The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1889-03-15
SnuTH DAKOTA

The rapid settlement of this section, especially
the northern part of it, is veritable 70
nance The movement was like one of those
vast migrations we read Of in ancient history,
when whole nations and races, driven by enc
mics or impelled by some common impulse,
swept over a new region and changed all the
subsequent history of the world. A single
railroad line brought in $1,000 immigrants in
one season. In many cases whole townships,
thirty-six sections or IA 'claims, /" were taken
In a day by single squad of settlers and in
advance of the government survey. Wien
that was completed they followed the line Of
stakes to the nearest land Office and perfected
their titles according to law Contemporary
with this movement from the eastern states
was movement of Scandinavians, including
Icelanders and Canadian Liberals of Brit
ish, Scotch and Irish origin, which filed all
the valley of Red river In the counties of
Walsh and Pembina one may ride over the
thirty-five miles from the river to the so
called mountain" Ia mere ridge, and not
find single quar- : section without sub
stantial dwelling In this marvelously fer
tile valley or plain of 1000 square miles or
5000 congressional farms, it is hard to find q
single acre that viii not readily produce from
twenty to forty bushels Of the finest wheaton
corresponding amount Of rye, oats, buck
wheat, potatoes or turnips
On the eastern border of Dakota is q lovely
little valley; at the south end is Big Stone
lake, dashing into the Minnesota river; at the
north end Lake Traverse, the head Of Red
river. In the valley the eye perceives no
divide, yet the water on one side goes out
to Lake Winnipeg and Hudson's bay, that on
the other to the Gulf of Mexico. Similarly,
across the territory TO tho northwest, no di-
vide is visible to the eye, yet the streams on
one side flow down to tho Missouri, and those
on the north side seek the Red river. Their
interlock is most curious. Thus the James
and the Cheyenne flow parallel and but few
miles apart, through hundred turns from
near latitude As degs. down to the center of
the territory; then tho latter suddenly turns
on itself and goes back to join the Red, while
the James flows ON 500 miles to join the Mis-
souri, near Yankton. The strange beauty OF
their prairies, the poetic traditions left by the
Dakota or Sioux Indians, and still more the
reputation Of their wheat In the markets Of
the world, have created in the people priae
In their local name which makes them insist
on retaining it for both divisions Thenorth-
ern might appropriately be called Pembina,
or even Huron.
On any map of the United States of ls49-
80 the observer will see that all the region
north Of the northern line of Kansas was in
one great district-soon after called Nebraska
from the Missouri to the summit of the Rocky
mountains-and that all west of the summit
was In the two territories of Oregon and Cal
ifornia. A little later Dakota extended from
its present eastern boundary to the mountain
summit. Then the western half was cut off,
and with eastern Oregon was made into
Idaho, and after the gold discoveries in the
north vast district Of Idaho was erected
into Montana As late as 1868 the present
territory Of Wyoming was section of Da-
kota. Montana has wonderful variety of
climate and natural productions. On the
eastern plains the mercury has often sunk to
10 dogs. below zero; in the same latitude west
Of the mountains cattle Craze and fatten all
winter in Bitter Root valley.
Latitude has but a trifing effect in pro-
ducing these changes; elevation is far more
and with 1t the trend IF the noun
tains and direction of the prevailing winds
Through the low passes of the mountains in
British America comes the great Chinook
wind" producing effects which reverse all
the ordinary rules; away up on the hillsides
and In the far north the spring air is as mild
as in the Ohio valley; eastward and south
ward, as that warm current loses its force,
the cold increases; the grass is springing up
La western Montana while snow covers the
ground 200 miles further south, in Dakota,
and the ice in the Missouri often ''breaks uph
600 miles above Bismarck before 1t does there, |
and 30 piles up those tremendous wastes which |
the best masonry in railroad bridges cannot
withstand Hence the first settlers came up |
the temperate valleys from Oregon and Cali |
fornia and established important places, |
while all the middle and eastern section was |
till dominated by the iercest savages In |
America.
OF the l460sO square miles of Montana,
about one-haf may be classed as mountain
BUS; the valleys are Of extraordinary fer
ality, and the plains are nearly all of some |
value for grading. There 10 VERY small