St. Paul daily globe., 1888-05-05
He is WHOLLY CAPTIVATED
At the Beauty and Richness of the New
Country Near the Missouri.
THE BLUE BLANKET WONDER.
Lively Little Towns Springing Up All
Over This Fertile and Pictur-
esque Region.

since your correspondent boarded
Chicago & Northwestern train at Red
field for a jaunt through Faulk, Potter
and Sully counties. The weather was
pleasant, the air balmy and the sun
shone i'll splendor. The rays, as they
rested On the vast expanse of country on
either side of the road made the scene
one OF rare magnificence and delight.
While contemplating the sublimity of
the ever-changing scenery. one is led to
remember that only a little more than a
score OF years ago a committee of states
men from the house of representatives
and senate of the United States, who
visited this beautiful territory, were so
obtusely stupid as to report to those
august bodies that Dakota was San un-
inhabitable alkali desert" What would
be the verdict of member of that COM
mittee to-day, could he behold the
grandeur OF these vast prairieS,
so RICH IN SOIL
and dotted over with pleasant farm
houses, with their herds and fiocks?
The prairies have shaken off their win
ter covering of snow and donned rich
carpet OF green grass, upon which feed
hundreds of HolSteins, ShOrthOrnS and
HerefordS. Farmers are in the field and
everything is life and activity. The
soil is of a rich, black color, deep and
mellow, and by a few years of tiliing
will yield almost untold wealth. This
is in almost the center of Faulk county.
Zell, Rockham and Miranda, all neat,
industrious little villages, are passed in
succession and soon the brisk little
CITY OF FAULKTON
is reached. 1t is the shire town of
Faulk county, and has probably 1000
inhabitants. The business houses are
large and well built, while the resi-
denceS are cOmmOdiOus and home
like structures. The churches and
school houses indicate the religious aud
educational sentiment of Faulkton's
citizens. And yet this is but a five-year-
old child of the prairie.
SENECA Is THE NEXT
town--platted only: few months since,
and full of life and vigor. A few
miles further Oh and little chain of
hills is reached-really a divide-and
we are in the rich Blue Blanket valley,
in Potter county. The grandeur and
beauty of this valley cannot be deS-
cribed. 1t is this beauty of scenery,
this richness of soil, that has attracted
so many settlers to this lovely valley,
and filled it with happy homes. The
train stops at Lebanon, thriving
little village scarcely sig months old.
Though not surrounded by historic
cedars, it is
INDEED A QUEEN.
Its picturesque location and its numer-
Gus wells of pure crystal water are
factors that always count for something
Not only in the town, but throughout
the surrounding country is found water
of absolute purity. The buildings in the
town, and also the farm residence
possess that neat. homelike and pleas
ant appearance that at once commend
their owners as people of culture and
refinement. TraverSing the ''Blue
Blanket" one is amazed at what he sees,
and wonders where under the canopy of
heaven can richer, fairer country be
found than in this fertile part of Potter
county.
Arriving at Gettysburg, we are at the
terminus of this division of the Chicago
u Northwestern railway. Gettysburg
is the county seat of Potter county;
plated in 1888, and although an ''out-
side town." has made much progress and
has splendid class of citizens, among
whom are very many who ''Wore the
blue" in the days of the Rebellion. A
drive from Gettysburg to
THE MISSOURI RIVER
is doubtful, For several miles the road
leads due west. To the south-left lies
the magnificent Artichoke valley, which
runs generally in southweSterly direc-
tiOn-the eastern half through the
southern tier of townships of Potter
county, and the western half along the
border line of the adjoining counties of
Potter and Sully. The valley is mag
nificent stretch of country--one that
nature seems to have specially favored.
Every foot of the soil of the valley. as
well as all over the western half of Pot
ter county is fertile and tillable, and
will yield a bountiful harvest under
proper cultivation. Seven miles to the
south is the new
TOWN OF DAVIDSON,
at present the only town in the valley.
This will soon be brought into prOmi-
nence, for already the managers of the
Forest City d Watertown railroad are
running the survey for their road to
Davidson.
To the right and on the north could
be seen the hills on either side of the
Little Cheyenne valley. 1t is fine
strip of territory, filled with farms and
ranches, with pasturage sufficient for
vast herds. The range among the hills
overlooking the valley is a rich stock
country with plenty of water from nat
ural springs.
Going west eight or ten miles, we
strike road leading in a uOrthwesterly
course. Driving along for perhaps
seven miles we come to Appomattox,
half hid by the surrounding hills. The
view of the city from'S little distance is
charming. especially when seen in a
bright Spripg morning when the atmoS-
nj re
which is common in this part of Dakota
in the spring and early summer, and is
the cause of the wOrld-famouS
DAKOTA MIRAGE.
AppOmattOX is snug little city, and
as we stopped on the hills overlooking
it from the south the sight was indeed
a charming one. The Little Cheyenne
passes through the place in serpentine
course, its banks being fringed with a
splendid growth of trees, mostly will
lows, and the "lay of the town. is
such that it all comes to view and makes
it picture of lovelineSs and beauty.
Gladly would we have tarried longer
in AppOmattoX. Changing our course to
southwesterly. after an hours drive
we came to the hill overlooking the Mis-
souri, river. From the brow of the hill
the river comes into full view some 3OC
feet below, and probably half a mile
wide; it can be seen for miles either up
or down stream. The hills on both
sides of it are of dark blush color. As
the sunlight in its radiancy falls upon
the waters in this famous stream, and
upon the hills, whose light-abSorbing
surfaces soften the Intensity of the
rays. aF1 the haziness of the atmos
phere adds to the beauty of the scene
and as the varied colors mingle in har
mony, one is
INDEED SPELL-BOUND.
Though we were before delighted
and charmed with what we saw on this
trip. here it is all brought to a climax
Beauty melts into sublimity and we are
delighted and amazed. The bright little
town of Forest City is situated short
distance below at the confluence of the
Little Cheyenne creek with the Missouri