Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-11-09
FROM DAKOTA.
Sioux FALLS. DIT. Oct. %.

Sioux FALLS, d. T., Oct. 30, 1888.
Editors PhGniE Dear Sirs. It may be
interesting to some of your readers to know
something about the cost of living in this
country compared with New England have
taken some pains to post myself in this mat
ter, and will endeavor to give you the facts.
House rent is high. A house with six good
rooms, located near the business centre, rents
for $50 per month, or nearly twice what the
same house would cost in Brattoboro. Good
maple wood costs $3.50 per cord delivered
hard coal, $11,5O per ton; soft coal, $3.50.
Servant girls demand SO per week. Groce-
ries are about the same as in the East Best
-four, 81 to Ss 80 per barrel meat, to 10
cents per pound potatoes, 20 to 20 cents per
bushe and other native vegetables cores
pondingly cheap butter 15 to % cents per
pound eggs, 10 to 10 cents per dozen milk
cents per quart. Fruit is higher than in
the East, but is plenty in the market Small
fruits flourish well here, and will soon be
more abundant and cheaper. Dry goods are
as cheap here as anywhere. Custom-made
clothing costs about 20 per cent. more here
than in the East. The higher prices are due
to the work all being done by men. Ready
made clothing is no higher here than else
where. Carpets furniture and stoves, think,
are 3 to 10 per cent. higher than in the East,
because of high freights. Crockery is very
cheap. Drugs are about the same as in the
East Every line of business is well repre-
sented, large stocks of goods are kept and
competition keeps the prices down. The low
price of meats, vegetables and some other ar
tices will quite make up for high rents and
the high price Of fuel so that on the whole
one can live here as cheaply as in the East
1t costs but little to keep horse or COW. Hay
costs 81 per ton oats 20 to 30 cents bushel,
according to the season. Just now freights
are very high but our townspeople are tired
of being bled by the railroads, and in order
| to get better railroad facilities and to enable
them to make this Wholesale and iobbing
town, have organized 4 railroad company of
their own, and will build a road to connect
with some line not interested in any one now
running into Sioux Falls probably the Illi-
nois Central This is pretty good lustra.
ton of the enterprise of our business men.
They do not sit down and wait for railroads
to come, but if they cannot get satisfactory
terms, they go to work and build a road of
their own.
Among the new enterprises that have start
ed here since last wrote you is pork packing
house, which is to be conducted on a large
scale and bids fair to be a great benefit to the
city. Another is brick yard for the manu-
facture of cream colored pressed brick, which
it is claimed are fully equal to the St Loui,
pressed brick. Most of the business blocks
that have been building this summer are com
pleted, and new stores are daily being opened
The Queen Bee Touring mill is in full blast
G. W. Hubbard, formerly of Brattleboro, i,
engaged in getting out paving stone from on,
of the inexhaustible quarries here. The new
polishing mill will soon be in operation
and before long Sioux Falls jasper grant,
will be seen all over the East in mantels, tabl,
tops, and other articles of household furni
ture The Baptist college opened here thi
fall is being liberaliy patronized, and promis
es soon to become an institution Of which any
city might justly be proud.
The weather here is much like that of tn,
same season in Vermont We feel the wind
AIOAb1 bNNhNoO VIC NO hot ilhNc Auo hlllb hllN
woods to protect us. There was a slight SNOW
fall October Goth. Times are fully as goot
here as in other parts of the country. None!
is rather scarce now, and finds ready mar
ket at 10 to ~ per cent. Some of your read
ers who are getting but four to six per cent
would do well to send their money to thi
country, where they can readily get eight t.
ten on long loans with good security. Farm
ers can afford to pay such rates to invest il
land and stock. Immigration still continues
and there is no let-up i'll the building boom
Mechanics are in demand at good wages Ii
such place as this there are always goo
openings for live men. Somebody coul
make bonanza by opening planning mi
here and manufacturing moudings, doors
sash, blinds etc. Much of such work is nov
done by hand There is also good openn
for green house and nursery.
As winter approaches, with changes c
weather and storms, we have more sicknes
than during the summer season, and we
not have to spend so much time patient
waiting for patients. Winter will soon b
upon us l will write you again, and tell 20
about a winter in Dakota. Yours truly,
A. H. TUFrs.