The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-08-08
A Letter From Dakota.
ARTHUR, Oak, July 81, 1888.

ARTHUR, OAK, July 81, 1884.
Editor RegiSter and JOuTRdi:-
Lately have been thinking that per-
haps the readers of your paper would
be interested in a description of this
territory, concerning which so much is
being said and written. Prompted by
these convictions, | have concluded to
write an article and forward il to your
paper for publication.
| presume that all of your readers
know that Dakota is yet a new coun-
try, and is comparatively still in an cx.
perimentll state. Where, only few
years ago, the buffalo and Indian roam
ed undisturbed, today are waving fields
of grain and thriving villages. Dakota
is world-renowned for her wheat pro-
auctions. Some of these wheat fields
are a marvel to beh ld, covering acres
and acres in area, and extending far
away before the eye i'll one unbroken
mass of vivid green. ! hardly know
which is the prettier sight, the wheat
fields as they look today, or as they
looked when | first beheld them nearly
IA year ago, when the wheat was ready
tor harvesting. Instead of threshing
by horsepower as is customary in the
East, the wheat is all threshed by steam
threshers in the field. Farming is &C,
complished more easily than it is in the
East, more labor being done by ma.
chinery and less by man. Riding the
sulky pillow over perfectly level land,
which does not contain stone or
stump, does not seem very laborious
task. Here, small stone is called a
rock, and Slight elevation in the
prairie is designated hill. The appel
lalions cause IA smile as think of the
genuine articles back in Vermont. The
soil is rich, black loan, and garden
vegetables grow TO all uncommon size.
The smaller fruits can be grown in
abundance; but the cultivation of APP
pies as yet has proved failure. The
climate during the summer months is
delightful, but the winters are long and
severe. During the warm weather
Dakota is indeed a land of sunshine
and flowers, but when the frost comes
the country looks dreary enough. Here
the much-discussed blizzard is reality.
When the storm is raging the outside
world is one rushing, driving mass of
binding snow, Travelling at such times
is impossible, and it is dangerous to ven
ture even few rods from dwelling.
Dakota is land of adventurers. Here
one sees people from all parts of the
world, all seeking the delusive god
dess-fortune. To many Dakota has
proved an Eldorado, but many more
have their ambitions still unsatisfied.
Here, as well as in other parts of the
world, energy and perseverance are
needed in order to succeed. The man
who comes here with little or no ener-
gy is apt to return to his friends no
richer than when he left them. This
is the class that give such doleful &C.
counts OF the barren country and UNI
endurable climate. Such one is ex-
pressively termed a tender-foot by his
more courageous western brother.
think this western country is peopled
by the most enterprising, energetic and
courageous class of people the world
contains. This is due, think, to the
fact that no indolent, discouraged peo-
pie remain here long. Many who came
here only few years ago, with no
means and perhaps expensive families
are now the owners of desirable farms,
and comfortable homes. Nearly every
body who comes to Dakota with the in
tention OF remaining, invests in gov
eminent land. In some counties a
good many young ladies are land own
ers. 1t is said that some of these yonng
ladies reside alone during the time they
are obliged to remain on their land in
order to secure it. They all have the
reputation of being proficient in the
use of the firearm, which accounts for
their being unmolested by the tramps
and roughs, of which this territory has
its share. ! fear this phase of western
life Will not prove attractive TO the
timid eastern young lady who is fright
ened into commissions at the sight of a
snake or mouse. Since being in Da-
kota | have had an opportunity of see
ing the famous cowboy, and | can
truthfully say that he is not such ter
ror rs he is generally represented as be-
ing. 1t is said that many of these cow
boys come West in search of health or
adventure and belong to cultured east
ern families. Though western life has
its attractions, there are some features
that are not so pleasing. One, in par
ticular, is the amount of intemperance
that prevails throughout the country.
If the jealous temperance ladies of Mid
dlebury have reformed all the Middle
bury drunkards, they can find an ex-
tenslve field for labor in Dakota. Fear
ing that the length of my article will
prove one of the objections against its
being published | will close by assur.
ing my readers that, unlike some writ