Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-12-07
sOMe COUNTRY NEIGHBOURS.

b1uSA huS bpN OoCh LYNX OIL
night from the cupoia of the city ball
warning the people to inspect coal bins
and wood piles. The bulletin promised
this time more, than came to pass for the
day was summer like as the weeks pre-
vious, perhaps the wind was @ shade OF a |
shadow cooler. We were in for q drive
among the hay stacks and Germ fields,
the corn gathered in cribs or in noun
tain heaps on tie ground for want of
crib room, for the corn crop has been
large. How much corn have you gathered
neighbor? Well some over $500 bushels,
To another-sDd how much have you
gathered in ? Two thousand, perhaps 5000
bushels. Another had stored in his cribs
$500. So you see this part of Dakota OF
least will upset Bill Springes's logic in
regard to the b%srrenness OF Dakota soil
failing to support o large population.
Before We reached the counoilmap's
home we were advised by the grove
approaching q home where the
first stakes had been stuck long years
ago. We drove into the yerd and tied
our pony under the shadow OF these
lofty trees. 1t was the home OF A. l..
VapOsdel. The house and numerous out
buildings gives to the scene the look OF
a small village. ii the building site had
been chosen for tie realiz alton OF the
~ ,opk; Z could 49, hose lonY, knkknr
chosen. just above the house Jim river
makes q graceful sweep to the east on
purpose it would seem to give the home.
eteader q water front. Here there is no
bushes on the hither shore. The timber
skirts the farther shore. No better land
ing could be desired. The picture in
every direction fills the bill for beauty
and picturesque. As you stand on the
banks OF the beautiful stream looking
south over the river you see hun dreds of
acres of pasture ground all under fence.
Behind you Is the home farm, the original
homestead, where the small trees as large
as your finger were stuck in the soil and
where to-day you find the trees two feet
IN diameter. Twenty-four years has
wrought wonderful changes in this spot
of ground n adjacent region.
Mr.. VanOsdel makes a speoialty OF
stock raising. His herd at present only
numbers sixty cattle and one hundred
hogs. The cribs have stored from the
home farm $500 bushels OF good corn.
90 his other farms he has renters. Mrs.
VanOsdel's farm has g renter. Mission
Hill church is located on her farm, she
giving an acre for the church and a half
acre for the parsonage on that perspec-
tive height looking down upon the
homestead three miles away IN the bot
tom. Inside the house we found q good
library of standard books, for use, not
show.
Oar interview with our councilman
of some hours showed US that the peo-
pie were not mistaken in their man. He
showed himself fully posted in the
doipgs OF the day at home and abroad
He has given no little study to the qnes-
tions of government, especially our own
government. More thsn all. he Is one
OF the earliest settlers in Dakota. He
knows we'll our early history. has
seen it's progress, yea, he's been q no in :
> considerable factor in our progress. He
came to Dakota from Minnesota, Free
born county. Was o guard on the occa-
aion of the hanging of the ~thlrty-nine
Indians who we're active in the Indian
; outbreak in that quarter years ago. He
was q member of the Minnesota cavalry
under Gen. Si5ley and was in the expe-
dision against the Indians In 1862 3 tc
the Missouri river, encamping at For
y Lincoln, about eight miles below Bis
marck, opposite Slbley Island. A full
account of these and later Indian histor.
has been published in the Press and Da
kotaian some years ego. We wer
greatly interested in looking over thi
valuable contribution to our early his
tory. These will be called for In GU
Daketaisu historical society when "
;. set up housekeeping for ourselves AM
are tab en- out of our provincisi rela
, tons to the government and enter full
heiged into statehood. Mr.. Ven Osde
q hos given attention to the works of ma
ture in it's beauty and has published n
little on plant life and flowers. The
the great food of 1882 which swept owe
o that bottom land. separating those earl
hardy settlers from Gil their improve
Is ments, leading many to sell out thei
homes for q mere song and leave th
le county, but our friend showed his pluc
q by holding on and holding out faith
full to the end. The results may be rea
by all. He wrote up to the Press an
Dakotaisn just after the water ht le
E.bottom, dating his letter from "Calsn
ity Farm" This name has never bee
forgotten by his neighboYs. The nam
has gone into the archives OF histor
1T After making one Of the family numb
at the table l came away from q plea
ant and l trust q profitable Wis
10 never to be forgotten, with q cordial il
vitatlon of mine host and hostess to con
e. again.
On our return We called and supp'
with our pleasant friend CLARK Yves
We went out into his cattle corral whe
he feeds out fifty bushels q day
understandable corn to his seventy fatte
ct ing steers. We are directed to the OF
rd of the lot which he expects will tip {