Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-05-02
DAKoTA.'
AS Seen by a st. Louis Journalist.

"Among all the regions of the earth
this young Dakota land is in many re-
spscts without a rival or peer in vast
ness of area, variety and exhaustless-
of resources, inaYigorating qualities
of climate, intelligence, energy and en-
terprise of it's population, and develop
ment, it is without an equal among the
states and territories Of the union. 1T
is as large as all the New England
states, New York, New Jersey, Della
ware and half Of Pennsylvania com
bined. 1t is as far in a straight line
from Pembins on it's northern oounda-
~, to Yanktoa on its southern, as from
Chicago 10 Mempnis from Ontario to
Washington, or from New York to Rsa-
leigh, N. G. From its northwestern to
its southeastern corner is as long a
journey a from st. Paul to New York,
or from Burlington to New Orleans.
In this mighty, breezy, sweet and lake
gemmed domain lie the greatest wheat
fields, the largest gold mines, and the
greenest pasture lands upon the face Of
the globe. Its climate is better than all
the porous-plasters, liver preambula-
tors, and lung halsams, that auack's or
chemists skill ever Invented. Its mer-
ry zephyrs, which untutored barbarians
of the outside world sometimes decry
as %blizzards, sweep all miasma and ma
laria away from its rich soil and beau
teous valleys and plains; and all SLAM
ders about the arctic frigidity Of it's
winters, may be silenced by a glance at
any reliable map. The northermost
line Of Dakota is a hundred miles south
of the southermost point of England,
and Fembina, on the Manitoba line, is
in precisely the same latitude as Paris.
Crops, ideas, people, fortunes and ev-
erything else grow SO fast that it makes
a doWn-easter's head swim like a fish
ing cork in amaelstromto watch them.
1t is not strange that the jewellers in
this realm without a parallel should be
somewhat different from the common
folks. Nowhere else beneath the sun
was there ever gathered such a pioneer
population. Nohickory shirts and hob
nailed raWhide boots; no log cabin and
coon.skin caps; no numbering old OK
wagons, full of tow-headed brats with
a h%alf-dozen brindle dogs trotting along
between the wheels; no coarse home
spun hog hominy. Our pioneers come
in palace CARS, reading the latest novel,
or Longfellow's rhythmic twaddle about
'The land of the Dakotah's,' which al
ways reminded me of a two tailed dog
with a tin can tied to each. Their cos
tunes tell of jaunts to Saratoga and
their wives are up in all the mysteries
of Worth, Demprest and Butterick, and
familiar with the newest agonies in
opera airs and dance steps. All farm
work is done by machinery. The
ground is broken by sulky plows, the
sowing done by seeders, the golden
grain is harvested with se%lf-bindine
reapers, and thrashed 10y steam, while
the engine feeds itself with straw for
fuel. Our grangers farm with tailor.
made suits, with kid gloves on their
bands, and diamonds blazing in their
shirt fronts, while the dainty cambria
handkerchief, with which they carry
on gentle firtations with toll, give forth
the soft fragrance of neW-mown hay.
wild rose or jockey club.
Such opportunities, such advantages,
such beWildering chances to combine
labor and luxury, profit and pleasure.
fortune and fun, could not long escape
the notice Of the working millions in
other and less favored lands, and the
growth of this far northern elysium.
this modern paradise regained, has
amazed the world until it's eyes stick
out s~nail-fashion past it's hat-rim. SC
that you might rake them off with a
stick. All the tabled power OF Alad-
din's old brass lamp, made of politi-
clans cheek, has sunk to feebleness.
and all it's miraculous tricks have
grown tame and commonplace. All
the tales of oriental magic, all the 10
nah'sgourds and mushroom-like castles
and palaces builded by e%nchanter's
spells in the dewfall of night, have
dwindled to nothingness beside the ev-
cry day realities Of Dakota progress"
A Swlnish Monstrosity.
Knox County GNeh.l TimeS.-Ne