Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1889-09-19

great forest fires of western Montana
Idaho, and British Columbia, doubtless
marks minimum point IN the average
annual rainfall, such as eighteen years
ago made possible the great Ere in
| Chicago and the extensive forest fires in
Wisconsin, in which hundreds of people
| lost their lives. Between these periods
of excessive drought were the years of
plentiful rain, giving abundant wheat
| harvests wherever settlements had been
made on the Dakota prairies, which
| therefore received during those years a
great tide Of immigration. But during
the past few years deficiency Of rainfall
has caused generally diminution Of the
farmers harvests, and consequent de-
preston Of every business enterprise,
until in the present dry year many are
discouraged and on the point OF return
ing east or going forward to the still
farther west.
This dlstrust of the farming prospects
of North and South Dakota rests large
ly on q belief which many entertain that
the dry seasons are to continue; and a
spirit of confidence and better persever-
ance would take It's place, if only the
experience Of the earliest settlers Of this
region should be consulted. A dozen
years ago the sloughs were generally dry
as they are today; since then, between
1880 and 1885, they were filed with
water by the plentiful SHOWS and rains
and bountiful haryests rewarded the
farmers toll. Following out this expert
ence for what 1t promises for the future,
we see the present dry seasons and de-
preston of business succeeded within
the coming few years, probably even
next year, by increasing rainfall. which
is sure TO bring again the lakelets filling
the lake beds that are now dry, and with
the rains such harvests as made the
land rejoice a few years ago and built up
the many villages and towns that dot
these prairies. lit Is always darkest
just before dawn Therefore let not
those who have beer pioneers for the
settlement Of this fertile area leave it in
this year Of it's minimum rainfall; for
there is very surely to come in their ro-
tation years of plentiful rain and as large
haryests as a few years ago.
All the lakes Of North and South Da-
hota have huctuatsd many times from
stages Of low level to stages Of high level,
dependent on the variations IN the
average yearly snowfall and rainfall.
iiRemarkable shore lines OF such high
stages of water are seen about Devils
lake, Stump lake, Spiritwood lake, and
indeed every lake of considerable size in
the region. The length OF time since
the first settlement for farming in North
and South Dakota has however been in
sufficient for recording several alterna-
tions of their low and high stages. But
we have only to 60 half way east toward
the Atlantic to find reliable record of
the general climatic law which prevails
thrc ughout the northwest and with more
or less uniformity. all the way east to
New England. This is afforded by the
variations in the heights of the great
lakes tributary to the st. Lawrence.
The great Laurentian lakes attained
their highest stage, within our know
ledge since the advant of white men, in
1888; but they we're nearly as high in
1Sl4-15 and 1888. Since 1888 they have
reached maximum stages in lS47, '58, TO-
and 'S2. These lag two or three years
behind the times of maximum rainfall,
which were in 1886, 1855, and 1880.
| The lowest known stage Of these lakes
was in the winter of 1S19.2O, when lake
Erie was SIX feet lower than in 1888 In
1876 it was five feet lower than in 1888.
Other years of minima, mostly somewhat
less remarkable. were 1941, '553, '65, and
rs.
| Inspecting these records, it will be
seen that succession of unusually dry
years, lowering the lake levels, have
/ alternated with series of wet years by
which the lakes have been raised to
maximum stages, in cycles of ten or
twelve years from one maximum, through
at least five such cycles, occupying the
past fifty years. No better assurance
could be asked that the present years. of
drought will be soon followed by their
opposite. In just the same direction is
the testimony of the white trappers and
voyagers and of the Indians, who well
remember several such rotations from
plentiful to deficient rainfall and back
again to abundant snow and rain, with
all the lakes, sloughs and rivers filled,
within the same period of half a century
past. If the cycle of ten or twelve years
repeats itself again, it is now at its turn
i ing point, and those who remain will
share the renewed prosperity that it
promises.
| WARREN UPHAM,
Assistant on the U. S. Geological Survey