The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1891-07-25
A UNIVERSITY STUDENT
Gives His Impressions of Some
Parts of the West.
]. L. Henderson Visits the Dakotas and
win Spend His Vacation In Other
Western States.
pecial corr. of the New DOMINION

Will Speuu MS VuC&uOm III Vtuer
Western States.
Special corr. of the New DOMINION:
CLARK, South Dakota, July l7.-IIop-
ing to interest some school boy or girl,
or, perhaps some one who has never
had the pleasure OF visiting outside of
our little mountain state, we give the
following observations To one who
has never peeped beyond the garden
spot surrounded by the hills of West
Virginia it is quite treat to stand on a
platform of level land large enough TO
test the power of the human eve. No
sooner had we crossed the boundary
line OF one freeman's state than we no.
ticed the natural features OF the country
changed. As the locomotive bounded
from station to station, uttering screams
that were readily interpreted of different
classes of the animal kingdom, we no.
ticed the crags and hills fading away
and lakes and wheat fields appearing
instead. The western part of Ohio and
the state OF Indiana seem to have more
than their share of lakes and marshes.
A great many OF theseare stagnant pools
covered by water lilies and other water
weeds. II was in these states that we
first saw the wind utilized in drawing
water, grinding feed, turning grindstones
etc. Derricks, similar to our oil der
ricks, but on a much smaller scale, are
used. The fans which catch the force
of the wind, are placed on top of the
derricks. The power is conducted TO the
ground by means Of rods. Almost ev-
cry Indiana farmer is making use Of this
commodity called wind mill.
After leaving Indiana We next entered
the state of Illinois, which considering
everything, we think to be the finest
state we have visited The corn fields
and wheat fields are immense. While
the land was not as level as we had ex-
pected to find it, yet the beautiful farms
1--WE say farms because the fields contain
as much as our West Virginia farms) OF
ripe yellow waving grain furnish feast
for the eye and consolation for the APP
petite. While they do not have large
tall trees in Illinois, yet the groves of
soft maple, which the farmers have
planted, protect the fruit trees and
houses from the western winds and fur
nish abundance OF shade for the stock.
We never knew that the beauty of the
Lake Michigan on morning when the
sun was shining brightly and the sky
was dotted here and there with small
feathery clouds. We had the pleasure
of following the shore of this pond of
clear blue water for twenty miles and
gazing upon the sublime pictures of Ma
ture that are presented on its bosom. On
the morning of which we have spoken
cool breeze made the water little rest
less and the glittering of the sunlight
upon the innocent waves, as they leaped
and kissed the shore and fell back in
foaming spray, presented a picture more
beautiful than artistic skill can devise.
You might look until your optic nerves
ached, yet you would not be satisfied,
for like each turn of the Kaleidoscope
the rays of the sun, each succeeding mo-
ment, seem to strike the waves so as to
add some new feature OF harmonical
beauty to the picture. Instead OF seeing
the opposite side OF the lake we seem to
see the dark blue water blending its
colors with those of heaven. In uniting
colors the waters seem to rise and a
grand union is made by comprising their
colors with pillow of light feathery
clouds on which both seemed to slum-
Der.
We visited the metropolis of the west,
but will not attempt description of
what we saw. We had the pleasure OF
celebrating the one hundred and fif-
teenth anniversary of the Declaration
of Independence at Galesburg, H.,
city containing $4,000 inhabitants. A
high degree OF patriotism was displayed
and the exercises we're successful. In
their parade they had seventy boys and
girls riding by cycles feature of pro-
cession we were unaccustomedt to see. In
Iowa we found the state OF affairs kim
bred to that of Illinois. We found the
people very sociable at every point visit
ed. As different association makes diff
ferent forms of expression, we have
found many things that seemed odd to
to us, but in turn we are told that the
eastern people use expressions that
seem odd to those living in the west.
After going north through the state of
Iowa we entered Minnesota and visited
the pipe stone region. The western part
of Minnesota is not very well improved
There are thousands OF acres Of raw
prairie to be seen stretching away be-
| fore the eve. We are now in the land
of Indians and jack rabbits. There are
| thousands and thousands of acres of
land here without solitary tree or fence
to obstruct the view.
The soil is very fertile, and when they
get enough rain the crops are bountiful.
This year they have good prospect for
crops but they may be destroyed in one
day by the hot winds. For five years
South Dakota has been slowly crumbling
in the hand OF retrogression. For five
or six years they had abundance OF rain
and everything DrOSpered.
In five years time after the first house
was builtthey had towns containing four
and five thousand people.
| Almost all the business men are below
thirty-fve years of age. Good land can
be bought for five dollars per acre. Plen-
ty of pasture land can be rented by the
year for one cent per acre. They have
very few fences. They either picket or
herd their stock 1t is by no means an
uncommon thing to see punches OF cows
and horses tied to stakes out on the
prairie. The towns are all new and
neat They make no effort whatever to
pen their houses by means of fences.
Darkness comes on at half past nine
in the evening and daylight at three in
the morning. They have but little twi-
light. The roads are exceedingly good.
The Dakotas are poor places for girls
with their hair banged-the wind is too
strong. The thermometer frequently
shows temperature of 40 degrees be-
low zero. They will not begin harvest
ing here before the 1st of August. They
generally finish on the last days of Sep
TENDER. They raise plenty of flax. We
have seen very few horses that have
been sbod. 1t would be a poor place
for blacksmith to make a living by
shoeing horses. Before visiting coun-
try in which the Indians live had read
concerning the "noble red man" until
had considerable sympathy for him
but since have heard the british and
slovenly side of his nature discussed by
those who are personally acquainted
with him he has been greatly deprecia-
ted in my estimation. He has not yet
been civilized and subdued to that ex-
tent that he can be trusted. The Indian
reservations cover the best part of the
Dakotas. We are sorry to say that
white men frequently disgrace them.
selves, throwing away the last virtue
they possess, by going on the reserva-
| o,,I he in ord a