Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-02-19
WAVERLAND
81 MARIE SARAH BRIGHAM.
CHAPTER XIv.-DAKOTA.

passing through Wisconsin, that grand
state so famous for cheese and butter;
through Minnesota with it's broad fields of
growing wheat, clear rivers and bracing
air. into Dakota, the new, the great the
grand; the giant of the northwest Here
little homes dot the prairieS, giving evil
dence of growth. Here the hardy pioneers
come 10 taste the romance of tanning nat
ure and to coax wealth and happiness
from the fertile soil. We passed over riv-
ers whose waters were clear as crystal:
through villages full of enterprise and
thrift.
This seems a growing state" l said,
looking out over the expanse of country
thickly dotted with cosy little homes.
at is among the first" said the duke, in
answer to my question. at claims a
greater number of postOfTices THAI anyone
of the twenty-three other states and terri
tories, and pays more revenue into the
postoffice department than any one of the
thirty-twO of them. 1t has colleges, nor
NAL schools aud Institutions endowed by
the territory. It's educational fund, de-
rived from lands donated by the general
government. promises to he the largest be-
longing to the state. The official reports
show that there is less sickness in Dakota
than in any other state or territory in the
Union. Immense beds of coal are being
discovered in many parts of the territory.
Time was, they tell me, when all these
fertile plains belonged to what we knew in
our school days us the Great American
Desert. But not q trace of the desert re-
mains on any railroad map of to-day. |
remember picturing the sand on the deS-
ert here, as playing the same FRANKS as in
the Great Sahara of Africa. But imagine
that great desert becoming blooming
garden"
GLOW much this looks like Illinois," l
said lis we were riding along.
Eyes, Waverland, you will be surprised
to find that all prairie lands have some of
the same general features, at least / was.
But you notice there is no low, flat,
marshy land here. The surface of the
prairie, both upland and valley, is every
where undulating," said the duke, 'while
the river courses, fringed with timber,
afford grateful relief from the monotony
of the prairieS"
"Here we are at our destination" said
the duke, as the train came to halt at a
little station where everything looked new.
Even the business signs seemed to smell of
new paint.
We found comfortable rooms in a little
house occupied by the dukes agent. The
agent kept provision store and postoffice.
His wife n fair, intelligent woman. took
charge of the Office and did her own house
keeping She was q stout energetic wo-
man, kept things in order, gave us good
meals, and tile tenants their mail
''Then this is your Ell Dorado" | said to
the duke, when, after q comfortable din
ner, we started out to see something of
this new American dukedom."
Eyes, this is my FL Dorado" he an
swered laughing. you have not seen any
thing Of the famous king, have you?"
The prairie stretched away in the dis
lance like q mighty sea of gentle undulat-
Ing verdure. 1t was a country fresh from
the hand of nature
Are these little buildings the homes or
your tenants?" | asked
Yes; they may look small to us, but to
these poor beings who have been cooped
up IN crowded tenements it rivals even the
famous Ell Dorado. There are families
here, with all their uncleS, aunts and cou-
sins, until the whole settlement seems one
family of kin folks. They are from the
north of Europe, where they have been
trained to unquestionable obedience and
plodding industry"
How much did it cost you to bring
them here?" / asked, as we were riding
from place to place on the estate
Seven dollars head" he answered, as
though speaking of herd of CATTLE
II see you have been in America long
enough to have learned some of her
BhrewdnesS."
"How SOP"
"You could never have brought people
here without some previous arrangement.
How did you manage it,"
Very easily. You see / had bought
large tracts of lands from the railroad COM
pany and they were under some oblga-
lions to me. | asked for honest rates to
bring settlers in. At first | could not get
rates that would Justify me in bringing
them. But after great deal of conSulta-
ton, we arranged with different railways
and line of steamers, until the fare was
just seven dollars per head by the family"
"These buildings, how did you arrange
for them?"
There again the railroads helped me.
got rates for everything. Each house as 1t
stands cost me fifteen dollars. The tenants
built them, themselves"
"How will you ever get your money
back" | asked
Each man is hired by the year, unit,
the land begins to produce something,
then they will rent. Whatever l pay for
building or living expenses is kept from
the wages"
What do they live on? see the land
has Just been broken"
'You have seen the little provision store
and postotiice; well, that is kept by my
agent and an account is kept with each
tenant of the amount of provisions he is in
debt for 1t is brought here from various
places"
''Do you furnish the farm implements?'
l asked.
eyes, l furnish everything; but get a
discount on large purchases and reduced
rates on railroads, SO it is not so expensive
as it seems at first sight"
You see this is fine SOIL" he said, lift
ing handful and examining it.
at is q fine, rich sandy lcam," I said.
"Then this is the fine country where the
great desert used to be. The home of the
buffalo and roaming red skins has been re-
deemed and is now being purchased by
English and American landlords at rapid
rate"
at has not been three years since I first
located these lands. Then l was far in adj
vance of civilization, but now it has gone
way beyond me. If Lord Sanders had not
come with me l should never have got pos
session of so much land all in one body as
have it now"
81 was just going to ask you how you
got possession of so much land
There are two classes of land open to