Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-10-10
SOUTHERN DAKOTA.

we are neither of us very old yet, at least
we don't own to the fact-when a journey
three hundred miles west of Austin would
consume considerable time and be attend
ed by many dangers to fellows scalp
locks. But that time is packed away in
some back number Of the history of cur
| rent events to be referred to hereafter only
| to "adorn moral Or point a TAIL" Or
words to that effect. Now one can dine
at Austin, sup in Northwestern Iowa,
and by carly bedtime he in the land Of
the Dakotahs. The scientific way to do
this is, at the witching hour of 9 p. NJ,
there or thereabouts, to step aboard the
Mason City train on which in a surpris
ingly short space Of time you will be
wheeled 10 Mason City where change
of cars occurs. At Algona, fifty miles
further on, a sleeper is attached to the
train and by the time one is fairly settled
in that; supper at Sanborn is announced
where there is a daisy of an eating house,
a veritablc edition in miniature Of War
rem Fox's Portage City eating house
Another ride Of two hours takes one to
the valley Of the Big Sioux river at Can
ton, the point where the railway crosses
into Dakota. At Marion junction q
station some 40 miles west OF Canton a
branch line extends in a south-Westerly
direction to Running Water, and at this
junction the train over the branch road
lays over till daylight. During the night
the Company's business car containing
Supt. SanborA and his corps of assistants,
was attached to the train. AS often as Il
station was reached this energetic, untir-
ing Superintendent would emerge from
his car in his shirt sleeves and infinitely
| inspect every thing in and about the de-
pot and warehouses. He appears to be
as familiar with all the detail of his great
Division as he is plain and democratic in
his manners and habits, and as he seemed
bent on making a close and critical cX-
! animation OF the affairs Of every station
our progress was necessarily slow, but
the train finally reached Running Water.
The snail-like pace at which the train
| moved was compensated for somewhat
| by the fact that ample time was afforded
the enquiring traveller to view and gain
information about the country, and it is
only justice to say that the face Of all
that country is exceptionally fine and the
crops good. No frost had appeared
heavy enough to injure the crops, or even
the vines. Running Water is small
place situated on the north bank of the
big Muddy" missouri rivcr) as it is cal
led. AS we neared this place there was
presented to the eye Il sight very closely
resembling that of the air filled with
drifting snow. It wasn't snow though,
but proved to be Missouri river sand.
all day long the.winds continued to blow
and kept the air filled with sand. If the
Government of the United States should
decide to start Il training school for the
education Of politicians, and no one can
safely bet that it won't, Running Water
is the place at which the institution
should be located Every one knows
that to be anything of success in politics
a man must have sand, and be able to eat
dirt, and here is The place to get the one
| and learn to do the other in the shortest
possible time. Whenever the wind
blows the inhabitants mouths, eyes and
ears are filled with sand and as the WIND
blows nearly all the time, it follows as Il
logical conclusion, that the denizens Of
that interesting locality are most always
eating dirt. AS described by recent
writer the Missouri is as ugly as it can be,
a combination Of water, clay and sand
with just enough Of the former to make
it pliable. 1t is as uncertain as the hind
leg Of playful mule. You never know
where to find it. 1t is the dividing line
between Nebraska and Dakota and
several other states, and for thousands of
years it has been working like huge
large serpent between bluff and bluff.
Its banks like snow banks and saving
banks are liable to go to pieces at any
time. The channel is constantly chang
ing and the proud possessor to day of a
fine farm may awaken in the morning to
find that he has traded his crop of corn
for 80 acres OF mud and water. Crossing
at Running Water to the Nebraska side
of the Missouri one reaches first the site
OF the old town Of Ni0brara which was
drowned out two years ago, and next,
more than two miles distant from the
river, what is known as new town, about
the only thing new about it however is
the prefix to the name. The new town
seems to have been made up almost
wholly of old buildings moved from the
submerged town which are in all stages
of completion, and the. town as a whole
presents decidedly shabby appearance
A few hours spent in a trip up the valley
Of the Niobrara river, past the Indian
reservation, which, as is usually the case
with Indian reservations, is very hand
some land, and we return to Running
Water and Marion junction. West of the
last named place on the main line Of the
Iowa and Dakota Division of the railway,
| are many thriving towns, prominent
among which are Mitchell an active bust
ling little city of over 5000 inhabitants,
and Plankinton also growing young
town. Two of these embryo cities bear
the historic names respectively of Mount
Vernon and Yorktown. Still further on
and within a few miles of the Missouri is
sharp little town called "Kimball" nam
! ed in honor either of our esteemed fellow
citizen D. P. r. Kimball, of Waltham, or
his son Frank, who was once a Commits
sioner Of Mower county, but who now
occupies position of great trust and re-
sponsibility on the railway in the depart
ment of civil engineers. Chamberlain
the next point of any prominence is locat-
ed on the Missouri at the present terminus
of the c. NJ. s. St. P. Ry. Co.'S. projected
line to Deadwood. 1t is built on side
hill high above the river and when it is a
little older and presents a more finished
appearance it will undoubtedly be pref
ty place. It seems to be peopled with
live energetic business men and yet it can
hardly be characterized as thriving. This
condition of things is easily accounted
for when it is known that on all sides, ex-
cept the south and southeast, it is hem.
med in by Indian reservations, upon which
the white man is not allowed to work
and the. noble red man won't. -Four
miles down the river is the Brule agency
and S5 miles up the river at Fort Tbomp-
son is the Crow Creek agency. Midway
between Chamberlain and Fort Thomp
son is Fort Hale, where are stationed two
companies of colored troops, the kind
that fought so nobly during the war you
know Well, in sending negro troops tc
garrison frontier posts, the government
made decided hit and added another
bit of evidence to establish the theory
that the Diety has created nothing il
vain. Heretofore the soldiers sent out
to guard the frontier have fought the RED
skins with powder and ball and generally
have been Numerically cleaned out, but
that style is all done away with now. Il
is true the negro soldiers are still drilled
in marching and in the manual of arms
but that is only for holiday occasions
As matter of fact, the only weapon the
negro soldier uses when engaged in bat
tie with the Indians is his head, and the
only protection he has or cares to have il
a plate of armor placed inside his pant
legs over the shin bones. The only man
ouver practiced in engagements is the
charge bayonet. This is executed by The
negro soldier advancing on the dOnhlt