Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-07-06
FROM DAKOTA.


OF THE COUNTRY, AND SHOWS ITS BETTER
SIDE - THE CLIMATE THE REAL ESTATE
DOOM - FARMING - BUSINESS PROSPECTS -
vERMoNTERs-THE 4TH IN SIOUX FALLS.
Sioux FALLS, d. t., June %, 1888
Edit0rS Phenir: In my first letter gave
you Dakota at its worst this time shall give
you more of the other side Of the question
1t would be impossible to find any country
without its drawbacks, and Dakota has it's
own. Most of the letters and papers from
this section give but one side of the question:
making this an Eldorado or second Eden
l shall try to give candid view of both sides
During this month we have had beautiful
weather While cyclones and floods have
been prevailing in other parts of the country,
here we have had none. Occasio nal rains in
the night keep the crops growing, and it is
really surprising to see how they grow when
once warm weather sets in. Small grain is
looking fine. Corn is backward, as in other
parts of the west. The day - are warm, but
the nights are cool and comfortable. The
days are longer than in Vermont, due partly
to the high elevation of the country, it being
by daylight from A. NJ. till $3.50 p. NJ.
Business is very brisk, and everything is
rush and hurry 1t would astonish some of
your readers to see how real estate changes
hands. | notice in one of the weekly papers
forty five transfers for the past week. Clerks
in stores, young ladies and gentlemen, and
laboring men, all have a hand in the specula-
tions. gentleman sitting at the table with
Dr. Gray at the Cataract House had ten acres
of land within the city limits, which he offer
ed for $1,000 three weeks ago. A few days
since, he sold it for $1,000 The parties who
bought it have sold part of it in town lots
at the rate of $40 600 for the whole. Auoth-
or plot of five acres was offered for S340O
The man who bought half of it sold five lots
for enough to pay for the whole, and had
seven lots left These are extreme but not
infrequent cases. The land is divided into
blocks, each containing twelve lots A feet
trout by $50 deep Farm lands are selling
very rapidly Quarter sections (l6O acres)
sell for SiOO to $4,000 in this county. Many
20 farther west to look, and come back here
to settle.
seen corn planted on last years wheat stubble
without plowing Oats are sown without
blowing and covered with cultvators. But it
pays to do the work more thoroughly. The
soil is rich aud mellow Heavy rains do not
pack it as in the Mississippi valley. The
farmer needs to wait but few hours after a
rain before he can go into the fields to work.
III ,o;I 10 n r;cb Ioa,n two IN four foot daap
underlaid with stratum OF clay which holds
the water in reserve for dry times. The dews
are very heavy. In the morning, after a
clear night, the ground looks as though there
had been a shower. The morning air is very
refreshing DR.. Gray thinks it is like seq air
aud as invigorating.
We see new buildings starting up in town
and country every week. Work is to com
mence next week on the new Baptist college
which has been located here Carpenters are
working over time to hurry buildings along
faster. We must confess that the longer we
stay the better we like. DIR. Gray has not had
a single sick spell, such as he frequently had
in Brattleboro, since he came. He is gaining
in health and strength every day has rented
house, and together We have rented hand.
some office aud settled down for business
We meet good many Verm onters here, all
of whom say they would not go back east to
live for anything. Among the number are
G. W. Hubbard and wife, formerly of Brat
tleboro. Mr.. Hubbard is supern tendent OF
the Queen Bee Touring mill here. Dexter j.
Knapp, formerly of Dummerston, is our near
est neighbor. He is doing thriving business
in real estate. L. d. Henry, formerly Of
Windsor has been till recently principal of the
high school here r. F. Pettigrew, from Lud-
low, is Congressman from this district d.
h. Bailey, formerly a prominent lawyer of st.
Adams, came hero to be cured of consump-
ton. His 200 pounds weight attests his sue
cess.
We are to celebrate the Fourth in good
style. One of the attractions will be 200 In
dams from the Flandreau reservation. They
will be dressed in their native costumes, and
will give their war dances and other perform
auces.
If any of your readers desire papers from
here, or wish to ask any questions concerning
the country, I will gladly answer any commu-
nications. Yours truly, A. II. TUFTs.