Year: 1877

FROM BISMARCK.


a Choice Collection OF News, Gossip


and Inspiring Prophecy-A Gate


way and Future: Metropolis Of tho


Grand Now Northwest-Tho Conn


ing Rival to !St. Pau1--What We


May Look 6erin Coming Time.


To the Editor Of the st. Paul Dispstch.


B1snARcK, D. T., Nov. %. 1s77.-We
have been enjoying the most beautiful


weather imaginable oil the fall and up


to the present time. The masons are
working in the open air upon Raymond
& Co.'s brick block and the steam ferry
plows its way across tbs Missouri as
in tho midst of summer; the engineers
Of the Northern Pacific under the lead
of Mr.. Alsop. formerly Of St. Cloud,
have been busy As bses for month on
the west bank Of the Missouri, and
running up the valley Of tho Big Heart
river,-some three miles are already
graded. Upon visiting them q few
days ago l found men and teams strung
alosg for several miles up the Big
Heart valley, and it looked like busi-
ness. This winter, as soon as the ice
closes the Missouri, q track is to be
laid across and sufficient rolling stock
taken sv.r to operate with mex: sum
mer. The coal fields of the Big Heart
will soon be reached, and before many
months elapse the treasures of the Gal
latin Valley will find ready outlet via
Bismarck and St. Paul to the East. 1t
is impossible to comprehend


THE FUTURE OF THIS COUNTRY


when the Northern Pacific shall have
been completed. l thought that [ had
a pretty good general idea Of the North
west, but after going towards the set
ting sun by steam for two days and
then to endeavsr to realize that be-
yend Bismarck were twelve hundred
miles of navigable waters, draining a
country almost inexhastible in its min
eral, agricultural, pastoral aud timber
resources was altogether too much for
one attempt. Your readers at least
most of them have no conception OF the
natural wealth or resources of this i'm
mense empire which is to be opened up
by the Northern Pacific railroad. The
idea that it is too far north is at once
efectually exploded by the fact that
cattle, horses and sheep in immense
herds, as we'll as the buffalo, run out in
the valleys all winter long with moth
ing whatever to eat other than of their
own gathering and come out in the
spring rolling fat. This is no fiction,
but vouched for by every plainsman,
army officer or resident of Montana Or
Western Dakota l have ever met.
Within three years l expect to see
daily trains of stock leaving Bismarck
for St. Paul and Chicago. But the de-
tails Of this great Northwest shall re-
serve for future communications, and
give you some idea of


LIFE IN BISMARCK


as an everyday affair. The Sheridan
House continues full, many families
boarding here for the winter. We have
other houses which are we'll kept, but,
of course, have not the accomm odations
of the Sheridan. Most of the newspa-
per correspondents who have "wr;tten
up" Bismarck have seemed to endeavor
to show its roughest side and make as
sensational letter as possible, whether
to arrogate to themselves notoriety in
with desperate characters and
coming out sound, or thinking to make
their letters more readable l am not
aware. Occasionally communication
from here would seem to be for the pur-
pose of glorying one or two individ-
uals, as all there is in Bismarck, except
the rabble. But We beg to assure you
that Bismar is full Of good people.
More money in less time can be raised
in Bismarck for the taking proper care
Of any unfortunate sick wanderer than
any town I ever knew.


NOT ''rowN OF RoUGHs."


While we have, of course, the rough
elements which always gather where
there is rush of business, and for
lutte a portion of the year a large
army with plenty of money, yet at the
same time it is libel upon Bismarck
to attempt to propagate the idea that
it is town Of roughs. There is just
as good society in Bismarck as in any
city, somewhat reserved,
Of course, to protect themselves from
but free to be enjoyed by
hose who show themselves worthy,
Ten. Miles, at bis recent reception, e1-
pressed himself as perfectly surprised
md delighted at being greeted thus far
,ut upon the frontier with reception
which would do credit to the East
md, by the way, we were !


DELIGHTED WITH CEN. NILES,
vho, while being thorough soldier |
8 in social life a quiet, unassuning |
Gentleman, not given to stopping over
t the honors so freely and heartily be-
towed on him. We regretted that we
ould not have the privilege of showing
ur appreciation of the gallant Gibbon