Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-03-15
Another Dakota Letter.

st. Lawrence, Hand Co., D. T., March g. 1888.
Editors Irebaae.:-I thoughta few
items for your paper, which is read
by SO many in and around Mineral
Point who want me to write them
about this wonderful country, would
he the easiest way to comply with
their requests
Parties having desire to come 20
Dakota to get a home, had better do
so. think this one Of the few
starting points to prosperity-an eX-
ceptionally good place for poor
man. But he must make up his
mind to trough it, for while, and
content himself with a separation
from his nearest a d dearest friends
who are left behind This section
of the territory is being taken up
very fast, so that the lonesomeness
of Dakota farm life is mrch less
than pictured by many.
My advice to those who have
fairly comfortable homes in Wis
cousin, and want 10 come to this
country, il, don get excited and sell
everything you have like a great
many have done, not knowing where
he is going to locate. 1t is nothing
less than acting like a fellow with
his eyes blind folded Green fields
of Imagination look well, but they
are by no means a certainly. | think
4 If man wants To come 10 this
country, who has a farm, it will pay
/ him TO rent ii, come out here and
look around, and should he like it.,
secure 100 acres Of Ian 4, prove up,
etc before letting 90 what healready
has. But come if you feel like do
ing SO, and see for y urself, aud then
you will have no one to blame but
yourself should disappointment fol-
low. | like Dakota very well, l. is
a good grain country, and stock d
well here; but water is not SO plenti-
/ fnl as it is in old Visions, nor can
a man go out and chop down tree
when he waits to, as he will have
to walk quite distance ere he finds
one still there Is some very fine
timber hereabouts, which, however,
is scarce.
Well, the grain raised here last
season was on sod, most it being
flax. The yield was very good; Flax
went from 10 to Is bushels per acre;
wheat from % to 80, and oats from
rs to 100; all on sod, remember.
There was one fellow who had Il
patch Of corn and patch of pota
toes, and the corn grew SO tall that
the sun had to back up and go around
and come up through the potato
patch, so he says-had to take his
w"rd for it. And it wont do to at
tempt to raise pumpkins, for the
vines grow so fast that they wear out
the fruit dragging it along the
ground(?) so they say.
Dakota is generally considered a
terrible place for bIizzaads. | have
been here almost one year and have
failed to see any as yet. The Win
tiers here are not SO bad as some
would make them ont to be, at least
the one Just ended has not been.
We have had very pleasant Win
Ter. OF course it has been cold, but
not so cold as has been experienced
in Wisconsin or Minnesota. 1t was
80 degrees below zero one morning,
and only one. Have had about
seven or eight inches of snow, all
told, and very little wind. Stoc k
could go out and feed all Winter
with the exception of one day. Then
we don't have those damp and dis
agreeable storms like you have in
Wisconsin 1t is clear and dry, 50
stock can stand it much better than
they can in Wis, and at this writing
they look as well rs they did last
Fall. Most all the snow has gone,
md we are having very nice weather
md il it keep so we will soon com
nence seeding. There has already
zen some wheat sown, but its hard
/ y time yet.
We have had some difiicu' ty in
.etting our mails this Winter, but
lou can't blame Dakota, for if it
we're not for Wisconsin and Mime
ota we would have received mails
ally. Would live in such a eoun
Try? No; SO brace up young men
I who have not any home, and come
III St. Lawrence, Hand Co, d. T..
I Come and see what Uncle sam has
cnt for you. Hurry up, rs it won't
t. long that such chances can be
embraced. seek, aud sc shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto
yYu.'' JANIS JEtFEEY.
s~sys> DE. ". T. CAMPBELL, of the
~ 1t. Louis Eye and Ear InGrm