Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-07-06
SAYS low A IS
THE BEST STATE
FAC SYLVESTER A FORMER or.
TUMWAN PRAISES THE STATE
AND HIS HOME CITY.
TELLS OF COUNTRY
10 With W. n. Coulter Shows and
Writes Interesting Letter About
the Dakotas Where the Circus
is Showing.

Fac Sylvester, former Ottumwan
now cashier of the w. H. Coulter cir
Gus has written very interesting let
ter to the Courier about the Dakota.
where the shows have been exhibit
ing for the past three weeks He pay,
high compliment to Iowa and to his
home town OF Ottumwa. and having
seen a great deal of the country in hif
travels with the show, his conclusion
comes from experience Following
is the letter:
Milbank, S. OAK. July 3. 1911
Editor Ottumwa Courier:
Ottumwa, Iowa,
Dear Sir: If you will permit me
through the columns of your paper |
will give short descriptive letter, of
South Dakota 80 far as l have seen.
We have now been in this state
three weeks. our first stop being Can
ton where we found it dry and dusty
and crops not very good. Our next
stop was Tyndall This is good
looking town Of 1000 people surround
ed by a good country, level and fairly
well improved. Imagine my surprise
when I opened the ticket window to
hear some one call hello Sylvester"
and grab my hand, former Wapello
county boy, and my old time school
mate w. T. BEEN, who has resided
here for the past seven years.
To say that we had good visit is
putting it mildly. Our next stop was
Mitchell, an up to date town of 1000
people. We are now making runs Of
Is to $50 miles. At Mindo- Mckenzie,
we found it very dry, shipping In water
and hauling into the country. We are
near the Rosebud reservation here
and many Indians attended the show.
The country is a vast rolling prairie
with nothing but hills as far as the
eye can see. No vegetation of any
kind. No crops. not even weeds are
growing here. At Chamberlain We
crossed the Missouri and what is cal
led pontoon bridge the first Of its
kind that I ever saw. The river is
running high, owing to the melting Of
snow up In the mountains. The sur
rounding country is extremely billy.
Sees squaw and Papoose.
Many hundred Indians attended here
This is my first sight of a squaw
with papoose fastened to her back.
Many wore blankets, some dressed in
citizens clothes. In talking with an
old resident here, he informed me that
most Of the old Indians took part in the |
famous battle in the valley OF the
Little Big Horn river where General
Custer was slain, but not one of them
will talk word about it. and II you
1t they simply say nothing.
Most Of them speak English fairly well.
Redfeld ls surrounded by q fairly good
looking country, but the crops are not |
of much force.
Woonsocket has lake in the edge |
Of town, water furnished by an arte- |
sian we'll, which shoots the water sew |
eral feet into the air. Aberdeen is the !
It Is situated in the center
Of = vast prairie, level and good i'm
The country looks like
that surrounding Farson not so thickly i
settled. fewer groves and trees. but
all underfence. with herds Of cattle
dotting the pastures In every direc-
ton. We are at Sisseton on July 4,
Indian town The country
here is rough and wild looking and
has many rocks on top of the surface.
Iowa 10 Best state.
This is the worst place for wind I
ever saw. What we call high wind in
Iowa is but gentle zephyr breeze
when compared to the velocity with
which 1t shoots across the Dakota
prairies. Some parts Of this country
IN fact most parts. were never. in my
intended by the creator to
be occupied by civilized man. It is
indeed the home Of the coyote, the
Jack rabbit and the prairie dog, which
can see in some localities in large
numbers. In travelling from one town
% another a. have for the past two
months, and viewing the country, the
the people and the accom-
have been brought to q
'uller realisation of the fact that Iowa
8 the pride of the world, the best state
n the union and Ottumwa the best
own on the map.
I thank you for taking up so much
space in your paper as we'll
ls your time and labor. and only hope
hat I may be able and ind time to
write you another letter more interest
ng to your readers.
.....A Very truly yours,
Fac Sylvester, cashier, II
w. H. Coulter, shows.