Morris tribune., 1891-09-16
A Fine Description Of Stevens
County.

County.
Under date of Hancock, August Sth,
George E. Clark of this village writes
the Skaneales On. W Free Press as
follows:
Stevens county is located at the
southern extremity of the beautiful
park and famous Red River Valley
region, and is in the second tier OF
counties east of the dividing line be-
tween Dakota and Minnesota. Its
characteristics are a rolling prairie
surface, timber fringed lakes and a
deep, black, loamy soil, producing
heavy crops of native grasses in its
wild state, or abundant harvests I'M
der cultivation. No settlement is re-
corded before the Sioux outbreak in
'62 and its first white visitors were
those that ~traversed the Red River
Valley trail from points on the Mis-
sissippi to Selkirk an the Red River.
From the first settlement of the coun-
ty in 1866 to the present time, pros
perity has attended the agrculturist,
excepting fifteen years ago when
grasshoppers visited the county, and
even then only about 25 per cent of
the grain crop was destroyed.
Although the soil is admirably ad-
apted to stock raising and mixed
farming, as we look out upon the
thousands of acres of grain, its heavy
pillows waving in the clear sunshine,
we know hat wheat is still king. An
other evidence is the numberless car
loads Of machinery that every day are
being side-tracked at these stirring
agricultural towns, or the intense ac-
that animates our wide-awake
dealers in the same. Some time ago
it was our good fortune to be invited
into the carriage of a friend somewhat
noted for good horses, and under the
celebrating influences of good COM
.any, a landscape clothed in the rich
est green, that was responding to the
rains in a style hat was in
to the eye and promised a hand
revenue to the fortunate owners,
We sped away yer the gently rolling
prairie, dotted with clumps of trees or
promptly squared off in long straight
'ows. Away to the east bushy clumps
If trees andwide intervals ofmeadows
marked the winding Chippewa. To
he west lay its twisting twin, the
Pomme de Terre. Big lakes and lit
lie lakes glistened between. From
heir banks east Or west, north or
waved little oceans of wheat,
bold headdlands of corn, green seas of
BATS and flax, each variety striving to
show to the best advantage the excel
ent qualities of Minnesota soil. A few
lays ago as the day was drawing into
he long northwest twilight another
1rive terminated at the home of A. A.
Peck, a short distance from this place.
When this gentleman filed his home
stead right on this place, fourteen
7ears ago, he found it as the Sioux
md buffalo had left it, with nothing
break the rolling monotony of the
scene higher than the grasses at his
;eet; now a beautiful bank of trees,
aller than his tall windmill, and on
he west and north, enclose an ideal
oriarie home. On one side ofthe shad-
ID drive, a plum orchard is bending
lnder it's load of fruit; on the other, a
smoothly shaven lawn is shaded by
graceful ivy-clad elms, thrifty ever
green's, shrubs and flowers, which in
urn merges into a garden that
hounds in all summer vegetables,
ruits and flowers. It is a beautiful
for a neat residence with bios
bay windows and cool, shady,
vy-clad porches, commodious, nicely
tainted barns, a yard full of sleek,
ontented COWS, and then away from
hese stretch again apparently the
anne luxuriant crops before described.
there is plenty of land to be had at
10 or ever less per acre that with
ONE industry and carefdl manage
nent would reproduce this same pic
ure- Today as we look out over the
andscape the green has turned to
old and the most prominent actors,
an exceedingly lively scene, are
)sborne's, McCormick's and other
finders, now a small speck in the far
tt golden horizon, which after long
Tatching, grow larger andlarger, only
recede again on the long, long
ounds. Another characteristic is the
gently imported population of Which
no man a tell whence it cometh, or
'hither it goeth," except that it fol-
'ws its inclinations, and the harvest
it recedes northward. Looking at
hat we consider the finest harvest
eve saw, and noting the cheap
ess of the easily titled soil, we see
very reason to believe that this year
T 81 will be a season of great pros
Gritty forth farmers ofthe northwest.
Yours very respectfully,
GEORGE E. CLARK.