St. Paul daily globe., 1889-11-08
He Places the Population Of
the Late Territory at
650,000.
Indians Cut No Figure, but
Their Lands Are Very
Fertile.
Grover Calls on His Successor
and the Pair Talk
Politics.

tory, in his annual report to the secre-
tary of the interior. says that the growth
of population in the territory has been
singularly rapid and stable, and now
reaches 10000, as against 415,610 in
1885. The number of filings. etc., at
the ten United States land offices in Da-
kota during the year is given as follows:
Presumption filings, SAG; homestead
filings, 3,7S7; pre-emption proof, cash
entries, 2,637; committed homesteadS,
cash entries, $50; final homestead proofs.
$3.50; timber culture proofs, 112.
The total area filed upon during the
year was 2,096,030 acres, against $685.
142 the preceding year. The bulk OF
the present vacant land area, about 49,
SIT, ,237 acres, lies in the Bismarck and
DEVILS Lake districts, in North Dakota,
and the Rapid City district, in South
Dakota. the amount still open for set
tlement in the Bismarck district being
nearly 100000 acres. The area of
land sold by the Northern Pacific rail-
way from its grant and by private own
erS is estimated to equal about 25 per
cent of the lands entered during the
year. The report says that during the
past year there has been practically no
railway building. The year 1887 was
one of unusual activity in railway cir
cles, and about 700 miles of new road
was constructed in the territory. This
remarkable activity, the report says,
has been followed by
A PERIOD OF INACTIVITY,
though several new lines have been pro-
Jected and a considerable amount of
grading done during the last year. Upon
the subject of agriculture the report
says in part:
Dakota is pre-eminently an agricultural
region. Almost its entire area is susceptible
of cultivation, and those portions not adapted
to the DlOW are available for grazing In no
other country of the world are there larger
areas of fertile land level as floor, easily
worked and as fruitful as the valley of the
Nile.
In the older sections of Dakota mixed
farming, the report states, is yearly be-
coming more general. Stock raising,
for which Dakota possesses peculiar
adaptations, is rapidly growing indus
try. The increase in the value of live
stock during the last nine years is stated
to have been 663 per cent. Dairying is
becoming an important industry and.
during the last two years, large num-
Der of creamerieS have been established
and have generally proved profitable in
vestments. During the last few months
the governor says the subject of irriga-
CATION has attracted great amount OF
attention. At the last session of the
territorial legislature an act was passed
authorizing the
SINKING OF ARTESIAN WELLS
upon the petition of a number of resi-
dents of township. Numerous peti-
tlOns under the act have been filed, and
the work of sinking wells is now in
progress in number of counties. The
success in sinking artesian wells in Da-
kota, the governor says, has been so
general, and the flow obtained. The
tin mines in the Black Hills are attract
ing a great deal of interest within the
last year. A company of foreign capt.
talistS has been organized, with heavy
capital, to develop what are known as
the Kearney Peak properties, located in
enningtOn and Custer counties. 1t is
is the opinion of experts, the governor
says, that these mines contain the
largest and most valuable aggregation
of tin veins ever brought to the atten-
ton of the world. The governor speaks
of the treatment of these ores, and says
that they require no roasting, as is not
the case with foreign ores.
One of the problems which eonfronts
the peopleof Dakota, the governor says,
is cheap fuel. The supply OF timber in
IltC DldCk Hills 10 VIGIL OAuouotOu.
For this reason, a
GOOD DEAL OF PROSPECTING
for coal has been done during the year.
Out-croppings indicating deposits of
coal were discovered in the southern
hills near the Red canyon last summer,
and shaft sunk in the vicinity of
Rapid City, passed through coal forma-
tiOnS. North of the hills extensive coal
fields are known to exist in the vicinity
of Hoy creek, in Butte county, and some
valuable mines have been opened near
the Wyoming line during the year, but
as yet the lack of railroad facilities has
operated against the development of the
coal industry in that neighborhood.
Concerning the Indians, the governor
says: "There is nothing to fear from
the Indian population of Dakota. A few
are farmers and the rest are more or less
accustomed to white mans labor. for
which large majority, however, have
as yet sovereign contempt. They are
peaceably disposed towards their white
reighbors, and as but little is seen of
them anyway, their presence in the
territory on the government reserva-
tions is hardly observed. and of no
concern to the people of Dakota
generally. In regard to the move
ment for the admission of the
territory into the union. the governor
says: "While her material develop
ment, which is chiefly the work of de
cade. has been phenomenal, she is proud
chiefly of the fact that it has been ac-
complished without the crime and blood
shed usual upon the establishment of
civilization in the wilderness. Her peo-
pie have been law unto themselves in
the absence OF courts and peace officers. |
and never has the militia of the terri |
tory or of the nation been compelled to |
THE EXERCISE OF FORCE
in her behalf. She has safely and tri- |
passed through the excite |
ment consequent upon the adjustment |
of title of lands, location of county and
state seats OF government and their at |
tendant dangers. and now furnishes |
two states fully equipped. and grounded |
upon the broad intelligence and fervent |
patriotism which must ever constitute |
the hope of the republic"