Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-06-20

Sioux FALLS, d. T., June II, 1884
Dear PhgHib' Perhaps few words from
your humble servant may be of some interest
to your many readers, and especially to those
who are thinking of leaving old Vermont to
make home in the far West. Before com
ing to Dakota | spent few days in Kansas
| City, Mo-, and also about the same length of
time in Topeka Kan. While in the latter
place had the good fortune to run across
several Brattleboro boys, among whom were
the two Barretts, Mr. Whitaker, Mr. Willis,
Mr. Mundell, and a lawyer named Frank Eos.
ter. The latter is well known to many Wind.
ham county people. They all seemed to be
doing well, but none of them would be will
ing to take the Bible in hand and swear by all
that is great and good that Topeka is a better
place to live in than Brattleboro, their old
home. Perhaps the lawyer would since he
belongs to class that is supposed to be will
ing to swear to anything; but the rest seemed
not quite satisfied with their future prospects,
Topeka seemed to me fine place, and think
could settle there and be contented but
not finding anything to do to suit me, came
on to Sioux Falls, where 1 think l will stay
awhile. (The prospect is that in few months
there will be pecuniary reasons why l should
stay.)
Dakota certainly is a fine country, and she
ought to have a great future. The outlook
this year is not quite as favorable as it has
been for the past few years-at least, that is
the case in this part Of the territory; but per-
haps whom business starts up throughout the
country she may 90 on booming with renewed
vigor, and make rapid strides towards devel-
oping her wonderful resources, which are now
lying comparatively dormant Ride in any
direction that you will from Sioux Falls, and
you will find but very few farmhouses, and
thousands upon thousands of acres of fertile
soil lying idle. To bo sure, stock-raising is
carried on to limited extent, but the coun-
try has scarcely begun to be developed. In
the city of Sioux Falls large brick blocks are
continually going up, to be used for stores
and offices but those are non producing, aud
do not develop country. What this country
needs is an influx Of farmers to improve the
idle lands lying just outside the city limits
They ought also to got in manufacturers and
utilize the water power, which is not much
used at present. The farmers and manufac-
turers would then make business for the brick
blocks. As it is now, it is a wonder to me
how all the merchants live unless they do as
Alanson Barrett says they do in Topeka--live
on one another
The people here, and especially the land
agonts-who, by the way, constitute large
portion of the community-aro very sanguine
over the prospects of the city, and are con
tinually telling how such piece of land could
have been bought a year ago for $50, but
which now is worth $500, and next year will
probably be worth $1,000, and a year later
$1,000, and so on indefinitely. All man has
got to do in this country is to buy a small
piece of land and then he can crawl into his
hole and wait for his land TO rise in value and
make him rich. Or he need not wait at all
he can buy his land and then sit down with
a pencil and piece Of paper, like the orange
growers Of Florida, and figure himself rich in
fifteen minutes II is not to be denied that
building lots which sold a year ago for a small
sum have doubled and trebled in value, Just
as these people say they have but that it is
to go on in the same ratio for years to come
no amount of talk can convince me until see
some prospect of the farming country being
developed more than it is at present. or il
manufacturing comes in, as no doubt it will
in time, shall begin to think that Sioux Falls
is to become great city.
There is no doubt in my mind that this
place is to become one of the great cities of
the Northwest, as the location is excellent aud
the people are of about the right sort, being
friendly to now comers and full of push and
energy. With them the place has got to
grow-there are no "ifs" in the way; and
they do not hesitate to make Investments in
the way Of land or business enterprises that
would astonish cautious New Englanders. To
illustrate a little Yesterday / WAS in the Of
fee of young and rising dentist of this city,
Il. f. Merrick by name, who kindly showed
me through his rooms. He has an operating
chair that cost over 500, little engine that
cost about the same, and other tools and fix
lures of about the same proportionAte value.
He said his entire outfit aside from the fur
niture Of the room, cost over S1OOO-whch
is pretty good for place Of about the same
number of inhabitants as Bratteboro.
The climate is something of which the good
people of Dakota can justly boast, 1 know
the idea is prevalent in the East that Dakota
is a land of billiards and cyclones, but judg
ing from what have seen there is no health,
Ter place in the United States than on these
boundless prairies, where the air is as pure as
pure can be. l suppose in winter it is cold,
but the air is dry and bracing, and the people
here from the East say they like the winters
very much. As to Billiards and cyclones,
have seen no one that knows anything about
them, and am told that this is belt through
which cyclones have never passed; they seem
TO take more southerly direction.
see Drs. Gray and Tufts every day also
young Bassett and Simpson, of Esteyville.
Charlie Johnson is here in "A bakery, and,
judging by the business he is doing, he must
be making money. DIR. Tufts is a whole
souled, joyial fellow, and is popular with all
classes. He is building up as good practice
as is possible in this healthy country. DIR.
Gray has fully recovered his health, but he
says it is too healthy here for doctor to get
rich. asked Mrs, Gray one day if she liked
Dakota. No." she replied with great deal
of energy, 81 do not" AS she seemed per-
fectly willing her friends should understand
her views on the subject, no harm can come
from giving publicity to her exact words
To sum up, will say in conclusion that
believe Sioux Falls is fine place to live in,
and for man who has little money it is an
excellent place to make an investment but
for a man to simply work out by the day l
see no advantage over Brattleboro or other
places in the East. If any of my friends
wish further information in regard to Sioux
Falls, shall be glad to answer all inquiries.
Yours truly,
E. p. WHITE.
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The RUINED CLIFF CITY, discovered in Al
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