DAKOTA. 



203 



120,000 acres were under cultivation in 1881, 

 of which 100,000 contained wheat. In the 

 next year it was expected that the wheat-land 

 would increase to 150,000 acres and the crop 

 to 3,000,000 bushels. 



The county north of Cass is Traill, and the 

 county south Richland. Traill County has a 

 population of 6,000 and Richland 3,800. A 

 large quantity of railroad and Government 

 land is in these counties and yet remains un- 

 settled. It is good fanning land, and for 

 sale cheap. Goose Creek, Elm, Rush, Maple, 

 Cheyenne, and Wild Rivers flow through this 

 county, and it also has Red River on the east. 

 The Cheyenne is the largest, and empties 

 into Red River. It is one hundred and sev- 

 enty-five miles long, and flows east for one 

 hundred miles through a good country. Dev- 

 il's Lake also empties a large body of water 

 into the Cheyenne, which then flows south- 

 ward ninety-six miles, cutting Barnes County 

 in halves. The valley of the Cheyenne is nar- 

 row and picturesque, and very fertile. Its wa- 

 ter-powers are unsurpassed. 



Barnes County is less than five years old, 

 but it already has a population of 3,000 inhab- 

 itants. In 1877, 3,000 acres were cultivated ; 

 in 1879, 27,000; and in 1880, 40,000. The land 

 is good and very cheap. It is rolling prairie, 

 the undulations at times rising into hills. This 

 county is well timbered with oak, elm, and ash. 

 Along the rivers are fine meadows, and the 

 soil of the uplands is composed of black loam. 

 North of Barnes County is Foster County, and 

 on the south Ransom County. These are rep- 

 resented as being good counties. Near the 

 center of Barnes lies the shire-town, Valley 

 City, in the Cheyenne Valley. It is a pretty 

 town, and is" surrounded by a lovely and fertile 

 country. The river flows by the town, and its 

 banks are covered with a growth of oaks, elms, 

 cherry, and box-elder trees. The town already 

 has several hundred inhabitants, although it 

 was only commenced in 1878. There are twen- 

 ty-five business firms, mills, school-houses, ho- 

 tels, a bank, and one fine brick block. There 

 are quite a number of handsome private resi- 

 dences, and altogether the town may be said 

 to have a promising future before it. 



Adjoining Barnes is Stutsman County. This 

 county has 1.300,000 acres of good land, con- 

 sisting of prairie, meadow, and bottom lands. 

 The land is subject to entry by pre-emption, as 

 tree-claims and homesteads. 



The James River divides Stiitsman in twain, 

 and with its tributaries waters the county 

 amply. The James is a noble stream, flows 

 through five hundred and twenty-five miles ot 

 country, and is estimated to be one thousand 

 miles long. A steamer has been placed on it, 

 and a company organized for its improvement 

 and navigation. James Town is the county- 

 seat of Stutsman, and is located on the James 

 River, at a beautiful spot where the valley 

 widens, and is surrounded by fertile knolls ris- 

 ing in terraces. The town has obtained a 



fine start ; has a bank, hotels, handsome court- 

 house, and many neat and attractive dwellings. 

 Stutsman is one of the best grazing counties in 

 Dakota, and cattle and sheep raising are car- 

 ried on as one of its regular businesses. The 

 railroad lands are sold at from $2.50 to $5 per 

 acre. 



Kidder County is west of Stutsman, and con- 

 tains 900,000 acres of land, most of which is 

 extremely fertile. It is on the line of the 

 Northern Pacific Railroad, and of easy access 

 to settlers. About 2,000 acres are under cul- 

 tivation, and yield well. Wheat-raising in this 

 county will be one of the great businesses of 

 its future, and the flouring-mills at Bismarck 

 furnish a good market. 



Burleigh County lies west of Kidder, and 

 borders on the Missouri River. It contains 

 1,843,000 acres of good land, and is well set- 

 tled. Bismarck is the shire-town, and for a 

 long time has been known as the terminus of 

 the Northern Pacific Railroad. It contains 

 about 3,000 inhabitants, and is now a commer- 

 cial center. It has both railway and river 

 transportation, and no less than forty steamers 

 ply from this town, up and down the Missouri, 

 to the settlements and military posts along its 

 banks. Heavy freights are carried over the 

 Northern Pacific east, and it has a stage trans- 

 portation company running to the Black 

 Hills. 



The country around Bismarck is beautiful 

 and fertile, and there are some fine farms. 

 Wheat, oats, and corn are grown, and the 

 land produces well. Of wheat, 25 bushels per 

 acre were raised last year ; oats, 50 hushels 

 per acre; corn, 105 bushels. On some land 

 150 to 300 bushels of potatoes grew, and all 

 the vegetables are abundant and of remarkably 

 fine flavor. The wheat is of superior quality and 

 makes good flour. Timber in this county is 

 quite plentiful, and coal is near at hand, large 

 beds of it having been found in the adjoining 

 county, on the line of the Northern Pacific 

 road. 



Crossing the Missouri River at Bismarck, one 

 enters the " Great American Desert." The 

 first evidence of the sterility of this country is 

 the smart little town of Mandan, containing 

 500 inhabitants. It is located on the bank of 

 the beautiful Heart River, at its junction with 

 the Missouri, and is surrounded on three sides 

 by a rich agricultural region. More than fifty 

 farms are bearing crops, and scores of new 

 ones are being opened up. A broad plateau, 

 surrounded by hills, lies back of Mandan, and 

 the scenery is beautiful. Looking up the Heart 

 River, a prospect meets the eye that reminds 

 one of anything else than a desert. Hundreds 

 of cattle are seen grazing on the hills. The 

 groves of timber along the stream afford the 

 cattle all the shelter they need, even in the 

 coldest of weather, and not a mouthful of hay 

 need be cut for feed. Numerous small streams 

 empty into the Heart River, watering the 

 country well. The Northern Pacific Railroad 



