Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-12-29

American interests rs the tariff. But il
the change must come, let it be soon.
AS in the case OF the truant schoolboy
who has been sen to the woodshed, any
thing is better than uncertainty.
THE DAKOrAS EOR HEALTH AND
CLIMATE.
Or. D. W. Ro binson Of Pierre, s. d.,
president Of the board Of health OF South
Dakota, and q leading physician Of the
state, has gotten out a little pamphlet,
entitled dakota for Health Seekers"
and q p%erusal Of it shows the writer to
be better posted upon the sister Dakotas
than the average person who essays to
describe them. The article was originally
a paper, delivered by DR.. Robinson be-
fore the tenth annual meeting of the
American Genealogical association
last May. The doctors reference to the
Missouri basin, or ''slope" as it is better
known, proves him to be wise whereof
he speaks. and after a general climatic
outline of the two Dakotas, he says:
The Missouri basin is the sun land of
Dakota. 1t is dryer than the east divide
country. From the Missouri divide in the
North, and the high plains in the South it
extends by a long graceful trend westward
to the banks Of the Missouri. From this
valley, by a gradually increasing elevation
to the tooth i'ls and spurs Of the Rockies.
From the North it dips down below the
middle of South Dakota. Take the map as
an aid, and picture in your mind an elOn.
gated, basin like plain; the diagonal outline
Of the Missouri divide forming the eastern
brim: the irregular outline Of the mountain
foothills the western brim; the east and
west slopes declining to the Missouri
river: the northern end narrowed by the
eastward projection of the Black Hills and
Bad Lands. and you will have a rough
picture of the Missouri basin. Approx.
mately speaking it is about 800 miles long.
and from 100 to 300 miles wide. Its eleva.
ton varies from 1900 to 5000 feet on the
brims, and from 1900 to 1900 feet at the
Missouri valley.
But few areas so large have flowing
thro ugh them water as pure as that found
in the Missouri river and upper tribu-
lCSs N1uCll vi lIlc "dLCl llldt HOWS
through the basin rivers is formed by the
melting and ice in the region of the
mountain sources OF the Missouri. To the
volume in the Missouri is added the snow
waters gathered from the mountain feeders
Of the Little Missouri. the Cannon Ball and
Cheyenne. In the summer months these
melting SHOWS and ice swell the flood of
these streams, especially the Missouri,
almost to OvertiOwing. Analysis has
shown that the waters Of the Upper Mis-
souri, are among the purest OF the river
waters on the glde. 1t is worthy of note,
also, that this annual flood of soft pure
water passes through the Missouri basin
during the hot months Of the years at a
time when ITS value from a sanitary point
of view is greatest. The never failing June
rise of the Missouri, for as sucn it is known,
always appears, and begins to subsi1e only
when, as a rule, late in the summer season,
the rockies have given UP their beds of
snow and ice.
Contrary to what might be expected in a
latitude so far north, the winters are short.
This season usually begins about the holl.
days. With the exception of a few dis
agreeable days that come with the late fall
rains, the weather is usually delightful.
At times in mid-winter the thermometer
registers much below zero. These days of
low temperature invariably follow a fall of
snow. before the bright sunshine that it is
sure to come has tempered the dry, cutting
atmosphere. A notable feature Ut this
climate to those who have never before
spent a winter here is their ability to pur-
sue their outdoor employments on the
coolest days without unusual discomfort.
A temperature that would render outdoor
pursuits impossible in an atmosphere
laden with moisture will in this dry, sunny
air be almost unnoticeable. Storms are
frequent, but not as a rule destructive or
dangerous.
During the winter the snow fall is con-
siderable but the intervals of warm sun
shine keep it somewhat diminished, even
in mid-winter, SO that the remnant of it
quickly vanishes at the approach of early
spring. In the coolest weather the United
States signal service reports show that the
temperature is not so low by several de-
grees at Pierre or Bismarck on the Mis-
souri, river as in the same ATTITUDES east of
the Missouri divide.
1t is an interesting fact that the Missouri
river ice breakup generally occurs at Fort
Buford, Bismarck n Pierre before it does
at CiiioIIo' 10y IlVcIs TOIC DuIOTu Is ABOUT
1000 miles farther north. Frequent show
ers occur during the season, and ofttimes
very heavy rains. Seeding is done in
March and April. 1t is well known that
at this time in localities in the same lati.
tude, but farther eastward, the winters
fall of snow has scarcely begun to give
away to the warmth of the spring.
1t is not an exaggeratiOn to say that the
traveller of the early s%pringtilne who may
%perchance have been now bound in the
same latitudes east and farther south
would find upon passing into the Missouri
basin that the sunshine and warmth so
marked here had brought a verdure to
these northern plains in contrast to the
still snow covered fields he had left behind.
Three different factors bring about these
peculiarities Of climate. These are the
great distance from large bodies of water,
the abundant sunshine together with warm
Pacific winds that pass through and north
of the Rockies.
In summer the days are often warm. but
rarely oppressive. Midsummer July and
August) is characterized by hot days and
cool nights. After the heat and glowing
brightness Of the sulnIne day, and indeed
before thu day is finished, there comes up
a OnnI onH yrotnFuI hrnn.o l~A ,.I