The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-08-08
GREAT NORTHWEST.
OUTLOOK IN DAKOTA
And Ainatsota-The Country Visited by R.csn,
stefn' nct 40 Badli 'Dsva,taied After all.
Bonatrt tfarms-J.m.stown and Brain.
.d ssd-TrIp to lin Rl,tr Ysll.r, ID.
Special Correspondence oit.e In,el,ioenesr.

i. ssd-Trlp to Jim Rlssr Waller,
! special Correspondence ofhe Inttlieener.
BRAiNsRD, MINI, August THE recen
severe hail and rain storms in Dakota an,
. Minnesota have caused a good deal o
!. alarm aa to tho damage done to crops.
have just returned from flying trip to th,
Red River, Cheyenne md Jim River coun
counties, for the purpose Of obtaining 70
liable crop statistics, and will give youl
readers the benefit Of my observations.
| l cannot in the limits Of this article give
more than passing mention to Fargo,
Valley City, Tower City, Crookston, James.
town and other thrifty towns in the great
wheat belt, but shall reserve that pleasure
ior some future letter. The crop prospects,.
no doubt, will be moro interesting aub-
jscs at present. will say, therefore, in
beginning, that from actual observation.
embracing all the 1m
| STORM BEATEN TERRITORY.
The extent OF the damage is very small
compared with the total area. The couu.
ties Of Barnes, Ransom and Cass, in Dakota,
all suffered some, aud the loss will be
many hundreds Of ecres Of wheat. The
loss will be heayies. on oats, comparatively,
as that grain was blown down more on &C.
count OF the rank growth OF straw, and
much OF 1t will not straighten up 80 thas it
can be harvested. In the reighborhood of
Tower City we cav hundreds OF ac,ea Of
foe wheat that would have yielded thirty
bushels to the acre lying flat on the ground,
tho work Of the heavy hail. The total
amount OF wheat damaged and totally de.
stroyed ia about 2 800 acres, AZ near as can
be estimated. About 1000 acres Of osts
are entirely ruined end much more severely
damaged. But thia Is very email amount
compared with the totsl acresge and will
cut no figure in the average crop. With
the exception OF this storm the condition
Of the crops slong ths Northern Pacific
road snd branches in Dakota, and also in
the R:d River vailsy,is very good, although
not all that could be desired. The wheat
crop Of Dakota this year will be good one,
but 1t will not bs es large as many reports
sent ou. to the daily papers have declared.
Many fields will yield '225 bushels to the
acre-nesr jamestown we SAW soms that
would 20 as high as 30-but the maiority
will not go over IS bushels. 1: is probably
sale estimate to place the average yield
at 20 bushels. The acreage has increased
very largely and the total yield will be
greatly in excess Of last year.
BONANZA FARMS.
This is the country OF the great bonanza
farmers. Think OF the Dalrymple farm, of
$1,000 acses, with 10000 acres in wheat.
We met On the train, between Valley CITY
and jamestown, Col. W. F. Steele, an en-
terprising young Dakota farmer, who has
l. 1000 acres Of whes: in the vicinity Of the
town of Steele, which he founded lew
years rgo. Steele is young man not over
thisty-warm. hearted, impulsive and gen.
erous to fault, an Intelligent, progressive
and popular citizen OF the richest and
greatest territory in the country, which in
| all probability he will at no diatsnt day
represent in the National legislature at
Washington. In company with Col. Steele
WAS Alexander Mcketz zie, also young
man, but the moH. prominent and perhaps
the most influential politician in the terri
tory. Alexander is "a two millionaire, a
shrewd politician, and zone OF the boys,"
He spoke very highly Of your Hon. 4. R,
Boteler, whom he met a. Bismarck in con-
nection with the inves.ipation OF the
charge against Governor Ofdway, and
asked me very particularly concerning the
political si.ua.ion in West Vi1giuis, about
which he msnifeeted no little interest,
We spent yesterday in jamestown, the
guests Of Mr.. B. NJ. Hicks, of the fuel firm.
Of Hicks, TopIif l. 90. Accepting an in.
yitation flom Mr.. Topliit, We rode behind
his spanking team come miles into the
country over the rich prairie table lands
which surround tho charming little city.
It was one Of the most interesting and i'm.
preesive rides Of my life. A vast and beau.
tiful prairie, now smooth and level, then
rolling with buttes in the distance, not
tree to bs seen in any direction, but com.
Portable farm house md cut-buildirgs upon
every section and half section, where but
few months ago not an improvement had
been made, or settler had come. Here
wac conjunction Of native wildnces and
civilization upon vast prairies; yesterday
the home Of wild brssts and Indians, and
to-day dotted with the mark Of cultivation
and improvement.
JAMESTOWN
is beautiful little city OF $500 people, 70.
mautically locsted upon the James river,
and surrounded by an amphitheatre OF low
hills which lead to the high table lands. 1t
is $40 miles northwest Of Minneapolis and
100 miles eest Of Bismarck. Although
only four r.year-oid it consains number
Of handsome business blocks, eeveral large
and costly public buildings, and
elegant priya,e residences which would
ornament any Of the EIstern citis. The
Asylum for the Insane cf the territory is
now in course Of erection here, and |
other buildings which will cost in
the aggregate at least 100000,
are going up. The town supports two daily
newspaper, one morning snd evening,
and both receive Associated Press dis.
patches. There ere also three
banks in the place. But one does
not wonder at the prosperity OF
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