New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-04-21
III.
ON THE MISSOURI.
SUBSTANTIAL PROSPERITY AT YANKToN.
SOME FACTS ABOUT THE WEATHER AND THE
son-DoMEsrrc ooAMERCE-YANKToN's
UNIQUE WATER AND MOTIVE

SOME FACTS ABOUT THE WEATHER AND THE
son-DoMEsrTc ooMMERcE-YANKToN's
UNIQUE WATER AND MOTIVE
POWER SUPPLY.
Copyright; 1889 BY The Fse York Tribune.
tFRoA STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THR TRlBuNEl
Yankton, South Dakota, April 16
What the Dakotan most resents is an express
ion Of doubt or suspicion ns to his weather.
Any remark, no matter how harmless, in which
the word blizzard" occurs sets him a-gong
directly. He will spread before you whole acres
Of signal service reports showing that the climate
of Dakota is really that of Southern State,
and he will lead you to believe that he intends
next spring to start an orange grove. He has
got by heart a set and formal address which he
fires at you without halt or break, full OF wise
statements about the isotherma lines and the
warm currents from Japan. 1t appears that
there is an air current known as the Chinook
winds specially heated for Dakota somewhere in
the Indian Ocean, and when the weather gets a
little chilly the Dakotans turn on their Chinook
current
Undoubtedly the climate of this Northwestern
country is much misunderstood in the East, Dor
which circumstance the newspaper funny men
arc held responsible. They have done Dakota
more harm, say the people here, than fifty
carloads of signal service reports can correct.
Low temperatures in this latitude are accompanied
by such delightful atmospheric conditions that
you rather welcome them. One goes without
ones overcoat when the mercury is in the neigh
borhood of zero, and feels all the better for 1t.
There is little snow or rnin little cloudy weather.
For months and months together, often for half
the year, the SUMS rays will fall unObscured
through sky of perfect blue. But when storms
do come, you want 10 be ready for them. They
lose no time. They finish up their work and go
of as quickly as possible, but they manage to
put in considerable business while they are at It,
Southern Dakota is vast prairie land, with
only an occasional gently slipping mound rising
from ten 10 thirty feet above the immeasurable
plain. This is no obstacle TO the wind, serving
only 20 give a direction and channel TO its
destructive course.
But for several reasons the billiards are not
esrrcially minded Shelter is the only necessary
provision against them, for here thew leave no
such deposit Of snow behind them was left
by the great Eastern blizzard Of March, 1888.
Here they are sudden, vicious storm, quickly
over, and always followed by warm, brilliant
weather In the main it is unquestionably true
TINT Dakota weather is ideal It's cold is dry,
healthy cold, with pure brocing air and clear
bright sunshine. 1t is not variable. IL docs
not begin with warm glow in the morning, and
wind up with n dresry mist at night
Next 70 his weather, the Dskotan felcitates
himself upon his soil and he can furnish any
quantity Of proof that IL will grow anything. He
win explain that Dakota WIS once covered by
great continental glacier, which. suddenly thrown
by q turn the earth took upon its axis from an
arctic 70 a temperate zone, melted and produced
foods and ran along in their path, grinding down
the mountains, and having the present great
plains Of Dakota strewn with drift For centuries
the whole region one vast lake, at the bottom
Of which mud was precipitated, full Of vegetable
substances This lake mud is now the soil OF thn
country richer than ever by reRson OF the de-
cayed prairie grasses that year after year have
fallen and rotted upon the plains He brings the
testimony OF half hundred eminent biologists
to support his theory, and then points You 10 the
dense blacFness Of the earth as his plough turns
IL up.
Yanston's soil is her hope and her dependence.
She is the outlet OF an immense agricultural re-
Gon, embracing about 10000 farms devoted
chiefly TO the growth OF corn and fax and to the
development OF stock. Seventy bushels of corn
70 the acre is regarded as moderate result 10 be
obtained With the physical advantages natural TO
these prairies The farmers homes in fankton
County are as large and comfortable as those TO
be found in Western Pennsylvania, and are main
tained in a style that tells its own story OF gen.
eral prosperity No less than 647 cars were re-
ouired IN ssS in which 10 ship the grain products
OF the farms about Yankton 81 more were filled
with the -four and feed OF native manufacture;
asO were occupied by Yantton cattle and 325 by
Yankton hogs 1876 carloads Of hay were shipped.
and altogether this little community Of 1000
.. ople sent out the surprising shipment OF 2,4lV
carloads of native goods They brought back for
their own supply 2,O25 carloads Of foreign goods.
completing traffic which must be regarded as
anything but mean
Ysnkton Is on the Missouri River, or, at least.
was this morning The Missouri however, APP
pears 20 have mind Of It's own, and when IL takes
q notion il skips of In one direction or another.
coldly abandoning the towns that border on It,
Then as IL tired Of wandering u Will shift "a
channel again and come back. YRnkton can never
tell inst where the river is. Yankton goes TO bed
with the river washing the chalk bluds which lie
at the foot Of the town. It wakes up with the
river as much as two miles away. The philosophy
of this extraordinary conduct is found In the soft
bed over which the river flows. II Is deposit
brought down from the sources not only OF the
Missouri, but Of all the great rivers that How into
it, and this deposit forms SUGGESTIONS OF bars
The country round about is very low, and as these
bars are washed away the channel shifts. often
causing great overhows' that do immense damage
20 the people who are foolish enough TO farm with
in the imperlled territory. Many people are
tempted to take the risks by reason Of the wonder
full richness of the low lands. Yankton's protec-
ton against the rivers treacherous disposition Is
long line of chalk chff which is likely TO prove
not only wall Of defence but source Of wealth
TO the people, They are beginning to think they
have in these cliffs 40 ample fortune as Sioux
Falls possesses in its jasper rock. Blocks OF the
chalk were recently taken TO Chicago and tested
as the foundation ingredient for cement, and q
syndicate of capitalists from that city, the princl-
pal of whom is an Armour, has purchased site