The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1886-10-15
ALEXANDRIA, DAKOTA,
Sn,nt TX 1909

Oept. 10, 1900.
EDITOR TELEGRAPH.
/, in company with several others, took
advantage of the low rates on the c., M,
and st. ?. r. R., and made trip to this
far-famed country. When we arrived
here we were greeted by one of" Dakota's
gentle zephyrs," and we thought it a very
great wind but we were informed that
it was almost an everyday affair, and il
often was worse. We were struck by
the appearance of thrift and enterprise
among the business portion of the town
Alexandria is town of about 600 inhab.
itants, and more live town of its size
cannot be found. We think it wouldibe
safe to assert that there is more grain
sold here in one day than in Kenosha
in a month.
The country at and around Alexandria
is of all descriptions, from level prairie
to steep, bluffy hills. Along all the
streams there are more or less bluffs
but back from the river the land is more
level, some pieces being perfectly level
and others rolling. The soil is a black
sandy loan, and most of the hills have
considerable stone scattered around on
them. The subsoil is clay and gravel
There are a great many so-called lake
beds, from which fine variety of hay is
cut. The native soil is very rich, and
raises large crops of grain and corn in q
favorable year. Some people seem tc
think the land inexhaustible, Judging by
the way they burn up straw to get rid o.
it. The soil of Southern Dakota is no.
so rich, but that manure helps all the
live farmers will tell you.
This year has been very unfavorable
one for farming, no rain worth mention.
ing having fallen since the LIST of MAY
and grain shows the effects of the dry
weather. Oats are light. Wheat not q
large crop, but generally good. Barley
generally good crop. Most of the flax
remains uncut, and great deal of il
will never be cut at ALL Ask any eastern
man about corn, and he will probably
tell you that Dakota is too cold coun
try to grow corn successfully. Corn car
be raised as well in South Dakota as in
Iowa, and there are some very fine fields
of corn in Hanson and Dawson counties
but the ground must be ploughed deep
so as to insure moisture, and must be
we'll titled.
Hanson county has fair representa-
ton of Kenosha county farmers. Here
near Alexandria, are the farms of s. s.
Tymesen, III. Tymesen, J. III. Petrie and
F. w. Barnes, all of whom are doing
we'll and getting fair start.
Tn tho north ord IF TToDcov1 o0,,..4x
and the south end of Miner county we
find the farms of Frank and Mat. Eich
Nicholas eraser, Frank Ozanne, Chas
Kersten and Peter Kreuscher, all OF
whom are nicely situated, and have fai1
crops, they having had more rain than
in the central part of the county.
At Rome, in Dawson county, we saw
the farms of Flavel and Newell Black
man, Messrs. Rugg and Dresser, Ed. and
Fred Carpenter and James Irving, all OF
whom have fair start, and have good
land. Their nearest town at present is
Mitchell, but there is to be town with.
in two miles called Ethan. One great
drawback to this country is the lack OF
good drinking water, good water being
very scarce, J. HI. Petrie having the best
water we tasted in that county.
If Kenosha county had seen as dry a
time this season as Dakota has, there
would have been nothing raised there
at all.
This is grand country for the sports
man. There are prairie chickens by
the thousands, and lots of ducks and
geese in their season, some jack rabbits,
a few coyotes and wolves.
There are great many people here
who want to sell, "if they can get their
price," Some of them would be dissat-
isfed if /" they lived in the garden of
Eden" and had the best of everything.