Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1892-08-18

and good for six months with privil-
lage of stopping off on the rout any
where | pleased, I thought when
bought it that the ticket was high
priced, but | think now that it was very
reasonable. After seeing what kind OF
a country that they have to build rail-
roads through out here, | am satisfied
now that it was cheap enough. L was
entirely alone when | started. Not a
person on the train that I knew, but on
ST. Paul q young minister who used to
preach at Eagle River, came through
the car was in and at once recognized
me. He was very glad to meet me as
he was alone himself and on his way to
Butte City Montana. [ intended to
change cars at once at StPaul and with
only d few moments delay start imme-
diately west but my young friend the
minister was obliged to stop over
night at ST. Paul. where h had some
relatives. and as he was very anxious
for my company on the trip, consen-
ted to stop over night along with him.
1t was my first visit to st. Paul and |
found tia very string place. Consi-
derable like Duluth in the way of eNten
sive improvements, splendid buildings,
and an almost unlimited amount of en-
ergy and business carried on.
THE PRAIRIES
We started west from ST. Paul next
morning on the Northern Pacific Rail
road Directly west for a disatance OF
about twenty four hundred miles, and
it is hard to immagine whatan extent OF
prairies. hills. valleys and mountains u
person passes over in making that trip
west. People who talk abou the danger
of this country getting over populated
don't know what they are saying. For
centuries to come there will be plenty
of room west of the Mississippi river to
make homes for all the people of this
country no difference how fast they in
crease For the first half days ride from
st. Paul to Fargo Dakota the country
is rather mountainous looking. No a
very good farming country | should
Judge. Rather cut up with sand hills,
brush and stllntad timber. But west of
Fargo VIC came into the great pralrles
of Dakota In vastness and extent 1T
looks like a view of the ocean. just as
far as the eye can reach in every dlrec-
ton it is level expance of rich black
soil unbroken by the sight of a tree
or shrub, only as they have been
planted, and few trees that grow ma
tnrally along the streams. The farm
houses are few and far apart. This part
of the state which the road runs through
seems to be owned in large tracts by
men who do farming on a big scale.
We ran through the famous bonanza
whcat field of Dalyrimple. He has %,
GEO acres under cultivation of the best
farming wheat land in Dakota.
Evey thing along there seems to be
done by machinery on large scale,
Of course Al person has poor chance to
form q correct opinion of country by
riding through it in a railroad carriage
but my opinion Of the Dakota pralrles
as home to live on, is decidedly unfa-
vOrablc. No change. no timber, no
hills or lakes, nothing but the wide
prairie in sight, aHd no income what
ever but the uncertainty of a crop OF
T
but don't think | ever would.
BAD LANDS.
The morning of our second days ride
we began to come in sight of the cele-
brated bad Lands" of Western Dako-
ia and eastern Montana. These bad
lands are strange and unnatural fOrma-
ton, and it is hard to give anything
like correct picture of them IN writ
ing. They look something like a lot OF
brown haystacks standing close toge-
ther They are formed Of brown clay
and nearly all look alike. without any
vegetation on item whatever. In some
places there are lodges of rock, and
veinos of coal, cropping out OF them, and
some grass growing in the valleys be-
tween them. Lying around close to the
track are plenty of petlified stumps
and logs showing that it must have
been covered by FORESTS and also have
been sunk under water for ages after
wards. Going through them we had to
stop couple of times on account OF
hot box and I could have went out
among them had | cared to, but they
told me that it was head quarters for
rattlesnakes and as [ had no desire to
make their acquaintance, remained
safely on the train. a little farther on
we came to station where they had
about car load of buffalo bones piled
up for shipment This surprisd mo
somewhat as | thought they We're all