Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-05-02
FROM DAKOTA.


WHO WILL TRY, IN A SERIES OF LETTERS, TO
DESCRIBE THE NEW NORTHWEST AS IT Is, AND
TELL THE TRUTH ON BOTH SIDES OF THE
sToRY-THE IMMENSE SIZE OF DAKoTA-THE
RED RIVER VALLEY.
The annual tide Of Dakota immigration is
at its flood As l see train load after train
load coming into the territory to settle on
these western praiies and make homes for
themselves, 1 am reminded that year has
already passed since came on a similar er-
rand, wondering just whore I should settle
and what 1 should do. l am reminded also
of purpose, for several weeks neglected, Of
writing a series of three or four letters to
The Phmnix, giving my impressions Of Da-
kota after years residence.
There is no lack of literature concerning
the Northwest. Railroad companies have
painted in gilded letters the advantages this
section of the country possesses over all 9th
ers. They have strewn pamphlets broad
cast throughout America and Europe and by
a systematic method of advertising have sue
ceeded in partially filling the new Northwest
with Heterogeneous population of foreigners
and Americans. Newspaper correspondents,
paid by railroads and land speculators have
sounded tho praises Of Dakota to the utter
most parts of the earth. boomers" of all
kinds have filled the country with literature
portraying in glowing language the "induce-
ments to settlers" offered by this "Garden of
the world" It is needless to say that this
class of literature doesn't present Dakota as
ii is. The writer's are not paid for telling the
whole truth. Their business is simply to
present one side of the case. They exaggor-
ate the advantages and suppress the disad-
vantages. They make special instances the
rule. They state as fact that which is only
rumor. Equally unreliable are the reports Of
young men who Ego west" with the expecta-
tion of finding gold nuggets scattered plenti-
fully over the land, or that riches can be had
for the asking. They come here expecting to
find case and plenty. They are disappointed
and dsgusted. They see only the hardships
and discouragements Of frontier life. They
report simply what they see. Neither are the
reports Of old men to be trusted-old men
who have lived all their lives in some quiet
New England village and become so attached
to their native towns that they are discon.
tented when away from them. Almost iu-
variably homesickness warps the judgment
Of such men.
No report can present an accurate picture
of the customs Of the people, the scenes of
life, and the business methods of the great
Northwest. During the last few months
have received several letters from acquaint-
ances, mostly young men, relative to the bus
iness opportunities here as compared with
those in the East. With one exception have
answered ALL come and see for yourself"
In nine cases out of ten this is the only sound
advice that can be given. So varied are the
tastes, the temperaments, the associations of
different individuals, that each one must de-
eide for himself where he will live and what
he will do. Advice on this subject is of lit
tie or no value.
During the time have been in the North
west l have tried to learn something OF the
country and the ways of the western people.
| What information and statistics l have gath
cred have been obtained from reliable sources.
l intend to make my home here. l like the
country. l like the people. But am not
"boomer," own no railroad stock l have
no lands to sell. have no motive for pre-
senting other than an impartial view of the
section of the country in which l live. That
section is the Red river valley. When
make a statement concerning land in the Red
river valley don't mean any land in Dako-
ta Dakota outside of the valley, know
nothing about. apprehend there is plenty
of poor land in Dakota, but you must re-
member Dakota is a large territory. Within
its boundaries is found a great variety Of
land ranging in fertility from the very best
to the very poorest
Perhaps the vastness OF the territory can
not be better illustrated than by comparing
il with the size of eastern states. You can
put ten states OF the size of Massachusetts,
into Dakota, and in the margin you can set
ten the size Of Connecticut, and in the mar
gin that still remaius you can set ten the size
Of Rhode Island, and out Of the territory thai
you have left you can form another state the
size of Massachusetts and three the size ol
Rhode Island Dakota is larger by over two
thousand square miles than the combined
area of Massachusetts, Rhode Island Con
necticut New Jersey, Delaware, En- gland
Ireland, Holland, Belgium and Switzerland
BY the census of 1880 Dakota contained {
population of 1876, 600, while the population
of the countries named was over fifty mil
lions, so you see there is plenty Of room il
Dakota yet. The shape of Dakota is nearl!
square-45O miles north and south, and 35(
east and west. Start from the northeast cor
ner, travel diagonRlly across the territory il
a straight line to the southwest corner. Nov
start from Brattleboro travel in the sam
direction, and when you have travelled tn
same distance you will be down in the stat
Of North Carolina one hundred and seventy
FIVE miles below Washington.
The Red River of the North, which form
a portion of the boundary line between Mir
nesota and Dakota, flows north and crosse
the international boundary line 90 miles froI
Lake Winnipeg into which it empties. Th
valley proper is 2GO miles long and 20 mile
wide so you see II forms only a small part {
the lands Of Dakota; and what may be sal
of land in this section of the territory woul
/ not necessarily apply to land anywhere els
Il in Dakota. But of the Red River valley
Is will speak more particularly in my next
II I, WuTTuFD