The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1889-09-12

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grain fields dotted with happy homes
in our midst.
| Besides those spoken of, the Irish
inhabitants Of the county have not
been an unimportant element in the
settling of this section. Those who
were thought in former days to be
handy only in building canals or
railroads, have found in the virgin
soil of our tip top county, a chance to
prove themselves co-equals Of the
best farmers to be found anywhere.
But to mention separately all the
nationalities that make up our cos
mopolitan county would be to
write a volume. We note just the
larger colonies. This gives the
reader an idea of the complexion of
the settlers. One thing can be said
of all of them,-they are not a shift
less set, a do-less people, they are
enterprising, Industrious and pro-
gressive.
i That portion of the population of
the county that are of American
origin is not predominant, though
large. The large farms are mainly
owned and worked by them thirty
or forty per cent. OF the homestead
ers are OF this class, and as a rule
the majority of the business men in
all the villages. These settlers are
of the most thrifty type of born
Americans. The timid kind do not
come up in this north country at all.
And in coming, a choice element
seems to have settled in Rich
land county.
LANDS AND NATURAL ADVANTAGES.
All the land of the county is not
yet taken up. many thousand acres
are yet for sale by the Northern
Pacific railroad company. And like
any other region of the world those
who have homesteads will sell any
day if they get their price, so farms
are frequently changing.
We have mentioned some of the
natural advantages of this portion
OF Dakota. There are more. While
there are no forests here like those
that cover the rocks of Maine or
Michigan. yet Richland county has
some timber, all the rivers have
some; but the Red is particularly
plentiful in trees. 1t is lined all
along, either on the Dakota or Min
nesota side with very respectable
growth, in places both sides of
this stream are covered for acres in
width and for miles in extent.
Many of the first settlers took
special care to get land where they
could also have some timber on it.
This is now, however, not so de-
sirable. as land put into grain will
produce so we'll that wood can be
bought cheaper by. that crop than if
the land was cropless under timber.
The rivers Of the county are four.
The Bois des Sioux, the outlet of
Lake Traverse. This river unites
with the Ottertail at Wahpeton, the
county seat, on the east boundary,
and they together form the Red
River of the North, which creeps
along the remaining portion Of the
county's eastern boundary, and
flows on to the north. Thus the
county has winding water way on
its eastern side of about 60 miles by
i the river course. This is the fa-
nous route spoken of for years
in commercial circles as as prob
able water highway between Hud-
sons Bay and the Gulf of Mex
leo. The Red River of the North
has been navigable for steamboats,
along all it's course as far as Wah-
peton. The Bois des Sioux might be
made so by a fair government ap-
preparation, then Traverse lake and
Big Stone could be easily connected
by canal, and by dregging the chan
mel of the Minnesota, steamboat
navigation would be an accomplished
fact, from the balmy Gulf below to
Hudson's icebound waters above.
Richland county will hold gala
season of indefinite duration when
such good things shall come to pass,
and will greet with many a gleeful
shout the putting steamers fresh
from New Orleans, Offering for sale
| it's load of sorghum and asking in
return a hundred tons of our golden
wheat.
. A third river is the Wild Rice.
This stream makes a hook-shaped
i journey of more than 60 miles
through the richest portion of the
county. Entering at the west in