St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-05-18
DAKO T A
TO THE BLACK HILLS.
Progress of Railroad Building Toward
Mines and Ranches.
CIRCUmvENTING CONGRESS.
The Fremont, Elkhorn and Mis- souri,
Valley Road and the Country
II TraverseS.


The aid of its landmarks in modern pro-
gress, the diamond drill and giant
powder, had constructed through and
over and around the great mountain
range of Southern Europe railroad
grade, that the now hackneyed eX-
preston "Beyond the Alps lies Italy,"
was used to convey the idea of its we'll
known significance. beyond the Big
Sioux reservation lies the Black Hills
preserves the pregnant thought, mod
ernizes its application and lntenslfles
its meaning. For when railroad build
ers reached the Missouri river in Da-
kota. on their way to the Black hills
the symbolic Italy-they encountered an
obstacle in that Indian reserve APP
preaching far nearer the inSurmountable
than ever did the towering Alps. 1t
was not a grade they wanted but right
of way, and instead of tunnelling
granite mountains they had to pierce
congressional understanding, upon
which, some cynics say, no diamond
drill of logic, nor giant powder OF facts
has ever yet made an impression. AS
Northwestern railroad reached the
Missouri at Pierre. About the same
time the Milwaukee finished building to
Chamberlain. 1t was then thought, and
doubtless correctly. that these two lines
wee fighting for the enticng trans
Missouri territory, of which the Black
Hills country was and is the chief
prize. The generally conceded prlnci-
pie in this species of civilized
warfare, that the pioneer line
always holds the strategic position
and for years controls the traffic OF the
neWly-acQuired domain, was evidently
believed in by both roads. Each had a
bill before congress granting it a right
Of-way through the reservation, which
for one session was vigorously pushed,
and all other preparations were being
made for the race to the hills. Settlers
OH both sides of the sacred Indian pre-
cincts were watching proceedings with
the keeneSt interest. For a time even
those great objects OF universal desire,
the opening of the reservation and the
admission to statehood, were forgotten
in the all-absOrbing interest felt in the
''right-Of-way bills" Railroads, those
presumably all-powerful influences in
strate and national legislation be-
ing the parties directly concerned,
the public never doubted for moment
that these two measures would speedily
become laws. But they never did, and
neither road has crossed the river at
those points. Some truce between the
rival companies. the exact nature OF
which the public will perhaps never
know, was agreed upon, leaving the
stage drivers, mule SINNERS and bull
whackers in undisputed possession of
the trail asross the FLATS" The North
western, however, was aware OF
THE SPLENDID POSSIBILITIES
of this Western country, and determ-
mined to secure it for its own, so the
base of operations was shifted
to the South. The line of this
great system extending west
from Missouri Valley, Iowa, into Ne
braska, waS:the branch which could be
built with this unoccupied territory
without the consent of congress. 1t has
been constructed and is known as the
Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley
railway. 1t passes through that portion
of Nebraska which gives to that state its
fame as a great agricultural. and es-
pecially corn-grOwing, commonwealth.
AS time is reckoned in the rapidly de-
Veloping West, this is already an ''Old-
settled country" Thousands of acres
of the wild prairie have been subdued,
calling into existence innumerable pros
porous industries. All of the small
grains are successfully grown, but
corn is king. This, of course.
makes it ''great hog country"
and a large per cent OF the hogs
received at the Chicago, Omaha and
Kansas City packing establishments
come from along this line. There are
scores of thriving towns and villages
reached. all of which are supported by
the unequalled adjacent agricultural in
terests. Chief among these are Free
Pine and Chadron. Several of these
little cities have become important
stock feeding points, while not one of
them is without its griSt mill, packing
house and elevators in profusion-not
to mention occasional establishments
for converting the corn surplus into I'M
adulterated booze for distribution in
prohibition afflicted Iowa, through the
drug store channel. In going over this
road for 300 miles west of the Missouri
valley one is
IMPRESSED MOST FoRCIBLY
by pleasing sight which can be wit
messed to the same extent nowhere else
in America, and perhaps in the world.
This is the large number of thrifty
groves which have been planted by the
settlers, proving conclusively that the
''tree claim" scheme of our government
is entirely feasible-at least in this
peculiarly favored land.
From Chadron. Neb., the main line
continues in its neyer-varying westerly
course for over 100 miles, tapping the
inexhaustable coal fields, rich oil fields
and bOundless cattle ranges of Wyom-
ing. 1t was only since the advent of the
railroad into this section about two
years ago that the first coal mine was
opened and oil well sunk, and already
the black diamonds are being used for
fuel throughout 800 miles of country to
the east and the oil for lubricating pur-
poses over the same area.
With oil retinerieS the product can be
used for lighting as well as lubricating,
and with this cheap coal one can readily
see the vast industrial possibilities in
store for the region.
From Chadron the company has con-
structed still another hundred odd
miles of road, extending into the heart
of the far-famed, gold-ribbed Black
Hills, within an hours stage coach ride
of historic Deadwood. Everybody
knows that the hills are rich in the
precious metals-gold and silver. The
world is apparently beginning to real
lLC lllttU III lllC lululC IL iluSt CLAW Ills
supply of tin from the same extensive
laboratory of nature, and will soon
learn that nowhere else on the CONT
nent can all building materials,
lumber, stone, brick, gypsum,
cement and an uneXcelled va
riety of marble be obtained
so cheaply and of so superior quality.
Stock raising has long been an impOr-
tant industry, and the EIkhorn road. in
furnishing cheap and convenient trans
portation to Eastern markets. has given
it an impetus which renders the plains
tributary to the hills, the most profitable
and extensive cattle-raising region of
the West. The parks within the val
leys radiating from and the prairies
surrounding the hills are all fertile