Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-05-22

Commissioners:"H. D. Fisher, Chm, list DIST.
L. G. Wilson. I'd Dist, j. E. Sullivan.
SOUTHERN VIEW.
The South with Longing Eyes Looks
to the Great and Growing Importance
of the Northwest.
Galveston Daily News: Dakota terri
tory, If not divided, is destined to form
an empire state; imperial in its posi-
bilities no less than in the extent of its
magnificent domain. 1t is 4l4 miles
long, 800 miles wide, and has an area of
15O,932 square miles, or 96,596,4S0 acres.
1t is bounded on the north by Manito-
la, on the east by Minnesota and'Towa,
on the south by Nebraska, and on the
west by Montana and Wyoming. It is
nearly as large as France, and twice the
size of Great Britain. Not being on
the direct line of emigration and being
infested with Ineians;. Dakota was
Stunned by the white met: until points
further west were ptospected, explored
and settled. Allowed'territorial organ
ization in 1861. al malfstream of immi-
grafton ventured'to' the territory, but
was cut off in tie following year by
Indian massacres. AS late as 1875 there
were but 50,OOo'lnhabitants in the ter
ritory, mostly located III the southeast
and northeast corners, but the Black
Hillsgold excitement gave direction to
immigration, and in 1880 the population
mad increased to $4,000. This year
Dakota; is upon the lips of thousands
Who are directing their steps to it's
broad domain. 4 * The southern
section embraces the fertile valleys of
the Missouri, Sioux, Vermillion and
James rivers, the Sioux reservation, the
Black Hills mining country and the
d lands, d description of which will
be found under the head Of Nebraska,
#shith state shares them with Dakota.
The southeastern district which lies
south of the forty-sixth parallel and
east Of the Missouri river, may be con-
sfdered the corn-producing area, as that
grain grows there to perfection, and its
cultivation is the leading pursuit of
the farmers. The land is diversified,
presenting now the appearance of a
beautiful valley, then an undulating
r~Faasrije, and again a hilly country. The
Soil. in the valleys is particularly rich.
and that of the rolling pfairies' rich
though stony in places. * 4 The
Black Hills, in southwestern Dakota,
cover an area of about 4ObO square
miles. Their bases are Al; an average
elevation of 2OOO'feet above sea-level,
and the highest peaks are under 1000
feet. 4 There are no marshes in
Dakota, but the eastern section of the
stase contains many beautiful lakes,
the largest Of which, the Nina Waken,
or Devils lake, covers about 100000
acres. Extensive forests Of pine and
other useful wood are found in the
Black Hills, but beyond there and the
cottonwood groves along the Missouri,
and the partially timbered shores of
the lakes and rivers, the territory may
be said to be treeIesss.' : i
Dakota is we'll watered. the MISC
ouris,'in IT'S diagonal course from the
northwest to the southeast, receives
the Little Missouri, Big Knife. Heart,
Grand MAeoreap,,' Big Cheyenne, White
and Niobrara rivers, from the west and
from the north and east, the little Mud
dy, White Earth, Beaver, Cheyenne,
Yermillion and Big. Sioux. The north
eastern section Of the territory is drait-
ed by the Red river, Of. the, North and
its tributaries, while the head waters
Of the Minnesota, which.discharge into
Chg Mississippi, rise on the eastern bor-
der Tie Dakota is about 600 miles
long: Itrises about. forty miles south
Of Devils lake, and traversing a beau.
tiful country through its, entire dis
tance empties into the Missouri a, few
miles east Of Yankton. The Big Sioux
runs parallel with. the Dakota, about
City miles east Of it. It discharges in
to Che Missouri at Sioux City. Water
free from alkali or other disagreeable
ingredients is attainable ALMOST every
where IN the territory at. from fifteen
TO forty feet below the surface. : *
4 The value Of cereals, 1883, was $16,-
434,77o, as follows: Corn, $2,2l1,775;
wheat, S11,612,1eo; oats, %$2,52o,0oo; rye,
PCS, 1892; barley, s292,405; buckwheat.
s2,63s. Since 1880 thenumber of farms
in the territory and their value have
nearly doubled. The value On ration,
al estimate increased from. $22,40l, OSA
in 1880 to s4o,Ooo,o0o,i in 1888, while the
cost of farming implements and ma
ehinery increased from $2,390,091 in
1880 to $4,5o0,OoO in 1883. The census
reported the live stock of the territory
in 1880 at 41,67o:Aorses, ss,7oa mules and
asses, 11,4ls working oxen. 4o,572 mich
COWS, $685. other, CATTLE 1924 sheep,
lambs not included; 63,394. swine; and
fha foflowin9 dairy, nrOHuctS- 11tftar