Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-06-22
THE DEMOCRAT.
Mineral Point, Friday, June ~, 1888
Geo. Crawford, Robt. M. Crawford
EDITORS AND PRoPRIEToRs.
MORE ABOUT DAKOTA.

| WUnE Adult UAkUIA.
In communication to last week s
Tribune, Rev. VIM. Jacka, now of
Aurora county, Dakota, takes US to
task, for an article which appeared in
our issue of May 25, in regard to the
land excitement in the west, wherein
| we stated that "the Dakota fever is
slowly dying out and that those who
return from that much-advertised
section of the northwest do not by any
means admit that the land there is all
that is claimed for it,
The position taken by US was that
while there is undoubtedly large tracts
of good land in Dakota, that territory
in the main is greatly oyerrated, and
those who contemplate leaving their
| comfortable homes here and elsewhere,
before doing so would do well to care
| fully investigate the claims which the
west has to present, and not place con-
idence in any free putting or over
drawn pictures by interested persons.
In replying to the criticism of our rev.
erend friend we will not, as he has d.
rectly and indirectly done to US. charge
that he is actuated by envy, hatred and
malice. The Democrat prefers to eX-
| tend to him that Christian charity that
suffereth long and is kind, that envieth
not, vaunteth not itself, is not puffed
| up, doth not behave itself unseemly,
is not easily provoked, thinketh no
evil.
Mr.. Jacka says that our article was
not the rehearsal of experience and OBJ
servation but hearsay and unwarranted
assertions, and asks where did we gain
the information "of this dying fever"
We would answer, from many of the
best and most successful farmers in
Iowa county who have made farming
grand success" who visited Dakota
for the purpose of securing homes for
their grown up children, and returned
not at all satisfied with the country,
and thoroughly disgusted with the
claims Of those who are interested in
drawing them thither. And we do not
gain our information alone from ex-
perienced farmers in this county. but
from reliable reports from the press
from different portions of the country,
which instead OF being possessed with
a spirit of envy"-as charged by Mr..
Jacka-but voices the opinions and
sentiments of people who return from
the alleged paradise of the west" The
crop statistics furnished by the agri-
cultural department confirm these re-
ports, and are far more reliable than
the stories told Of the marvellous fer
tility of Dakota soil, which in very
many instances out-rival the tales
of Baron MunchauSen. And all who
write from Mr.. Jacka's own favored
locality, do not by any means agree
IN their statements. AS Illustrative OF
this we give below a communication,
which is but one of many of like char
acter we have seen, and although, per-
haps, the picture is somewhat over
drawn. it shows that there are two
sides to the question, and there is
enough truth in the statements con-
tanned therein to justify the warning
which we gave to our readers and
which called out Mr.. Jacka's article in
the Tribune:
PLANkINToN, ID. L. May 16.-Plan-
kintOn is situated OH the line OF the
Chicago, Milwaukee Il st. Paul rail-
road. about midway between Mitchell
and Chamberlain. 1t has the usual
features of frontier town, and Is a
good point for blrds-eye view OF
what may fifty be termed the Dakota
| craze" AS to the land, there IS plenty
oi it, some good, some bad, rs else
| where You can get hold OF a quarter
| and Il half or whole section 10y nghtlng
| for and paying about as much Tor IL III
| the end as you would 1or similar prop
| erty in the states. There are sundry
| Fascinating claims" presented for the
| consideration of every newcomer, as
the homestead claim, the presumption
claim. the tree claim, the relinqulshed
claim. and, lastly, the contested claim.
| The latter claim is becoming more nu-
merous daily, and bids fair to trans
| form Dakota into legal paradise, the
only one that some of the fraternity up
here will ever know. One OF the most
enthusiastic of the DakotanS insists
| that their soil is fertile above all 9th
! ers. and cites in proof the instance OF
man who planted some canary SEEDS III
| the Jim river valley and raised a fine
! flock of canary birds, all singers-also
another who planted hemp seed and
raised a man with the rope therefrom.
These cases are said to be authentic,
but | have not heard the birds sing
yet.
The water supply in Dakota is be-
coming Il serious question. Az present
| it. is sold in these towns for twenty
| five cents a barrel, but the people who
! have settled ten or twenty miles from
the river have to drink surface water,
of which there is not much. or haul 1t
three or four miles. This is especially
true, | am told, of the region htteen
miles north of Plankinton. called Yves,
sington Hills. | suppose the railroad
officials are too busy watering the
stocks OF their several corporations 10
care whether the farmers who came 10
/ IRIS a8tlcullu N"i "'1SA
their stock or not.
Fuel is very scarce all through here.
They use mostly Il dirty, soft coal,
brought here from Iowa, and for which
from 81 to $40 must be paid. Near
the Missouri they have some timber,
but il does not cut much of a figure as
fuel. The demand for mechanics IS
slim, rs there is not much for them to
do with.
The most pitiful sights are visible to
the casual observer, even on the line
from Mitchell to the river, hundreds OF
families, with their household effects
dumped on the prairie, in the cold and
driving rain and mud, with only the
scant shelter of hastily improvised
shed.
In conclusion, all who are comfort
ably fixed in the states had better stay
there, and in any event they should
not bring wives and helpless children
here until they have provided place
for them to live. The sufferings of the
women and children in the severe
storms of the past few days have been
| l;t4,. ;nIaa1 ap6 boya made maQy