The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-08-15


and box elder.
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 empt1cs into the river about TWENTY
five miles north Of the terminus of the Chi
cago, Milwaukee d st. Paul railway at Cham
berain. 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
urlunt crops Of grass, from which thousands
OF tons of hay may 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
above the mouth of Bad river,
| 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 MiE-
| souri, has an average width Of four miles,
gradually descending from the chain of bluffs
| 10 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
them squaCters right, have already erected
claim shanties and prepared to file upon this
| land when placed on the market
GOOD FOR OLD OAKEN BUCKETS
Wells in 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 alkali salts. Near what is
/
| poste Fort Sully, are several large
| groves of timber, and n 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, however, for a consideration
| and payment for their improvements. In
| the Missouri and Bad river valleys are found
| the most desirable farming lands, the Mis-
| souri, valley, However. being better timbered,
| better watered, and with q better soil. Suf-
| ticient timber may be had on any of
| the larger streams of which have written
| for all the purposes of stabling, fence posts,
| and, with careful and economical use fuel
| for all those who may settle in the val
| ley. Bad river was formerly quite heavily
| timbered, but the nearnesS to the towns mas
| Jle 1nQlanS market, RuDDIy
| which they have stripped the river of it's
timber for twenty miles above the mouth.
| Beyond this there are still quite thickIy
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 Chevenne 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
| inducement The valley of the
| Cheyenne river presents to the home
| seeker an opportunity to acquire title to q
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 100 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 it's name to a
| 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
but may be induced for a small sum OF
money to relinquish them Proceeding up the
stream one finds the land becoming more
broken and uneven. The valleys are smuller
the soil seems less fertile and the wooded
portions scarcer. At and 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, bu
stock raising may be carried on here success
fully, there being an abundance of grass
und water with natural shelter for cattle
| In the land which on the map forms the
upright part to the IL" shaped portion which
is left unshaded, is found perhaps the mos
diversified and well watered portion of the
| land to be sold. Here are found numerou!
small streams and many little valleys, which
are uneXcelled for the growing of wheat anC
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 afford
feed for cattle all through The winter months
The RattesnaAe creek, one OF the prtncipa
: streams in this strip, lying to the west of tht
Cheyenne river reservation as defined by the
last treaty, has u considerable amount C.
timber, and affords an abundance of waite
? for stock But little alkali is found in tt
, soil here, and consequently there is but
| slight trace in the water. The uplands o
, this region are better adapted for grazing
than for farming, being much broken anC
, | subdiyided bv irregular ranges of Lills. Tht
r character of the soil here is more like ella,
: than that found nearer the Missouri river
, | Some considerable building stone is foun(
: in this tract, scattered along the small
streams cropping out in irregular strata
a The stone Is soft sandstone, easily worked
when first taken from the ground, but bard
l ems when exposed to the action of the at
mosphere.
l THE BEST PLACE FOR MIXED FARMING.
? The country north of the Bad river ant
south of the Cheyenne river contains prob
r ably the land best ada pted for mixed farm
ing, being less broken and irregular, ava.
: from the streams, and therefore bette
, adapted for tila2e. The soil is very fertile
' where it has been tried, yielding magnlf1cen
! returns of potatoes and other garden Vege
D tables. those being the only crops planted ol
/ the uplauds SO far The Northwestern Stag
company formerly had numbe
of stage stations located abou
, ten miles apart across this tract In tn
. | gardens at those stations many varieties o
garden stuff were cultivated, and with success
in all those varieties suited to that latitude
Potatoes, beets and all roots especial,
, yielded in profusion. The soil on this up
! land tract between the Bad ana CheyeDn
: rivers in mixed gumbo and sand, the gumb
:, predominating nealest the Bad river, Will
J there is found moro sand In the soil a
J | one approaches the Cheyenne river
! There are between each Of the smalle
j streams tributary to these rivers, plateau
i which, so far as can be judged from observa
ton, VIII produce splendid crops of whea
p and oats The soil, where excavations hav
been made, has been from two feet TO fort
!. inches in depth, everything heavy gumb
clay subsoil, which resis;s the penetration o
! the water IN to it's depths Below this sub
+ soil is q soft shaie which readily become
| pasty when immersed in water. The dept
to which wells must be sunk to obtain
. supply of water is unknown, as none hav
ever been sunk In this region within th
q knowledge of the writer.
: In conclusion, let it be understood tina
q this territory now to be opened is not parG
= disc, where industry, economv and shrewo
4 ness are not necessary for success. There
. no more certainty of a full return from see
' sown in this region than in any othel