Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-01-10
DAKOTA.
Some information About the Pros
peCtiYs State
Not Generally Known, Showing it to be
More Worthy Admittance TO the Union
Than Many That Are There.
nill..n kr "a. S,masg RegIs.r.

Written for The SgHdsy Register.
TIE important position which Dakota
now occupies - an agricultural section,
her phenomenal growth in the last five
wears. together with the fact that a bill is
nov before the present Congress, asking
tor her admission a. y State, with the
chances in favor OF its final passage, has
led the writer to present some facts con.
corning the people, climate, soil and pro,
ducts Of that vast tract Of country, which
We call Dakota, and about which the great
majority OF your readers have, at best, but
q vague idea.
Dakota Territory lies along the northern
line o! the United States, about midway
between the Atlantic and Pacific aceans.
It's average dimensions are about 400 miles
from north to south, by about $50 from
east to west, and it contains, according to
the census of 1880, l49, 100 square miles.
Its population is estimated OF 46j, 900. 1t
has 300 miles Of railway, more than any
one OF twenty States. 1t has 1000 school
houses, more thana any one OF fifteen States;
275 newspapers, more than any New Eng.
land State, excsp. Massachusetts, or any
eastern State except New FORK and Penn
~sylyauia. In number Of postotices it
ranks above twenty three States ana Terri
tories, aid pays more revenue to the Post
office Department than any Of thirty two
States. Il hss q population as large as Ne
braska and CouEecuCut and near twice as
large as Vermont or Florida. 1t is divided
from Minnesota in the east, by the Red
D.. q ~. N-r4I u.l,,h l,-p. t-N,, ala
Traverse, luEs 200 miles norihward, into
the Canadian Province o. Manitoba. This
stream for haIi its course, is heavily
wooded, aud it's valley is almost world ia
nous IS 4 wheat producing section. Its
rick, black loan Is, however, so retentive
of moisture, that the spring ID peculiarly
unpleasant, II those who object to living
and working, for weeks ankles deep IN the
blacklist ald most sdherent kind OF mud.
The Cheyenne river riseS 10 the north
central portion Of the territory, aud by a
]circuitous course enters into the Red river
some twenty miles below Fargo. 1t has
some very fine scenery, considerable tim
Der, and oilers many convenient mill sites.
with ample water poser. The James
river rises within s few miles Of the Cdey-
u gud runs sou'htrly more than five
burdred milss within the territorial limits
For al least h9lt that distance it is bordercd
a. intervals By groves and thlckets OF
sNgubAery. is clear Gad III some places
quite rapid. Lover down it's waters widen
out into broad reaches or mears, and it be
cones sluggish aud muddy. 1t IS navi-
gable for small boats most OF the open
season from Port Emma TO Columbia
The somewhat tor,uous course Of the Mis-
souri, which divides the territory about
200 miles west OF the Red River, IS neatly
IoUJ miles in length. Is banks are
often heavily wooded, and the Coul5om
line Of the Missouri steamers, now employ
twelve boats, aud have conveyed in the
past ten years some seventy thousand pas
seugegs, and az least one hundred and fifty
thousand tons Of freight
The greater part OF this territory ia, in
general terms @ rolling prairie. The
svells. ike the waves OF mid scean, are Of
large extent, and preserve a relative level,
as compared with each other. These ter
mip-te near the rivers in high bluffs, over
lsokjug fertile valleys CT from toFty 10 ITO
miles in width, through which the rivers
wind slowly past meadows Of rich heritage
or a border ct forest trees. Between the
James and the Missouri lies the Coteans Of
the early French adventures, which, seen
from afar, looks like q range Of hills, but
is rather q gradually elevated plain, broken
along its borders by frequent rayines and
cowles, and diversified oy occasional butts,
gcassv valleys, clear lakes and bodies OF
native trees. In the southwest the Black
Hills cover some 3.20O square miles, and
offer. in strong contrast 10 the vast general
level Of the territory, a section OF crsGgY
clifg. swift streams, savage canyons, crys'
,allvne lakes and lofty peaks, the crown.
Jog glory Of which is llscney ) Peak, ria
;pr 10 the altitude Of $500 test above the
lsyeI Of the SEQ. The Turtle Mountains,
by whose borders the Louis or Mouse river
escapes into Canada, are estimated SO Gov
eriug in Dakota some 800 square miles
Thev are, like the Black Hills, well tim,
bered and uuderlsjd by valuable mineral
formations. Lake Minnewaukan, the
spiri, lake Of the Dakotahs, aud tee
Devils Lake Of the Whites, lies in Ram
say and Benson counties, and IS a little
, owe. i!orty miles in length and varies IN
width from a les rods 10 over slX miles,
covering in all about one hundred miles
snYare. It is nsvigsble for steamers, Coz
,eS;rs 8 number Of islands, some OF them
. io-ya and heavily wooded, G5Ounds in fish
~ Iarge s;la, Vulnerable water Fowl, and
n-omises 10 become the great watering
rIacs aud pleasure resort Of North Dakota.
There ale many ether lakes IN Dakota
VARYING in size from many thousand acres
f., tour and five. Each OF the main rivers
mentioned nave numerous sihuents and
tributaries Many Of the latter, however,
are only torrents in the spring freshets,
and become IN midsummer o string oil
pools connected by q mere thread OF run
ning water. The economic geology OF the
Territory comprises gold, silver, Lead TN,
aicksl, Goa. cooper, iron, mica, granite
4 ognrtz fuller5 earth and many other less
valuable depoai,s. The greater part Of
these have only been as yet developed IN
the Black Hills, though Ignite is mined
near Mardan, and q strata OF this and
o,ber bituminous Goals are reported IN
several parts Of the Territory.
Animal life includes the b'son or "Buh-
! aIo rrizLsT, black aud cinnamon bears,
yre7 wolf. coyo.e, fox, deer, antelope,
5adyer, beaver, mink and seTeTaI species
oE 9oohers or ground squirrel. Most OF
the more formidable animals mentioned
are deemed extinct, and found only IN the
remote Businesses OF that portion OF the
territory lying west OF the Missouri. Inc
Iist Of birds comprise the wild swan, goose
sand hill crane, heron, bitteIn and raii'
mgjiard, canvas back, pecherd, spermo,LI'
biue bill. and wood duck, green and blue
WINGED teal. shaldrske, buiIalo-head ana
oolJeneye, gulls and terms of several spec
jea. the rroat cam and the tiny yuoer,
with nearly every species Of PloVeT ana
s.2d. piper known to either coast, are 10 De
found by the lakes and water courses, OF
cross al parts OF the country IN their mi
gya.ions. Besides these the great Arcnc'
horned aud other owls, the kingly eagle,
and ~yoracious cultures, q multitude OF
hawks and f~slcons, the delicious grouse,
and ,imid prairie hen, with thousands OF
lesser birds, swarm in myriadd all over Inc
I. cruut-v.