Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1905-11-22
THE CHI aNGED GREAT WEST.
The Weird wild Savage" Has Been Sup
planted by the Thrifty Husbandman.

pressed with the fact tnat 6ne west mas
written another large page in history.
Again the seasons have run their course.
The harvest is passed. The smoke OF
the thresher engine is fast fading from
the northern horizon. Nearly the last
bundle of wheat has been ted TO the
thresher's mouth, the last measure tossed
in the grain bin The enormous crop
is on its way to the markets OF the
world. From Minnesota and the Dako-
tas. from the middle west and the inland
empire of the far northwest the wheat,
like a tidal wave, is rolling toward the
rising sun.
The west was not won by the trapper,
the scout, or the buffalo hunter, but by
the plow, the harvester aud the steam
thresher The most of us may nibble
our toast in peace without bothering
ourselves over where it came from or
how,
| The Red river marks the beginning of
| the great Dakota wheat belt where the
| pioneer is asserting his mastery over
| the prairie and exacting from 1t the tri-
butte of golden grain which means sus.
tenance for the hungry. Out here all
! things center on wheat, and for good
reasons. As the millions of the earth
increase, the cry for bread is rising high
er all the while and those who can an
swer it will become rich. Far to the
west "A filmy blue fringe Of timber marks
| the course of the Red river whose silent
waters move ever onward to the myster-
| ions north. Far as the eye can see to the
north and south stretches the level field
and unbroken view.
The loo motive has become the path
finder of modern civilization. But fifty
wears ago the three Red River Valley
members of the Minnesota territorial
legislature came down from Pembine to
the capital at st. Paul, In dog sledge,
making the three hundred miles in six
teen days. As late as 1862, on the very
day when the first locomotive whistle
was heard in st. Paul, Red river cara
van of forty OK carts, loaded with fifteen
thousand dollars worth of furs, Indian
moccasins and dried buffalo tongue from
Pembine, arrived at St. Paul. West OF
the Missouri river after traversing q
rolling prairie country, the unique re-
gion known as Pyramid Park is reached
This ia all Indian country. Here in the
early days the Ojibway, Dakota and
Sionx fought each other. A large part
of the country is given over to Indian
reservations.
The white man is gradually encroach-
ing on the red mans reserve, done under
the form of law 1t cannot be prevented
Already the trolley reaches to the reser.
vation gate, and the time Is not far on
when the clang,of the motormsn's warn.
ing will echo through the wigwam OF
red man. To forecast the ultimate ate
of the Sioux nation of Indian is not ~
our province. Oil and water az readily
/ = a.. r .A wi
1t NAV seem Incredible but there as q
decided element Of rest in travelling
through this western country. No one
will regret the days spent in crossing
the plains and desert when the noun
tains are reached and the Pacific coast ID
, not far away. One goes to sleep In q
garden On the trip from st. Paul tc
Portland, Oregon, one gets the extremes
|, of the country, extremes OF climate, hab
its of life and civilization. Natures
wonder book has been unfolded. The
history of the past and the promise o.
tbs future have been read as an oper
page. for old and new combine In this
lair western land The footprints OF the
pioneer are not yet lost, the traces OF
the Red man are not all wiped away,
the future of America is pictured In the
life of the miner and the cowboy, the
farm ar and the business man, the ex'
plorer and the surveyor.
1t ia in the west that the old and the
new America unite. The transforma
ton of the arid districts is really an In.
teresting sight Along the railroad
right OF way the ground is parched and
brown, but Just beyond the barbed wire
fence the little stream of lifegiving huid
has caused the seeming miracle and the
! green carpet Of meadow stretches ovei
the floor of the desert.
The telephone pole and the rural mai
box have begnn their invasion OF the
sage brush. The coyote and the JACK
rabbit are still retreating. There Ia nc
J waiting for the annual rainfall In thit
! country. Man has passed the poin'
where he waits upon tho tardy and un
certain movements of nature. He nc
Longer trusts to the wind to carry hii
commerce nor the rain to moisten ths
, earth that he may SOW and reap. Id
goes with the wind when it goes his way
: but he hold his course despite wind anc
wave. He diverts the currents of ths
streams, he builds great dams and res
eryoirs to correct the wasteful habits ol
untaught nature, he holds the life Civ
ing fluid against the time OF need Why
trust blindly TO chance when working
out the great problem OF food product
ion2 This is the vital question OF the
; twentieth century.
} The western towns are unique in theii
thrift and prosperity. They are all pic
, turesque communities, presenting an
interesting mixture of architectural
social and business condition, busy with
! commerce and buoyant with hope anc
pros1ects. Merchants, miners. railroad
officers and professional men unite IL
their effort to advance each striving
town. There Is hardly place OF equa
. population in the northern or southern
states which could not learn useful les
sons in tree planting, park making and
, public comfort from these live western
J towns.
IL any one of our readers should still
retain in his mind, as type OF the west
ern citizen, the bad man with the slouct
, hat, flowing moustache, and quick act
ing revolver, he is at least ten year;
behind the times.
, The west Is no longer an unknown
and undeveloped region 10 which civil
ization is stranger. If one would IN
fathom the inaccessible and test tht
real experience of the pioneer, he mus
, go beyond the west-to the land OF tbs
/ Yukon. A. DECKER
Big Money For Beets.
A GAINESVILLE news dispatcn states thai
$i05, 600 were paid ont to sugar bee
growers at the Rock county sUkar fac