Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-06-07
YROM SOUTH DAKOTA.

Il NUUIBhn 0OgNh OAAOAAi ny ~ -
EDITOR NEWS: On taking my dc.
parture from your city I promised
quite q number Of friends to let them
know about the country to which !
was going. Some wanted to know
about it In general, others about the
climate, soil, people, schools, etc.
AS they are oil appreciable readers
of the News I shall say what l have
to communicate through the columns
of that worthy paper and save repeti-
ton on my part, unless you should see
fit to give q coup-da-grace to my ef-
forts by casting them in tho waste
basket.
1 left Baxter May 5 and ran as far
as Cherokee, where / took the ~ AZ q.
IN. train for Kansas City via Nevada,
Mo.
Hard timesi You are all familiar,
no doubt, with the sound Of that cry,
but in behalf of Baxter Springs ]
shall say that that cry has met my
ears with more vehemence since 1 left
than it ever did in that city, situated
as il is, in q healthy CLINE, inhabited
by q social and industrious people,
surrounded by o fertile country and q
scenery that In sublimity AMI grand
eur rivals cities of greater fame.
When business is dull in Baxter the
people instead of bowling about the
times may be seen on the road to the
territory with guns, fishing rods and
picnic baskets.
Ny business delayed me In Kansas
City for several days. To q stranger
business seemed good. A few days
before I arrived a sale Of real estate
was consummated involving over half
q million of dollars. It is said TO be
the largest transfer ever made In that
city, though most everybody of said
city testified TO the fact that times are
closer than they have been for years.
Having completed our business we
left Kansas City at 8 a. m, May 18th,
for South Dakota by the Burlington
and Missouri River road. The road
follows the river 80 close that 1t is In
constant view for about 30 miles. SO
close is it at places that stones rolling
down the grade roll into the river. AT
3:2O we arrived in Lincoln and as the
trains did not connect we had an ex.
cellent opportunity to visit the capital
and other places of interest. Lincoln
is q beautiful city of about $4,000 in
habitants. The streets are very wide,
nicely paved and clearly kept. Before
arriving there heard it spoken of as
"The City of Churches and Beautiful
Women" After q short stay in the
city my observations fully corrobor-
ated the remark in both cases.
About "a hours after leaving Lin
coin we found ourselves in Dudley, 8.
OAK, a little village situated in the
foot of the Black Hills on the Chey-
-enne river. In this part Of the coun.
try there are very few people, the soil
along the river is very poor, sandy,
and almost void of vegetation, but in
the valleys it is better and is covered
with bunch and buffalo grass. Some
of the land can be holnesteaded,
though not all Of it is yet surveyed.
From Dudley to the end OF our
journey-about four miles south OF
Custer-we had to make by wagon, as
we were at the end of the railroad. A
branch road is now under cOnstruc-
ton from there to DeadwoOd.
After two days travel over the
toughest country ever saw to make
about 30 miles, we completed our
Journey and found ourselves surround
ed by q much rougher though better
country. The water around Dudley
contains a good deal of alkali and has
anything but pleasant effect upon the
consumer. Here we have the pure
mountain water. The soil is also
much better, but all the farming land
is taken. The mountains are covered
with q fine forest of pine. So steep
are some of the mountains that 1t is
possible to stand on mountain tops
and pluck leaves from the tops of trees
100 feet or more high. This mountain
land is fast being taken as mineral
claims aud for the timber. The hills
contain most all kinds of mineral,
viz: Tin, mica, iron, zinc, antilnony,
gypsum, some silver and gold and coal
is found in some localities.
Around Custer there are some whole
mountains that glitter with mica
which makes q very pleasant sight on
a bright day. A few miles east OF
Dudley l found some fine specimens
of zinc and spent considerable time
looking for 1t in larger quantities, but
found nothing big.
The hills would certainly be para.
disc for a gcologist. lie could find
many kinds Of fOssiliferOus specimens,
such as petrified wood, birds, snakes,
polyps, mollusks aud trilobites.
The climate here Is healthy, but
quite cool. l am afraid shall be
cheated out of my summer this year