DAKOTA. 



279 



chanical appliances are removed, the foreground 

 is arranged with something of the landscape- 

 gardener's art. Real grass, shrubs, and the like, 

 are disposed around the central platform, and 

 so skillfully blended with the painted middle 

 distance that it is almost impossible with the 

 unaided eye to determine where one ends and 

 the other begins. The atmospheric effect is 

 enhanced by the manner in which visitors are 

 introduced to the cyclorama. The entrance is 

 through a long, narrow, dimly lighted passage- 

 way, ending in a winding stair ; and when the 

 visitor, emerges upon the central platform, his 

 eye, having adjusted itself to a dim light, is 



prepared to accept at more than its true value 

 the brightness of the rotunda. He has, more- 

 over, in a measure lost his sense of orientation 

 on the winding stair, and the artificial pros- 

 pect is presented with much the same effect 

 as if it were seen from a hill-top under the 

 open sky. 



The illustration represents part of a cross- 

 section of a cyclorama. A is the outer wall ; 

 B, space between wall and canvas; 000. 

 canvas; D D, foreground; E E, covered en- 

 trance passage- way, winding stair, and specta- 

 tors' platf orm ; F, sky-light ; G, electric lamp ; 

 H, canopy; I, roof. 



DAKOTA. Territorial Government. The follow- 

 ing were the Territorial officers during the 

 year: Governor, Gilbert A. Pierce; Secretary, 

 M. L. McCormack ; Treasurer, J. W. Ray- 

 mond ; Auditor, E. W. Oaldwell; Attorney- 

 General, George Rice: Superintendent of 

 Public Instruction, A. Sheridan Jones; Rail- 

 road Commissioners, William M. Evans, Alex- 

 ander Griggs, and W. H. McVay ; Commis- 

 sioner of Immigration, Lauren Dunlap. Su- 

 preme Court: Chief- Justice, Bartlett Tripp ; 

 Associate Justices, 0. S. Palmer, W. II. Fran- 

 cis, W. B. McCounell, William E. Church, and 

 L. K. Church. 



General Condition. The Governor, in his re- 

 port to the Secretary of the Interior, dated 

 Oct. 1, says : 



Dakota suffered in common with the rest of the 

 country from business prostration and from the 

 drought, which injured the smaller grains. The 

 drought was not general, but local, some parts of the 

 Territory showing large yields, while in others the 

 failure was almost complete. Indeed, it is not un- 

 usual to find farms in the same county showing strik- 

 ingly dissimilar results, one with its grain a practical 

 failure, the other showing a full average production. 

 I think it safe to say that in wheat and oats the short- 

 age in the crops over last year, will be at least one 

 third ; flax, rye, and barley* also suffer. The yield 

 of potatoes and other roots will probably be nearly 

 up to the average. 



Farmers have given much attention to cattle-raising 

 of late years, and have that product to fall back upon 

 when grain is a loss. This industry has developed 

 very rapidly in all parts of the Territory. In the 

 older counties of South Dakota the farmers have long 

 been accustomed to keeping a limited number of cows 

 and beef-cattle. But it was supposed the large cattle- 

 ranches must be confined to the western part of the 

 Territory^ where the abundant glasses and limited 

 snow-fall enabled cattle to graze during the winter 

 months. Late experiments have demonstrated, how- 

 ever, that cattle- raising can be profitably pursued 

 even in the extreme northern part of the Territory, 

 and the result has been the establishment of large 

 cattle-ranches in various sections, while there are 

 tew farmers in any part of the Territory who have 

 not herds. 



The total of lands taken up for settlement 

 during the year ending June 30, 1886. is esti- 

 mated by the Commissioner of Immigration at 



4,000,000 acres. He estimates the increase of 

 population for the year at 85,000, making the 

 total population of the Territory 500,000. 

 While the Western and Middle States continue 

 to furnish a good majority of the new-comers 

 to Dakota, a larger proportion than usual 

 comes this year from- Eastern and New Eng- 

 land States and Canada. The foreign immigra- 

 tion other than from Canada for the year has 

 been comparatively small, the Scandinavian 

 countries furnishing the greater number. 



Financial. The bonded debt of the Territory 

 remains the same as a year ago, namely, $568,- 

 200. The assessment of 1886 shows an in- 

 crease over 1885 of about $24,000,000, making 

 the total assessment for this year in round 

 numbers $130,000,000. The tax levied for 

 Territorial purposes has been decreased from 

 year to year, until for 1886 it is but 2-4 mills. 

 The total county indebtedness of the Territory, 

 bonded and floating, is a little over $3,000,000. 



Valuation. The following statement gives the 

 assessment for two years, Emmons and Mar- 

 shall Counties wanting for 1886: 



