Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-10-03
ACROSS THE CONTINENT.


Ing we CFObSeu Lub liuO lutO ANOAth
Dakota, entering the Bad Lands. The
most natural Breckenrldgey agricult
ural region of the United States. We
wound down the channel of a dead
watercourse until we came to pictur.
esque Medora. Where the Marquis de
Mores established q million dollar
slaughter-house. His European killing
place is at Paris, where he slaughterr
two-legged cattle. The camera lady
took p snapshot of his residence on al
elevated lpIateau, with the gray and
red alkali buttes rising as background
and below in the bed of the stream b
belt of brilliant yellow frosted cotton
woods. 1t Is In a mixed style of arcbi-
tecture-a cross between medieva
castle and cattle shed, painted b
bright barn red color. All through
the Bad Lands we saw punches of cat
tie and horses In good condition, and if
the country can ever drop politics long
enough TO let business revive even this
region may prosper.
DAKOTA AND MONTANA.
No one can ride through Montana
and not catch the inspiration of its
native grandeur and magnificent dis
tances, its big brawny people, its won
derful resources and its big-hearted
cordial ways. There are evidences of
depression in empty buildings and de
ser.ed towns. Livingston has felt the
pressure of hard times, as Yellowstone
National Park, the entrance to which
is at this town, had not one visitor
this year to fifty last year or a hundred
the year before. But its wonders are
over-estimated, and its extravagant
management is an outrage. AS tour
lists resort 1t Is q cross between fraud
and robbery. Until people can 60 away
from there feeling otherwise, than that
they have been swindled and fieeced,
athey will continue to cry down the
Park with much truth and with great
effect. In Montana every vista is
bounded by mountain chains, and you
are seldom or never out of sight of
snowy ranges. In the Gallatin valley
there are great reaches of the richest
grain fields and alfalfa meadows, irri-
gated by streams of clear blue snow
water running eternally from the
glaciers that hang down from the sides
of the mountain twenty miles away.
In Dakota the landscape is always
bounded by the sky. Boundless roll
inu nrairiaa of 0ro1ino land apa dottod
with sheltered homesteads, gardens
and grain fields. Nine or ten bushels
OF wheat to the acre, now selling at 81
cents bushel and oats light crop,
does not leave much to get rich on.
But all through North Dakota cattle
bring fair prices and well.managed
herds never fail to bring in good lump
of money, which will In time buy
nearly twice as much as ten years ago.
Occasionally deserted town. churches
braced up with poles, brick blocks with
one end wrenched of, or residences
turning their Easements up to eun,
wind and rain show the ravages of
cyclones. Empty liquor bottles scat
tered along the side of the railroad
tracks show we are in a prohibition
state. Whether 1t is hard times, the
improved habits of the people, or in
creased tolerance In point Of view, 1t
seemed TO us we did not now notice
nearly 80 much drinking going across
the continent as we did few years
ago, when last making the trip. For
four days In a crowded Pullman sleeper
we did not see anybody take drink OF
Intoxicating liquor. Perhaps II was
because the car was mostly filled with
women aud children. Not even IN the
dining car did we see the light liquor
drank, that was 80 common In former
years. We suspect the hard times
make the virtue OF temperance n neces-
sliy with many who formerly never
thought Of total abstinence, But the
Dakoias are permeatsd by strongly
religious sentiment. Between crop
failures, billiards. aud cyclones, expect.
Ing 10 be starved 10 death OF blown
away, religion IL kept we'll In the fore
ground. IL there IL only one painted
house IN town IL 10 the parsonage.
All the talk Ia North Dakota 10 that
tile Republicans will sweep the state,
Democracy IL looked upon as bad
dream PopulIsDl ~ a blight, a sort ~
light amusement foF shallow brains.
la fact, II would take lhe beat brains
"a sll the parties united ~ carry Oul
fhs fopulisl program, You oouldDi
gei AL the smart men iDto 0ns party n
you tried, ang n you could II would
not be ihe Foppllsl party, und0ubi'
edly SONS NJ lbe besi bgslns NJ ips
llrmsofsllo party voled slih iks hs
publicans a ibe lsis 0geHen elseilep
lhe heei hlsing IN ihs Nofsi llsllf AS
lelieF than The wolsi bfalnf, N tiie
lfalpl6al elsnlfnl, ~ lke llfsf iiaNlY,