in
one letter, addressing many who So
licited the like favor for themselves,
and who may each consider this as
personal communication.
We had remarkably quick and
pleasant trip coming out, leaving
NIorrisville at P. NJ. Monday, and
arriving at 1915 P. NJ, Morrisville
time, Thursday, in this boosted "Me-
tropolis of the northwest" having
been on time all the way. Twilight
was Just disappearing and business
places beginning to light up. Coming
from staid New England we were,
ahead Of the time (s),
and making the necessary correction
of one and three-fourths hours for our
changed longitude, found it only 9
o'clock, just the close OF long mid
summer day here. 1t was little novel
at first to see the sun still above the
horizon at s o'clock. This will, Of
course, be compensated by correspon-
dinghy short days in winter.
Till about ten years ago the site OF
Fargo was an Indian reservation.
To-day it is city of 10000 people.
In the census Of 1880 it had a popu-
lation of only 2,7O0; since then 1t
has been doubled twice. Two great
railroads enter the Territory here, the
Northern Pacific, extending west
ward, and the St. Paul, Minneapolis
and Manitoba, northward, and both
connect us with St. Paul and Mime
apolis. A road is being rapidly being
built to enter Fargo from the south,
and finally connect with st. Louis.
The city has electric lights, the CEN
traLone 200 foot tower, water works,
% hotels, four banks, several large
elevators, planning mills, iron foundry,
paper mill, Touring mills, several
wholesale stores, three daily papers,
EIGHT or nine churches, etc. The diff
ferent parts of the city are accommo-
dated with schools, and the new high
school building, which is just dedicat-
ed, is said to have cost over $4,000.
Wheat, mo. l, hard" such as COM
mands the highest price in market, IS
raised almost within the corporation
limits. threshed in the field, drawn
about a mile, and there made into the
best of -four. Here is one Of the
very ferry articles to be had for
less than eastern prices. When we
consider that it costs as much to
freight goods from St. Paul to Fargo
as from Chicago to Morrisville, we
can see why it is that all articles not
grown here command so much higher
prices than in New England. The
Northern Pacific and Manitoba rail
roads pool their freights; but it is eX-
pected that the rivalry of the Fargo
Southern railroad, soon to be COM
pleted, will help to adjust rates on
more reasonable basis, and that the
Northern Pacific, now completed to
the Pacific, will bring us fruit and
fish from that coast at prices much
better than the present. The North
ern Pacific shops and round house are
located here, and the fact that four
yard engines are busy here day and
night, will give some idea of the bus
mess that is handled.
There are good opera houses, both
here and at Moorhead, and distin-
guished speakers and musicians are
frequent visitors here. This sum-
mer there have been Beecher and
Talmage of the one class and Camilla
Urso and Emma Abbott of the other.
One Sunday morning, but a few weeks
since, "Uncle. Rafus" Hatch, of New
vited guests into town, ''Uncle Rufus
himself having stood in the engineers
place and handled the train for the
last 60 miles. They were en- route fol
the National Park and rested here
during the day to attend church. Last
Tuesday, however, was the great day
here, when President Henry Willard
passed through, with his 400 guests,
on their way to witness the driving
of the last spike, which made the
Northern Pacific q trans-continenta
line. The train was run in four sec
tions of 10 cars each. Everything
around the depot was handsomely
decorated with golden grain. Many
of the distinguished guests made
speeches, among them President Vii
lard, Carl Schurtz, William NJ. Ev
arts, Gen. Grant, Gov. Fairchild, O
Wisconsin, and Senator Conger, o.
Michigan. The latter, in speaking o
the enthusiasm and enterprise of Far
go mem said one of them had just eX
planned to a German guest the won
derful fertility of ''Dakota dirt" will
such earnestness as to convince hin
the decorations before him were pro
duced by scattering the seed there bu
few days previous.
| like the weather here we'll in mos
respects, Judging from so short an eN
perience. So many clear, beautiful
days in succession l have never seel
elsewhere. There is usually goOt
breeze-sometimes more than is de
sirable. The atmosphere is peculiar
ly strong and bracing, and one ca
labor to WEAKNESS without any sens
of exhaustion. The cool nights in
duce sound and refreshing sleep
Summer storms here are not Away
) welcome visitors, with their wind an
lightning. The late terrible cyclon
at Rochester, Mimi, seeming to com
so near, though more than 800 mile
, distant, alarmed not few; so tina
when, few days later, an ominou
looking cloud appeared as the fore
runner of a thunder storm, som
sought refuge in cellars. Scientists
= however, assert that the cyclone be-
extends only to the 45th parallel c
latitude in Minnesota, and furthe
! west it curves to the south. Fact
seem to substantiate this theory, an
to give north Dakota good reason t
boast that there is here no dangc
f from cyclones. Fargo showed he
5 ready sympathy for the Rochester su
. ferers by raising So POO for them i
s two days.
B.. ] cannot yet say much, from pc