Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1883-10-24
DAKOTA TERRITORY.
Our Correspondent Looks Into
One Corner and Writes
II Tn

SAO NOxA0x Sb&40 vv44VVO ass SI
1t Up.
Special correspondence Bedford, Pa, C3sseste.
ELK PorSr, D. T., Oct, 4.-Fearing
that | might be assailed by Zone d
Peck's Boys" al "One Of Philipk
Boys" was in Kansas, / have been
somewhat tardy in expressing my
opinion about this grand territory.
AT present ! shall con6ne myself 10
Union county, situated in the south
east corner Of the territory. As the
Sioux river forms the eastern bound
airy, and the big muddy Missouri
bounds it on the south, a large por-
ton of the county is very low and
level, with deep black soil thar
needs no fertilizing. This bottom
land will grow all kinds of cereals.
Corn is the principal crop this year,
ard would have yielded largely had
it not been caught by that frost on
the night of the 9Th ult. The early
corn was injured but very little, II
any. The wheat crop was nearly
failure on the low land on account Of
the wet weather about the time it
was in blossom. Notwithstanding
the humidity Of the atmosphere, q
gentleman near Jefferson averaagd,
on a 70-acre field, SO bushels cfY03
lbs. each to the acre. Bluffs abound
near the center Of the county, and in
the north it becomes quite billy.
The black coil in those regions is
speckled with white sand, with here
and there small white pebble. The
soil is not so deep as that on the
bottoms, but it is by no means poor.
| have seen corn that was equal to,
if not superior, to any ever saw on
Chestnut Ridge. in Bedford county.
'ris true no springs send forth their
silvery streams, like some Of those
beautiful fountains in Pennsylvania,
but excellent water can be had by
digging from Is to so feet. Wood is
quite All item, and few original lbr-
ests are found except ON the banks
of the Missouri. This county is dot
ted DER with cottonwood groves,
which were planted but few years
since. The wind has fair play, and
the thunder and lightning excel that
of the east. although the beautiful
sunshine after the storm disperses
that gloomy appearance and causes
one to forget the heavy blasts, the
loud peals and the vivid flashes.
The ground, just after a shower, is
very muddy, and will stick to any
thing that passes over it. A person
is liable to lose his shoes unless well
tied. A great blessing is, it dries off
on the surface in a very short time.
The county seat is Elk Point, a
small city of l 200 inhabitants, stu
ated south of the center and three
miles northeast Of the Missouri. 1t
is at the junction on the Chicago,
Milwaukee Il St. Paul railroad lead
ing from Sioux Falls on the north
and Sioux City on the east to Yank-
ton on the west. 1t contains five
churches Catholic, Methodist, Unit
ed Brethren, Baptist and Episcopa-
liam; public school of four rooms
salaries per month from sS5 to $42.-
50--a steam power grist mill, capac-
ity 100 bbls per day; three grain ele-
vators; a creamery; wholesale Ii
quor house; two saloons; two hotels;
two apiarles; lumber yard; large
postoffice, and over twenty-five other
public places, such rs jewelry shops.
drug and hardware stores, mercantile
houses, groceries, etc, and some |
beautiful residences. A 32-column
newspaper called the UNION County,
COURIER is published every week.
The inhabitants are a social, wide
awake, go.ahead set Of people. The
town has no use for loafers. Among
the dwellers | notice four Bedford
countians-E.' w. Miller, attorney.
Geo. Steckman, jeweler, Jos. Steck-
man, merchant, and w. J. Stultz,
Jaddler. Besides the above attorney
there are six other members Of the
bar. Among them is the Hon. ]. A.
one of Dakota's eldest law
practitioners. C. A. ].