davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-05-08

turned flat over, that is not kinked or
twisted; and to do this requires pillow
with Il share very sharp. and set exactly
right. A good job" of breaking will
when complete, resemble the regular.
ity of flooring; each furrow maintaining
its own continuity. tor long distances,
without break. The share must be
thin and sharp, to cut and not tear the
roots; and it is kept so by the use of
files and hammers. The steel Is of O
soft nature; and each plowman carries
q hammer and small piece of iron,
with which when the edge becomes
thickened by use lie draws" it out cold
to a thin edge, and then rul,s his file
over it till it is sharp throughout its
length.
The breaking should be thin,
two or two and one-half inches is quite
sufficient and thinner is not objection
able, if it Is to he ''backset, (which by
all means it should be. When so
turned and laid fiat at the proper sea-
son, the growth of srring,is not at once
arrested; but goes on for few DAYS,
until the juices of the plant, under the
heat engendered by turning the soil
fatty over, thus excluding the air in q
measurc) set up fermentation which
results in the speedy destruction of the
tough roots composing the sod; in pop
ular language, it rots. If the breaking
DC imperfectly done so that air gets to
the grass and at once dries up and kills
it, or if it be done at the wrong season of
the year, when the natural juices are not
III sufficient supply, the sod will not rot
quickly, hut will be kicking around in
the fields for years like mass of horse
hair and mortar, aud cultivation will be
hard and crops deficient in quantity.
Breaking is usually done with three
stout horses. and IA or 16-inch walk
ing pillow. Many use sulkies with three
or four horses, and few Use gangs, or
two plows set is frame with or 6
horses. These turn two II, or II
inch burrows. and will break 4 to 5
acres per day while the sulky and
walking plows will turn to 3 acres
each.
The LIST of July having arrived, if the
season has heen favorable Ii. e. showery)
the breaking first done will be found
fairly rotted; and the bAcksetting
should commence. In this operation
the pillow is run the same. way as the
land was broken, hut shonld be set
down at least inches lower than the
turning back the sod, and
the loose dirt on top of it. This
requires when thoroughly done, even
greater power of team than breaking;
and the hand plows are difficult to keep
To- the work. But upon it's being we'll
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-05-08
Gordon's Eyes.
From the Pail Mall Gazette.

From the Pail Mall Gazette.
Gordon was not one of the nc-eyed
heroes of history. Here is what Mr..
Stannard says of the extraordinary fas-
cination of his eyes: "What eyas they
were! keen and clear, filled with the
beauty of holiness; bright with an I'M
natufal brightness: their expression
one Of settled feverlshnes; their color
blue gray. as is the sky on bitter
March morning, know not what Of
feet those eyes had OH all he came in
contact with, though, from the unfail-
ing aud willing obedience with which
his orders We're carried ont, I fancy
that, to some extent, lie uuconsciously
mesmerized nine out of ten to do his
will, but know that upon me their cf-
feet was to raise u wild longing, dcs-
perate desire to do something, any
thing, at his bidding. 1t was not an
unpleasant Or uncanny sensation; it was
not that any evil thought OF suspicion
lurlled within the windows of his brave
and pure soul. His power was the
power of resolnte goodness, and it was
strong-so strong that L am sure, had
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-05-08

done depends in great measure, the
crop OF the following year; and that
broken and backset early, will in every
ease, other things being equal, produce
the heaviest crop.
These operations, if the settler opens
new farm, are all that can be done
upon it the first year. If he chooses, he
can rent farm or land, to put in crop,
while he breaks his own: but this is not
advisable, unless he is forced to do so
for want of means, for he will be al
most certain, by attempting too much,
to neglect something, and will not be
in as good shape for the next year as if
he stuck to the preparation OF his own
land.
Stnbble land is usually plowcl in the
fall. Not that spring blowing will not
bring good cropsi it will; but the sea-
son is so short that there is MT time
both to plow and seed to any great en-
tent without bringing it so late that the
early frost may damage the grain, and
the earlier sowings always bring the
best crops. The land then being pre-
pared in the foil, the first step in the
spring, is either narrowing preparatory
to seeding. OF seeding itself without
preparation. The land newly broken
and backset, will require two or more
draggings with spring tooth or other
good harrow. to tear up the disinte-
grated sod; while many SOW the seed
directly on the stubble-land plowed the
fall before, without any narrowing.
The seed itself is scattered broadcast,
by machines for that purpose, such az
shown in the cut.
4 machine of this kind drawn by two
horses, will SOW from II to l6 acres per
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-05-08

when it is in the bin, it is safe; while it
is impossible to get large force Of good
stackers, who will stack large crop so
as to render it ut all secure. The hum
of the thresher now takes the place of
the click of the reaper and such scenes
as shown in the cut can be daily wit
nes ;ed in all directions while from the
spouts of these thousands of separators
runs an amber stream of the royal
grain. We say a royal grain, be-
cause wheat contains more of
the elements; necessary to human nour-
ishmcnt than any other grain; it con-
tains them too, in larger proportion,
that is with less waste substance. And
it wheat in general, is King of the grains,
the wheat CT the Northwest is King of
the King. For the wheat here produced,
when introduced, and properly prepared
for food by suitable milling machin-
cry the roller process. was an out
growth of the hard wheat af the north
vest, was found to he so much richer
III nutritious elements land consequently
so much more valuable for milling than
any other wheat known before, that q
new and higher grade than was pre-
viously in existence lad to he estal lisl
ed and named for it; and so arose tho
grade of NO. hard, the highest grade
of wheat in the world, and one that can
only be produced in tho Golden North
west"
The threshing over, the prairie farm
er has only to draw his grain to the
nearest market and get his cash. for
there are buyers at every station. And
here the great advantages of the prairie
appear, Us compared with the hills and
rough country of the east. The capacity
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-05-08
Valuable Knowledge.

He is wise man who deyotes him
to what is essential. That is why the
candidate for teachers berth, in the
following anectlotc, must be classel
among the wise.
l think l was never so frightened as
when. mere youth, was about to he
examined to teach my first school. At
the time appointed, 1 presented myself
in great trepidation before the char.
man of the committee, IL grave and dig
n'fied NJ. d., who, after eying ne sharp
ly for a moment, asked abruptly
"Do You know what will cure the
itch?"
The question was not exactly what 1
had expected, but I managed to ejacu-
late in trembling voice,
birthstone and grcase!w
Yes. yes" said the doctor, you'll
do! That is the principal thing YOU
will be required to know"
He wrote mo certificate, and dis,
missed Inc without another word.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-05-08

day, and at the same time the teeth cul-
tivate the soil, and partially cover the
seed. There is another broadcast seeder
which is rapidly growing into favor: Il
is attached to the end-gale of wagon,
and will HOW from 20 to 80 acres per
day. scattering the grain at each pas.
sage, % or 30 feet wide; but of course
this does no cultivation, and the whole
of it is done with harrows. The grain
should be Immediately and thoroughly
covered, and If it can be cross narrowed.
so much the better.
The drill has not yet been used to any
great extent, but it is probable it will
soon he Us the land becomes older.
The roller has not been in general
use; but it is hardly to he questioned
that its use Immediately nfter seeding
would greatly facilitate termination,
and give greater thrift to the plant; Ike.
sides rendering the land far better
adapted for the easy passage of the har-
vester.
All these operations on prairie farm
are conducted with minimum of hu.
man strength and wear and tear with
far less annoyance than similar business
among the stumps and stones of the
east. Nature has prepared these
broad unbroken stretches for the hand
of man. The hard labor of telling
the monarch of the forest; of rolling
tho logs in piles; of grubbing ont the
stumps and roots; the jerking of team,
pillow and plowman by the roots and
grubs of the clearing; oil these ore
wholly wanting. No rocks impede the
passage of the share from end to end of
the field; and the burrows may he en-
tended for miles without encountering
an obstacle, or necessarily deviating from
a straight line. On the large "bonanza"
farms, q mile or two miles is common
length of Il "round." and on almost any
farm it is half mile.
And when the prairie field is covered
with the growing crop, no more beauti-
full sight of its kind, can he imagined.
Appearing evenly above the ground, its
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-05-08

Of the wagon to bear il, is the only limit
to the load which stout team can draw
with wide-tired wagon, across the
level and usually solid road OF the fall
weeks; and when the ground is frozen,
and later when the snow comes, the
wheat can be rapidly and easily carried
to market, at the rate of 81 to 100 bush.
els at q time.
The pillow is now brought into requisi-
ton, and the rapidly shortening DAYS
are crowded full of work. There is
not On hour to spare. hut the teams are
willing. the days are cool and they can
he urged Us they cannot i'll breaking,
for the tough soil is now snbdued, and
B good horses will pillow B acres or
more every day, and do it we'll. The
days can he counted almost to u GER
tainty, when the frost king will assert
his sway. When the Ides of November
roll around, the plowman will find his
occupation gone, and the fields so
lately teeming with busy, bustling act.
ivity, will be Us a banquet hall desert
ed" The work of the season is ended,
and nothing remains to be done exccpt
to chang up de shovel an do hoe" or
more correctly, get together the ma
chinery, house the stock and make all
snug in winter quarters.
Such are the methods, such the adj
vantages of q prairie farm: and such is
the work and such the life of the
Prairie farmer.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-05-08
Better than Kansas.

What is related in this little item will
lie called u Dakota lie down east. Very
good: Dakota can stand it, and here it
is: Mr.. o. Fl. Lane, one of the origi-
nal settlers of our neighboring city lar.
more, arrived here last evening and in
conversation with the Inter Ocean
stated THAT he had Just returned from
an extended trip through Missouri,
Kansas, Nebraska and Indian Territory
and hal come back to North Dakota for
good, thoroughly satisfied that no other
country of which he knows anything can
compare with this No. hard wheat
belt Said he: "There is more money.
more health, better times and greater
opportunities in North Dakota than can
he found in any other portion Of the
Union, and I am back here to STAY. {"
MIR. Lane and his brother will engage
i'll the stock business in the Moose river
country. He has lived three years in
Dakota and knows what he is talking
about when he backs it against the UNI
vcrse.-Devil's Lake Inter Ocean.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-05-08

intense surprise to me that far larger
number Of our fellow countrymen, es-
pecially those of them who are active
politicians. do not visit our great en-
pire i'll the East. ALI political problems
in India are being solved on such an
enormous scale that study of them on
the spot, cannot but open the minds
and enlarge the IDEAS of visitors. Lord
Salisbury has said that if we would I'M
derstand the Russian question, we should
study it on large maps, and everything
in India is OH so vast scale, that politi-
cal questions may he studied there as
upon large map. The people of In
dia feel it disadvantage that there is
such tremendous gap between them
and the British public. Everything
which concerns them has to filter to us
through SO many officials, and by means
of the formalitles OF a government
bureau, that their natural views and
feelings are never put quite fully or
fairly before the people Of Great Brit
ain, aud they arc, therefore, very glad
to welcome any politician to whom they
can talk freely upon subjects which
chiefly affect them.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-05-08
Boston's Latest Wrinkle.

From Boston Letter.
Our ''best people are setting the ban
OF theic displeasurc against the custom
of Introducing people to other people.
The social lines,.includiny guests who
may be introduced to other guests, are
very tightly drawn, and an invitation to
people III good society to visit them does
not by any means Involve the probabil-
ity OF your becoming known to the other
guests. This is not taken to mean that
you are not ut liberty to 'scrapc ac-
quaintance" with any of the lordly
guests if you choose to make the at
tempt, but simply that the hostess con-
sidcrs it no part of her duty to impose
your acquaintanceship upon her other
friends. There are some old families
here, the bearers of revolutionary
names and pedigrees, WHO carry the
absurd new notion to ridiculous
extreme. Many Of these families are
as poor as church mice, and have no
little trouble to scrape along in their
shabby gentility, but the way they
hold up their social superiority is some
thing truly agonizing heard a bright
and cultivated young lady telling of her
experience under one of these ancestral
roof trees the other evening, and as she
is sensible enough to enjoy the ahsurdi-
ty of the whole pretentious custom. it
gives her friends no little healthy
amusement. At a private musicale a
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-05-08
EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES

a question of interest to people who
contemplate coming to Dakota is, what
are the educational advantages there
lie lonbs il amy other territory or
state ever made as rapid advancement
i'll tins direction in the same time as Da-
kota has the last few years. No other
state or territory in the west offers more
encouragement or better facilities for
building school houses and schools. and
by law the one eighteenth part of tile
whole public domain in Dakota, being
sections sixteen and thirty-six in each
township, which are known as ''school
sections, is set apart for the exclusive
use and benefit Of the educational fund.
In 1872, ther. were in the territory
3,!46 children of school age; and S34 :
2'c' expended for school purposes.
I'm 1878. there We're l2,20l children,
IL graded schools, 273nmgra,lcd schools.
sou, 1o3 expended for school purposes.
lie value OF school property was $780,
"lo. AMI there were III men and ls9
women teaching school.
In lSSl there We're II ,49J children of
school age, 90 grad Il schools, $50 IN.
graded schools, value of school proper
ty Sl'6s',d3S; spent Tor school purpo-
ses during tha Year, 81 ,3O6, s7s; and
the number of teachers employed in the
territory was Si:i men and a,O4S wom-
en-, total OF 9 sol.
The people. as a rule. are alive to the
Importance of educating their children.
and neat little white school houses dot
the prairie in every part of the &C untry.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-05-08
The average size of a single school dis.

The average size of q single school dis.
trict is three miles square.
The schools in nearly every instance
are furnished with approved modern
appliances, and in the way of desks,
globes, maps, etc. have the best. Our
teachers are efficient and progressive.
Well sustained institutes and associa.
tions show their intelligent interest in
their work.
Higher education has been literally
provided for.
In North Dakota there are high
schools in all the larger towns, notably
at Fargo, Grand Forks, and Jamestown.
Graduation from these schools is a
preparation for the entrance to the uni
velsities Of which there are two, the
Dakota University at Vermillion, and
the North Dakota University at Grand
Forks. These institutions are support
ed by the territory, and offer free a lib
cral education in literature and the
sciences.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-05-08

green blades waving in the prairie
breeze, it stretches in vast areas, often
far as eye can reach, in one unbroken
sea. The rich black soil, containing
the concentrated essence of the plant
food, the heat of the almost perpendicu-
lar rays OF the sun, continued through
the 16 to 20 hours Of daylight in the
growing season, in this high latitude;
the moisture descending from the rains
and dews at top, and ascending from
the still present frost in the ground be.
meath all these combined make vast
hot-bed or forcing house of these bound
less plains; and the result is seen in
stimulated rapidity of growth such as is
witnessed nowhere else. It has been
found by actual measurement in certain
conditions, that grain will grow an inch
q day, through period of 80 days.
And when in one hundred days from
the seed the ripening crop invites the
sickle, the sight is grand indeed. The
golden grain, rolling in billowy waves
before the gentle breeze, gives promise
of q joyful harvest home" The click
of the self-binder will now he everv-
where present. From early morn till
dewy eve, or rather from dewy morn
till a very late eve, the farmer urges his
team along, abreast tho yellow wall ON
his left, and the bundles securely
bound with Irvine drop every few feet
in rapid snccession, hour after hour and
day fter day. And, so, never meeting
IN obstacle, never severely Earring his
team, his machine, or himself, he lays
low the plenteolls crops, at the rate of
II to Is acres per day; while his family
or lis hired help ''set up" or shock the
bundles. This requires two men to
each machine and If the crop is heavy,
they will have enough to do.
When the last bundle has fallen, that
first cut will lie ready, and more than
ready, for the stack. Small farmers
almost universally stack their grain. It
is their only safety. since they cannot
all, or any considerable number of them
command the machinery and the force
necessary to thrash Immediately. If
they wait for others, AMI bad weather
comes, their grain may spoil; if they
stack, what they stack we'll, is safe,
and usually there is favorable weather
for this operation.
The large farmers, on the contrary,
almost all thresh from the shock, and
with good reason; for such farm COM
mands all the force and machinery nee
essary for threshing and it can be begun
even before harvest is finished, and a
given amount Of grain can be put
through the thresher and landed safe
in the bin. in less time than it can be
put in stack with the same force And
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-05-08

Dakota will realize much more from
her wheat when her farmers learn to
avoid haste in selling. Because there
is so much wheat in their immediate
neighborhood they are apt to become
excited by the fear of production,
and in consequence strive to sell before
the market is glutted. BY this hurry
the expense of threshing and market
ing is materially increased, the eleva-
tors and railways are unable to keep up
with the demand for storage and trans
port, exaggerated estimates of the
amount OF grain awaiting shipment are
put in circulation, and the bottom falls
out of the market. Then when the
rush is over prices return to what they
should have been all along. Any one
who has paid attention to the matter
will not dispute the fact that during
the last five years wheat sold in the
spring has brought from 30 to 40 pei
cent. more than that disposed OF in the
fall
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-05-08

The Manitoba government is commit
ted to the policy of giving substantial
all to the Hudson Bay railroad project.
The magnificent scheme of a northern
route to Europe from this fertile belt of
the Northwest seems now likely soon to
be more than dream. All expert evil
dence goes to strengthen an intelligent
belief IN the feasibility of the
route. We shall next witness
the dissolving of all doubts
and opposition and when this northern
portion of the continent is fully alive
and ready for the fultilment of the
project the work will begin. Then
more than ever will this Red River
Valley blossom as rose.
The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-05-08
TIE 1o11HWEsTWA1D CUE
RENT.

As the current of immigration from
the southeast continues hitlierward and
beyond us to the plains of the fur north
west, the lower Red River Valley is be-
ing left gradually nearer to the heart of
this great, newly-developed region.
Pembina county was once looked
upon as IN ont-of-tle-way place,
but it IS fast losing its remotencss,
and at day not very far distant
it will be found centrally located in the
great Northwestern belt between Chi
cago and the Rocky mountains. The
star of empire is moving in that direc-
ton. The great agricultural region to
the southwest of us is being rapidly
people,l. and the lumber and mining
regions northeast-ward are just enter
ing upon their period of development.
Thus is the frontier leaving us on all
sides. This stream of immigration
to the northwest of us will
continue for years and decades to come,
and we will witness the fultillment of
William II. Stewards prophecy, which,
however, may be carried still further.
We quote his words uttered in 1860:
81 find myself for the first time upon the
high land in the center of the continent of
North America cgui. distant from the waters
of the Hudson hav and Gulf of Mexico Here
is the p!ace-tlc central place-where the az
ricnltuml products of tins region of North
America must pour ont their tributes to the
world | have east about for the future and
ultimate seat of power of North America.
looked to tlncbcc, to New Orleans, to Washing
ton San Francisco amidst Louis for the future
seat of power But / have corrected that view.
now believe that the ultimate. last scat of
government on the great continent will be
found somewhere not far from the spot OH
which stand, ut the head of navigation of the
Mississippi river"
Twenty-Five years have brought us
with wonderful strides towards the full
til!mcnt of this prediction. And
who shall say when the march
will cease or slarken?
Perhaps NJ. Seward in this forecast
meant to place Hu,lson's Bay as the flu
ture rival of the Gulf of Mexico as an
outlet for the products of this immense
region. We will not stop here to dwell
upon this aspect of the question which
We believe to he no mere vision, but GER
tain it is that the lower Red River VAL
ley is approaching nearer and nearer to
the heart of the Northwestern current of
commerce and immigration.