New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1889-08-21


depth of from forty to eighty feet, though
the waller is not very good for household
purposes. being brackish and very hard.
Alkali salts are also held in solution in all
water taken from wells in the valley.
The principal tributaries to the Bad river
are Willow creek, Lance creek. Plum creek,
Frozen Mans creek and GrindsJone creek.
TIE first is about ten miles out from Coulson,
at the mouth of Bad river. following the old
stage road leading into the Black Hills It
| tonwood. The valley is not APP
preciable. the bluffs overhanging the
creek from IFS source to the mouth.
Lance creek has some scattered groves along.
its course, and some desirable locations for
farms, though there is not very extensive
valley. 1t is distant from Pierre about forty
miles. Plum creek flows into Bad river about
| fifteen miles above its confluence with the
Missouri, and has quite an extensive valley
and some timber along its banks The grass
along these streams is excellent, ana affords
splendid feed for cattle and horses The cat
tie running in this part of the territory are
generally III good condition earlier than
those fed in the pastures on the White river.
Between the White and Bad river the
Missouri receives the waters of several small
creeks, the principal Of which are the Yellow
Medicine and Antelope. The Yellow Medi-
cine empties into the river about twenty
five miles north of the terminus of the Chi
| cage, Milwaukee & st. Paul railway at Cham
berlaln. The valley here is nearly ten miles
Wide and is quite heavily timbered in places
The Yellow Medicine has an extensive val
ley, and the stream has never been known
to run dry, as have many of the streams in
this region during the dry season. Lux
| urlant crops OF grass, from which thousands
OF tons Of hay NAV be cut yearly are found
| all along the Missouri bottoms
Between Bad and Cheyenne rivers there
are two quite large creeks which empty their
waters into the Missouri. the first one, Shanty
creek, being about fifteen miles
and the second, Porcupine creek. nearly
twenty five miles south of the Cheyenne
| river. These creeks are distant from each
other about fifteen miles, and are quite
heavily timbered and afford excel
lent water for stock. About ten miles
| above the Bad river the valley of the Mis-
souri, has an average width Of four miles,
! gradually descending from the chain of bluffs
to the river in three terraces or benches.
This land. lying in close proximity to the
town of Pierre, has been looked upon with
LONGING eyes. Several squaw men, whose
lntermarriage into the tribes has given
them squatter's right, have already erected
claim shanties and prepared to file upon this
land when placed on the market.
Wellsin the Missouri valley average about
fifty feet in depth, and generally are filled
with pure and wholesome water. Where
the underground current supplying the
water connects with the Missouri as it's
source OF supply, the water is pure and free
from any faint of alkaIi salts. Near what is
now known as Fort Bennett, nearly OPP
! posite Fort Sully, are several large
| groves of timber, and a widening of
| the valley to form what is called Sully
bottoms. These lands are now occupied by
| Indians belonging to the Cheyenne River
| agency, and as they are privileged TO do SO
they will probably be the first claimants for
these lands-in fact for all the desirable
| farming land included in the valley of the
Missouri They may be induced to relinquish
their claims, o vever, for consideration
and payment 20 their improvements In
the Missouri an. Bad river valleys are found
! the most desirable farming lands, the Mis-
souri, valley. However, being better timbered,
better Watered, aud with q better soil. SUI
flcient timber may be had on any OF
the larger streams of which I have written
and. with careful and economical use. fuel
for all those who may settle in the val
ley. Bad river was formerly quite heavily
tl1nbered, but the nearness to the towns has
afforded the Indians a market to supply
which they have stripped the river of it's
timber for twenty miles above the mouth
Beyond this there are still quite thickly
wooded points in the bends Of the river
What has been said of the conformation Of
the valleys Of the White and Bad rivers may
be repeated in the case of the Cheyenne
river which now forms the north line Of the
tract of land ceded to the government BY the
Indians. The Cheyenne river has more tim
Der than the Bad river, as there has been no
market for the wood, unless hauled great
distances to the towns on the opposite side
of the Missouri river or sold to the steam
boats which operate on the Big Muddy. and
these did not offer much of an
inducements The valley of the
Cheyenne river presents to the home
seeker an opportunity to acquire title to a
! quarter section OF fine bottom land and have
the privileges of grazing for his cattle on the
hills surrounding the valley on the south, as
these hills are too much broken TO find a
purchaser for many years to come, but
though not adapted to farming are covered
with fine nutritious grasses. The water in
the Cheyenne river, coming from the same
general source as does the Bad river, is much
the same, though not as strongly alkaline.
The wells sunk in the valley are from 25 TO
60 feet deep. and afford an abundance of
excellent water for all purposes
The principal tributary of the cheyenne
| river from the south gives its name to
region which is supposed to be the best
adapted for cultivation of any in the valley
| CT the Cheyenne river. Cherry creek flows
into the Cheyenne river about sixty miles
| from the mouth Here the valley attains
! its greatest width, being about eight miles
from bluff to bluff Quite large number Of
Indians have small farms here, and
| may choose to take their claims
where they are already located,
l puu may NC 4uOuCcu 1OI d SlIl1Al SUN Oh
| money to relinquish them. Proceeding up the
| stream one finds the land becoming moro
broken and uneven. The valleys are smaller,
The soil seems less fertile and the wooded
portions scarcer At and a few miles below
the crossing of the old Fort Pierre and Black
Hills stage road the valley is very narrow.
but has quite heavy growth of timber. The
opportunities for farming are limited, but
stock raising may be carried on here success
fully, there being an abundance of grass
uYotn NTH ofppvo1 c1o 1x AZ
In the land which on the map forms the
upright part to the q" shaped portion which
is left unshaded, is found perhaps the most
diversified and well watered portion of the
land to be sold. Here are found numerous
small streams and 1nany little valleys which
| are unexcelled for the growing of wheat and
oats The grass i'll this portion of the res.
ervation is the same as that found on the
Bad and White rivers, being an akali bunch
grass. which cures on the ground and affords
feed for cattle all throughlh The winter months.
The Rattlesnake creek. one of the principal
streams in this strip, lying to the west of the