Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-12-24
rrERRE-rHE STATES CAPITAL /.

Pierre is quite a city, of houses at least. the
place is situated on the north side of the
Missouri river; city limits extend some two
and a half to three miles along the river bank
from east to west while it is only but a few
jumps of a healthy jack rabbit in breadth; the
the streets of the city are well kept mp and
generally very clean; the business houses, as
a rule. are large, roomy and rather imposing
structures to look upon the residences of the
place appear neat and quite pretty in point of
architecture, while the people inhabiting them
seem to be full of business, not gossip; and l
am informed that the entire community are
public spirited and have a faculty of all pulling
together, and that makes the strongest kind of
pull, you know. This is at present the terminus
of the Huron and Pierre branch of the North
western railroad there is no bridge accros
river at this pc int, so the only way to get over
is By ferry boat.
This morning. Thursday. May l4th, the team
is again in harness. aud bidding good bye to
Pierre / take passage on the ferry boat Jim
Leighton" for over the river. Having set foot
on terrafirma at Fort Pierre l pulled out ac-
cross the gumbo garden of South Dakota
headed for Rapid City. l was happily sur
prised to find that the monotony Of the, at best
wearisome across the old reservation was to
be broken by the presence of another prairie
schooner occupied by one Henry Burke. with
his wife and six small children, the eldest
about twelve and the youngest tot scarcely a
y~earling. Mr.. Burke had been a resident Of
Miller, s. OAK, but was now on his way to the
town OF Woods, Killamuck Co.. Oregon. / be-
lieve this was without exception, the happiest
and most even tempered and contented family
that i ever became acquainted with: for five
long days our crafts journeyed on together,
and during that time not a cross word nor a
whimper marred the happiness Of that model
family; just to think of so large a household
jolting over a rough and hilly road from early
morning until sunset time in a little house on
wheels. with parlor, DINING room, kitchen,
pantry and bedroom all in one room scarcely
nine feet wide by eleven feet long and yet no
word OF WEAKNESS or other complaint escaping
any OF them. There are, on the old trail &C.
cross the reservation. from the Missouri to the
Cheyenne river a distance of 16l miles, but ten
houses inhabited; and this is thai wonderland
and garden spot of earth so much spoken OF a
few years ago; and which land must needs be
opened up to the multitude of tender-foot.
grangers who were just about to die for want
OF some room wherein to tickle the virgin soil
OF Dakota and raise wheat and hell,-tbe
latter commodity grows rankest, and together
with coyotes and rattlesnakes seems to hold
the highest grip, Along this very hilly trail
from river to river. there is but one scene
which IS OF any interest to the traveller and
that IS the sight of looking away to the west
and gazing at the far away Black Hills. On
the fourth day out from Pierre our little cara
van forded the Cheyenne river at Smithville,
and driving some twenty miles further on
camped for the night. The next day, Monday,
May 18th was a model day. and one which |
shall emember SO long as sense and memory
shall be at my command; it was the day with
in whose sun raising and going down thereof /
was to finish my journey to the Hills it was
also the day OF parting company with the
happIest family it has ever been my lot to
know arriving at the forks Of the Rapid City
and Fort Meade roads at about half past ten
o'clock, shook the hands of my friends of but
a few days, and parting perhaps, never to meet
again, sadly said good bye, and drove on up
the road. At noon / camped and fed the team:
ss for myself l felt far more lonesome than
hungry, SO l sat down by the wagon and looked
far up the valley upon another campfire scene,
where ever and anon 1 caught a glimpse OF
many hats and kerchiefs waving back to me
adieu. When the team had done with eating
! started on and at shutdown arrived in Rapid
and shouted Whoa Barney, ho.
The Hired Man.