The Dickinson press., 1891-08-29
HOP kEE, Proprietor.

III that country, and what else could
Il fellow think who knew nothing
about it and when everybody told us
on the way ont that not Il drop of rain
had ever fallen anywhere west of the
Missouri river. This impression we
now think obtained all over the world |
just after the il~l-starred Golden Spike |
excursion that wrecked the fortune
of the indomitable Henry Willard,
Just ut IL time when he had
reason to feel that he had
placed the whole world under il debt
of gratitude in having successfully
completed the Northern Pacific rail-
roa%d-spaning the continent,-and
opening up homes for IL million of
people in Stark county and vicinity.
am making my letter already too
lengthy: hut | want to tell you how
it happened to prove SO disasterous
to that noble man, and your country
too, i'll checking all emigration. 1t
may hc news to yon. When we went
up through western North Dakota in
his palace cars, which he had So gen.
crously equipped with all the luxurics
that money would command, enjoy.
ing his sparkling champagne and fine
cigars, and elegant cuisine, VIC were
in the meantime. having an eye to
business, and looking out of the car
windows, all day to catch IL view of
the Land Grant that had been
made the basis of our securities.
But all along the river courses fol-
lowed Ivy the road in its westward
trend. the greater part of the day we
saw but very little desirable country;
and vast amount of river bluffs,
craggs and peaks, and ugly mouths of
frowning gorges, and then just before
the even tide, over there on your
Western border we descended into
the bad Lands where VIC found pyr-
amids standing 300 feet high, and
domeS, and giant castles, and weird
formations of equal height and every
imaginable form.
Here the climax eliminated. The
great majority of us were so iull of
champagne, that many of us were
ready to swear that we had run into
a great city, forty miles wide and
three hundrcn miles long. peopled
with giants tifty-six feet high, and
that these Monsters existed here i'm
lesions, and some declared they saw
them swallowing up ordinary men ata
single mouthful, and many an English
man. Dutchmm and American alike,
We're panic stricken, and declared
that hundreds of these monsters were
seen pursuing our train, intent OH
making a toothsome supper upon the
whole outfit of us.
And these same stories were re
ported and believed all over the world
after these fellows went home. and
the prevalent idea of IL great North
Western Desert received it's best
and most conclusive confirmation.
But all that night. and part of the
laSt day, ut every Station we came
to. some one, u u number at IL time,
would wire back to New York, Put
my stock upon the market at once,
and sell it for what it will bring
Then the panic broke out in Wall
Street. and the world knows the re-
suit. Many in this part of the coun.
try have wondered what had happened
when the ilood-tidc of 1882 and 1888,
had been SO suddenly turned back:
but few have understood the actual
causes here stated.
But il Henry Willard had taken
mule teams and come up through our
state, following the wide expanse of
prairie lands between any two Of our
rivers; and had fed his guests OH pork
and beans, they would have passed on
through, contented and happy; and
the novelties of camp life and the
more substantial fare. would have
rendered lord, and duke, and Ameri-
can, alike, astute, and stout of heart
and all would have remained serene,
and no panic would have been posi-
BILE
But everything has again nearly
assumed its normal level, and Henry
Willard is again on top and so are we
i'm Stark county.
But we are still of the opinion that
other causes than those named 10y our
correspondent have kept this country
in the background for some years.
The chronic disposition evinced at
Washington by certain would-be
statesmen to attack the N. p. Land
Grant, has probably had more to do
with it than any other. If the gener.
al government could throttle that bust
ness it would do more for Western
Dakota than many are yet prepared
to believe. 1t would not then take
the Northern Pacific railroad company
long to show the whole world that
nine tenths of the substantial wealth
of it's entire Dakota Grant lies buried
up In its stnpendous magazine of coal
in Western Dakota. But until that is
done, the company like sensible bust
ness men knowing that robbers are
after them. are not much inclined to
let the world know the full extent of
her treasures. For these reasons as
yet they are content to let tie world
enjoy that ridiculous idea of Il
"NorlhWest Desert"
Gen. HaZen, when he wrote it down
as such in the interests of the govern
ment. doubtless had never seen it's Ell.
tire face. 1t is more than probable,
that i'll passing through it, he too,
pursued some of the river courses.
.nd was misled by what he SAW. us
Others have been since. We.are more
inclined to this belief. than that kedid
it As Il preparatory step in the inter
est of the Northern Pacific railroad
land grant schemes rs some suppose.
lIistrip through the country antedat-
ed the birth of the Northeru Pacific
railway project by So MANY cntefVen-