Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-01-20
SURVEYORS IN The FIELD.

SUHHEf IN Inc flELD.
A Railroad Line Run from Norfolk to
Pierce d MaclaSan's Ranch, Where
Cold Weather Caused u Hnlt-The
Kansas, Nebraska & Dakota Sup
posed to be at Work.
From Norfolk, Nebraska, q point sixty
miles due south of Ysnkton, a railroad
survey is being run up the north branch
of the Elkhorn river in the direction OF
the Dakota boundary. The valley of
this stream trends enthusiastically from
Norfolk and it has been followed in this
railroad survey to and past its head
waters and now halts at the Pierce h
Maclagan ranch, in Knox county, on the
divide between the headwaters of the
north branch OF the Elkhorn and s$he
head of Beaver creek. The latter is .
small stream which empties into the
slough on the Nebraska side just
below Aten and opposite the center OF
the city of Yankton. At the Pierce
& Maclagan ranch the railroad survey
ors stopped their work about two weeks
ago, being driven from the field by the
extreme cold weather. That they were
on q business expedition was indicated
! by their persistence in following up the
| work at this lnclement season and it is
| said that they quit reluctantly and only
| when the first January cold wave had
| taken absolute possession of the coun
try. Their intention was to return and
| complete their work as soon
as the weather would permit
| Mr.. Pierce is our authority for
his information. He saw the men at
work and has inspected the stakes driv-
en- by them. The point at which the
surveyors halted is twenty-six miles
from Yankton in a southwesterly d.
| ~rection and is exactly twelve miles west
of q line drawn due south from Yank
ton. 1t is the summit Of a watershed
from which descend Bow creek, Beaver
creek, the east fork of Bazile
creek and the north branch OF the Elk
horn. geographically speaking, the
survey is now III q position to follow
either Bow and Beaver creek
or the Bazile creek tribu-
itary. The first would take it
enthusiastically and the Beaver creek
line would bring it to the Missouri op-
posite Yankton. The other route would
carry it down the Bazile and to the Mis-
souri, at Sautee agency. Tbs fact that
the survey line has already been extend
ed west of Yankton would. favor the lat
ter direction but for another fact that the
broken nature of the country makes the
creek routes the most feasible, and the
further fact that the best Missouri river
crossing is at Yankton. This survey is
doubtless a preliminary one, to be fol-
lowed by other lines in the spring. AS
near as can be ascertained 1t is being
conducted under the direction OF the
Kansas, Nebraska & Dakota company,
which designs building from Fort Scott
to Bismarck.
A Typographical expert who is familiar
with the CONFORMATION of Knox and
Cedar counties, over in Nebraska, was
seen and the particulars of this survey
dlvulged to HIM. He Immediately liked
the extension of the survey down the
headwaters of the Bow, through q pass
in the hills to the head of Beaver creek
and down that creek to the Missouri
"Wby," he said, ''you could run q bicycle
all the way" He testified further tina
a westward line or q northwestwarc
line from that point, VII
, the Bazile, was impracticable
: From the Pierce & Maclagan ranch b.
said a railroad could not be built with
out extraordinary expense 80 as t.
strike the Missouri above Yankton. Th
q country was a succession of hill range
!. and deep gorges and any party whic!
designed placing a line to the Missouri
above Yankton would never run u
against such a wall. In his opinion,
o the survey had reached the Pierce
Maclagan place its objective point wO
Yankton or below Yankton. Certainl
not above.