Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-08-01
BACK FROM THE MOUNTAIN,
The Railroad Travelling Passenger
Agents Trip.

From Our staff Correspondent.
Well, we have thoroughly seen the
Turtle mountain, and the Turtle noun
tain country. In company with the
travelling passenger agents of the Mani.
toba railway, S. l.. Warren and E. P.
Allen, Albany, New York; II. F. Nc
Nally and j. NJ. Hutchins, Toronto; A.
w. Browning and E. G. Lawrence, Chi
cago; Ed Fishback, Indianapolis; Ray
Allen, Harrisburgh, Pa; VIM. Abel,
Milwaukee, and E. G. Jaflray, Des
Moines, Ia, we left this city on Friday
morning, taking the trail via Cando, the
county seat OF Towner county. Almost
from the moment one rounds the cor.
ner OF the Benham House he is struck
by the beauty OF the country before
him. An hours ride took us into the
grand Freshwater lake region. which
must soon become one of the very best
sections. Our trail to this point was
over the richest and most fertile rolling
prairies, which, during the past year,
have undergone a great change, mas
much as thousands Of acres today bios
som forth with = wheat crop the sight
OF which must gladden. the heart of the
~husbandman who was fortunate enough
to cath on" to a claim. "What mag
niticent crops y was the exclamation OF
all, and the enthusiasm of the Manito-
bas' missionaries" knew no bounds AS
mile after mile of wheat and Other
crops was passed.
For probably twenty miles the scene
Just described was continually recurring,
and when it did end the attention of the
party was attracted by the beauty. the
grandeur, Of the country, which seemed
to b~eegrowing more striking the further
north we went. The prairies, but Il year
ago unhroken and ~unoccupicd, are now
dotted with the homes of settlers, while
the waving grain surrounding them
completed q picture that %astonishcd
even our correspondent, who prided
himself on knowing pretty mucl, what
was "going on II of town." Flooding
their cheerful and hopeful way north.
ward we passed many cmigrants with
heavily packed "prairlc schooncrs,'
bound for all points Of the country, the
principal objective points being Dun.
seth and Bottincau. Onward for forty.
five miles northwest over the same roll
ing prairie. lotted here and there with
pretty fresh water lakes. We continue,
our way, and Cando, referred to before
was reached. 1t is a promising settle
mcnt, advantageously located, and il
the looked for iron horse finds ITS wa,
near there ii must become an importan,
point. Here we net Judge J. w. Har
dee, an enterprising officer and citizen
who vourhsafcd Il great deal ofyaluabl.
information. The Judge gave it as his
opinion that much of the wheat in tina
ncighborhood would yield as high ~
thirty-tive bushels to the acre, and from
the appearance Of the growing grain
there is certainly 70 reason to doubt the
judges word. Towner county. he said
had received a most gratifying increase
to its population this year, and 50 well
pleased were the new conner with the
outlook and crop prospect that they
predict a very large influx Of settlers in
1856. This year there are in crop in
this county land remember the county
only organized in January, 1884 G4Gj
acres Of wheat, 300 acres Of oats and
9S5 acres of barley.
On up through the Big coulce coun.
try, passing New Chicago, Island Lake
and other places en- route, we reached
Dunseith. the county seat Of Rolette
county. This thriving place is beauti.
fully situated at the base OF the noun.
tain on Willow river. To properly de.
scribe the surrounding country would
require more space and time than have
been placed at u disposal, and we lei
it suffice to say that it was charming in
the extreme. After a short trip into
the mountain north of Dunseith to the
coal mine, where we were shown splen
did samples of coal by Mr.. Dinner, who
also explained the process Of mining tt
be introduced there and the extent o
the mines. Retracing our way to the
trail skirting the foot OF the mountain
we made our way to Bottineau, thu
county seat Of Bottineau county. Will.
passing along we were struck by thu
number and beauty Of the fresh waite
streams rushing and buhbling down tn
mountain SIDE, and members Of tn
party were not slow in predicting tina
in a few years much Of this water powe
would be utilized for manufacture,
purposes, for thousands Of acres of tn
mountain are thickly covered with
splendid growth of timber. Our for
ward movement terminated at Botti
neau, Of which place great things ar
expected. 1t certainly is prettily an
advantageous1y located, and with tn
extension Of a percentage Of the rail
ways looked for to its borders it will