The Dickinson press., 1891-05-16
Possibilities Of the Missouri and Pros.
pectiye Beauties Of Mandan.

moments of leisure this pleasant
afternoon, l amused myself by stroll.
ing through and about the streets of
Mandan, and thinking Il few brief
remarks relative to the place. and the
beautiful scenery surrounding this
favored spot may not be amiss, and
will perhaps. interest those of your
readers who have never had III oppor-
tunity Of paying this town AL extend
visit. l concluded to jot down some
of my. thoughts as l stood on the
eminence overlooking the town, and
which from east to west, forms to the
north Il shelter to protect it from the
biting blasts that during the winter
season, sweep the adjacent country.
AS l stand in the shadow of the
portico, at the foot of that pile of
masonry, the turreted pinnacles Of
which, raising their points majesti-
cally above, stand prominently forth,
Il warning to evil doors, and from
whose courts stern justice is admins
tered through the length and breadth
of Norton, by the powerful arm of the
law, and gazed on the picture before
me. the beauties of nature interspers
ed with the achievements of man, l
was rapt in admiration and could not
refrain from e%Nclaiming, "beautiful
for situation," is Mandan the pride of
the Missouri bottom.
1t would indeed require a greater
mind and more %poetical nature than
mine, to do justice to, or describe
with fairness the scene that lay before
me.
To my left l see the restless waters
of the mighty Missouri us they leap
and dash hy splashing and casting the
refreshing spray against her muddy
banks, and l think of the possibilities
Of the town, what she might and may
be. if but the proper measures be
adopted. Here at her very door a
water power unequaleu in the west.
Il power sufficient to propel the
machinery of Touring establishments
surprising in capacity those of
Minneapolis; sufficient to convert into
flour Dakota's wheat, let the amount
thereof be ever SO great. Here is
water enough to irrigate Dakota's
arid plains, causing them to bear
fruit some thirty, sixty and ever a
hundred fold. assuring her prosperity
and contentment, and bring wealth
and commerce to her cities. AS l
thought of this, and looked over the
town that rested in peace and mac
tiyity on the slope beneath me, l
wondered if her people realized the
advantage of her situation and impor-
lance as commercial center. were
her resources developed.
Looking about, Oh every hand l see
unlimited tracks of rich unbroken
prairics, bounded only by u golden
border us the declining sun reflects
his lustrous rays along the distant
horizon, which requires but the
refreshing influence of the moistine
element to come to them to be pro
ductive fields Of yellow corn and way
ing grain.
Let lis for Il moment imagine that
the life giving waters of the Missouri
were timed by the engineering skill
of man, from this course, and convey.
ed through system of irrigating
bitches to all parts of the country
requiring such treatment, and what
would we witness? n great trans
formation would take place. Every
available foot of this now unoccupiet
land would be taken up. The Cypress
ed and doWn.trodden from the TEEN
ing cities Of the East would find here
Il home, and the eastern farmer wht
is ever anxious to better his condi
ton would find here a land where his
energy and ability would be brough
into activity. We would see, dotinI
the prairies, the rural home of tin
happy farmer, beautiful cottages
surrounded Ivy trees, ornamental ant
useful, the beautiful foliage above
forming u pleasant canopy over pleas
ant drives and cooling walks beneath
along which on either side, are plots
of v%arlegated flowers sending fortl
their sweet odors to scent the even
ing air; and in the midst OF all, i
seen, browning glory, the farmer
lovely wife and buxom daughter
whose smiling faces, are but the indie,
to IL contented mind.
Mandan, from being q mere hamlet
would become a city of commercial
enterprise, rivaling in thrift an,
greatness the large cities Of the east
Manufactures would spring up, ant
her people grow wealthy. Instead 0
vacant houses of wood, we would fin
brick tenements and stone front MAJ
sions, occupied by the many thous
ands who would have, within he
border, lucrative employment.
Connected as she is with the outsid
world, on q navigable river and
transcontincntal road, second to non
in America, she would be the mar
from which would be dispensed t
other lands the product of the SUI
rounding country, receiving in retur,
the wealth of foreign shores, causin;
j. her Golfers to fill and her bankers t
grow rich.
That beautiful track Of land (knowl
as "Hannah's Plat") to the soutl
/. skirted by a luxuriant growth of cot
ton.wood and bounded by the Hear
whose placid waters, ever movin
onward. follow her winding way t