Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-10-21

Mr.. Editor: An account of the ap-
pearance of other states than our own
may not be without interest to the
readers of the REPORTER.
Having been called to perform sur
gical operation in Sioux Falls, South
Dakota, took the opportunity to or
serve some Of the great western couu-
try with its vast wealth of extent and
richness of resources. The appearance
of country is the index of the people s
condition; with much pleasure and no
small amount of personal interest we
note the coming of prosperity, and this
prosperity is now here. The wheels of
factories are now turning, the chlmneys
are beginning to smoke and the arms
of industry are beginning to move.
Trade is increasing and speculation is
rife. Iowa with its slightly rolling, un-
even surface has produced good crops,
the Dakotas with their fiat, level ex-
panse, have produced fair crops, the
late, cold spring, with cold rains and
hot winds, lessened the rich and full
yielding crops.
Minnesota in general has good crops.
1t is autumn in these rich and wealthy
states, it is fall on the great western
plains. Fat, sleek cattle roam over
rich pastures, now brown with the sum-
mer syn. Filled with the fatness of a
rich land they lie down to breathe the
pure air of the great plains and to chew
the cud Of peaceful content. Here one
can, like men of old, see the cattle on a
thousand hills and focks wandering
through green pastures and by the rip
pling waters of the great "Sioux Bot
TOMS" The summer is ended and the
harvest is gathered. AS far as the eye
can strike we can see the yellow stacks
of ripened grain and the straw stacks
gleam Of gold.
The brown prairie grass waves tremu-
lousy in the uneasy Dakota winds. O.
how vast and rich this land Of corn,
whose yellow tassels rustic in the winds.
The patches of dark green winter
wheat add charm to the prairie scene.
Vast areas have no fences sight, dot
ted over with unprotected hay stacks.
At present there has been 10 rain for
some three weeks and the air is full OF
fine whirling dust. The wire fence is
supreme, when any exists, and the
roads are level, hard and smooth The
blizzard IS a product of the PLAINS, it
will start up in half an hour and grow
to tremendous gale. At present writ
ing one is in activity. There are no
barriers, mountains or hills to check
the furious gale of wind which in win
ter is the pest of the country. The
plains are rich in cattle, grain and corn
the rich soil will last forever and the
pure air will make healthy lungs.
These vast plains can be made the
granary Of the world. The squalor,
want and misery ofthe densely crowded
cities can be changed to plenty, to vast
room by industry in these wide and
fertile plains.
The most evident prosperity is strik-
ing Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a town of
some twelve thousand Inhabitants. In
this town may be seen the beautiful
Sioux Falls granite. Persons of ordi-
nary means can there live in a real
granite house. Some of the most beau
titul granite buildings in the world ex-
ist in this place, the court house, post
office, public schools, state and federal
penal institutions, and many churches.
A $4,000 granite Norwegian college ex-
lists there with other important institu-
tions. The granite, quite red in color,
appears on the surface of the land along
the Sioux river, especially at the Sioux
Falls. Its dark maroon color makes
rich, solid looking walls which will last
as long as time. The streets Of the city
are paved with granite.
\ noticeable feature of the western
states is the rapid growth of the numer-
Gus new towns dotting the illimitable
prairies.
The industrious arms of the windmill
is characteristic Of the plains for there
is not water everywhere when one
rofS 70 1p,p