DEC. 34 
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WAHPETON, D. T. 
Its Surprising Growth, and Flattering 
Prospects. Richland County; Rapid 
Settlement and Railways Be¬ 
speak Supei’ior Natural 
Advantages 
MESSRS. HOLMES AND SWEETLAND. 
rSpecial Correspondents of the Rural New-Yorkku.] 
Last week we made brief mention of 
Wahpeton, promising in tliis issue more ex¬ 
tended comment upon this comparatively 
new candidate for public favor and commer¬ 
cial honors. Its name and reputation have 
uot become well known abroad, nor are they 
familiar even to many nearer its locality be¬ 
cause the town is in its infancy as a railroad 
center, and because there has not been an 
effort in the “ booming ” process resorted to 
by some Western towns driven to this ex¬ 
pedient by a deficiency of genuine attractions. 
As a trading point, it became the county seat 
of Richland County about eight years since, 
and acquired but little growth uutd the com¬ 
pletion of the St. P. M. & M. Railway, to the 
town, in 1880; but since then its development 
has been steady and rapid. The population at 
that time (June 1880), by the national census, 
was 100, while an enumeration completed for 
election purposes on November 16 of the pres¬ 
ent year, gave <513. The Congregational and 
Catholic societies have attractive and com¬ 
modious church edifices, able pastors and good 
congregations; while the religious and moral 
sentiments of the people will find further ex¬ 
pression in the erection of houses of worship 
by the Methodist, Episcopal, and Lutheran 
societies the coming year. There is a very 
happy commingling here of Eastern refine¬ 
ment and culture with Western nerve and 
enterprise, which develops itself in business 
and social life alike, giving to each character 
and permanent thrift. A school property 
valued at §1,500, with efficient teach rs. i (l ords 
requisite educational privileges The local 
newspapers; the Gazette semi-weekly and 
weekly, by E. K. Morrill; and the Times, 
weekly, by George P, (tarred, are well edited 
auxiliaries to the business and educational 
interests of the place. The town has had a 
commercial business of over §500,000 the past 
year. An elevator, a planing mill, a bank, 
well stocked stores, hotels, lumber yards, a 
machine shop, anil u brewery, are all found 
here. A wheat market of over 130,000 bush¬ 
els the past year and permanent improvements 
exceeding §140,000 give one an idea of the 
present condition and future prospects of 
Wahpeton. 
The site, on the western bank of the Red 
River of the North, which heads here by the 
junction of the Otter Tail River and the Bois 
de Sioux, is pretty, somewhat elevated, very 
slightly undulating, timber-skirted upon one 
side, while the other is rolling prairie as far 
as the eye can roach, presenting, as the setting 
sun kisses the horizon and sets in its sea of 
gold, a scene of surpassing beauty. The streets 
are broad, regularly laid cut, and attention 
has already been given to sotting trees and 
providing other adornments for both streets 
and residences. The Richland County Bank 
will become a National Bank in the Spring, 
and possibly have a competitor in the field; 
while 1883 will witness the completion to this 
point of the Northern Pacific, Fergus Falls 
and Black Hills Railroad, a branch of the 
Northern Pacific Railroad, diverging at 
Wadena, naming to Wahpeton and thence 
southwest. Thu Fargo and Southern Rail¬ 
road from Fargo to Sioux City, will also pass 
through the town, and also a western blanch 
of the St. P. M. <& M. Railroad, running from 
here to the Black Hills, giving the place the 
advantage of being a large railway center, as 
it will then have no less than eight railroad 
outlets running to nearly all the chief points 
of the. compass. 
The Head-Quarters Hotel, mine host, D. H. 
Smith, is excellent in all respects, but never¬ 
theless, the rapid growth of the town demands 
another large, well kept hostlory. A furniture, 
carpet, wall-paper, and hoot and shoo store, 
are also needed, and all branches of business 
could be much improved by parties dealing in 
special lines of goods, and keeping full, well 
assorted stocks. Industrial pursuits, capital, 
labor, or suitable light manufacturing, would 
find both a pleasant and profitable location in 
this prodigy of Western tawns, which prom¬ 
ises to become a jobbing mart for points fur¬ 
ther West. 
RICHLAND COUNTY 
adjoins Minnesota and is the farthest county 
south, lying in the famous Red River Val¬ 
ley. It contains over 1,400 square miles, prin¬ 
cipally the rich, fertile soil characteristic of 
the valley, but interspersed with streams, aud 
small bodies of water, usually fringed with 
timber; dotted here and there with good 
thrifty farms, frame buildings, etc., and 
along the line of the St. P. M. & M. Railway 
by small villages which are shipping and trad¬ 
ing stations. There are still some lands in the 
southern and western parts of the county sub' 
ject to entry under the homestead, pre-emp¬ 
tion, and, timber-culture acts of the Govern¬ 
ment. Aside from these, lands can be bought 
at prices ranging from §4 to §15 per acre, and 
owing to the diversity previously mentioned, 
they extend the advantages requisite for var¬ 
ied husbandry. Appreciating this, a number 
of the farmers in the county are giving in¬ 
creased attention to stock-raising, with good 
success. The western part of the county is 
more varied in its surface, and has a number 
of low, sandy mounds or ridges, while the 
intervening valleys are very fertile; but to 
the south, the lands between the Sheyenne 
and Wild Rice Rivers—perhaps a sixth of the 
area of the county—are undesirable for cultiva 
tion. With this exception, the climate is 
healthful, crops reliable, markets convenient, 
schools accessible, societv congenial, the pres¬ 
ent prosperous and the future promising. 
The county Ls rich in resources, abundant 
in yield, grazing nutritious, range unlimited, 
water good and abundant, hay of fine quality, 
cheaply secured, game plentiful, and the 
settlers contented and prosperous. A good 
quality of brick clay is abundant, and lime¬ 
stone is found in the southwestern portion of 
the county, 
Richland County was organized only six 
years ago; in June 1880 the population was 
3,300, and now it is estimated at fully 5,000, 
consisting of both Americans and foreigners, 
who work harmoniously in promoting all pub 
lie interests. The bonded indebtedness is $17,- 
000 at 7 per cent. , with only a nominal float¬ 
ing debt. The comity warrants are at par. 
Id January 1882 the new Court House at 
Wahpeton, a structure iu every way credit¬ 
able to the county, will be occupied. Wheat, 
corn, oats, barley, beef, sheep, pork and 
dairy products are the main sources of 
wealth in Richland County. Industry, in¬ 
tegrity, patience, skill and capital are sure 
here of a muuificient reward. The railway 
advantages wo have alluded to above, and 
when the loads are completed, this county 
will have available markets, by rail, lake and 
river, to all the great commercial centers of 
the Union. 
THE TUBE WELL TROUBLE. 
Editor Rural New-Yorker:— 
I noticed, under the above caption, in the 
Rural of Dec. 17, quite an interesting article 
on the subject of Nelson W. Green’s inven¬ 
tion ({) which should demand (he earnest 
aud universal condemnation of all the fann¬ 
ers of this country. If your space will allow 
I would like to have \ ou publish, in addition 
to your former fine article, the facts follow¬ 
ing: 
In the Summer of 1879 suits were com¬ 
menced in the U. S. Circuit Court of the 
Northern District of N. Y., by W. D. An¬ 
drews, G. H. Andrews and Nelson W. Green, 
against many persons: among them were some 
40 residents of Lansingburgh, N. Y., and one 
ease wasselected, viz., ThomasRichardsou’sas 
a test case, and Counselors Calvin E. Keach t 
of Lansingburgh, and C, A. Waldron, of 
Waterford, commenced the fight in good earn¬ 
est. Mr. Reach proposed to fight the patent 
on its merits, as he was convinced uo meritor¬ 
ious case hud ever yet been fought to a final 
decision, and he therefore stipulated into the 
case all the proofs in chief of the complain¬ 
ants and admitted the method of construct¬ 
ing the well as an infringement, thus to 
speed the case and save complainants’ cost, 
allowing all this to be done without the com¬ 
plainants calling a single witness. 
Then came the defense, and on May 0, 1880. 
Mr, Reach put upon the stand Anson Atwood 
of Dunellen, N. J. (who now has an office at 
57 Astor House, N. Y.,1 and iu two hours and 
by propounding only 37 questions, proved 
that while Mr. Atwood was superintendent of 
the machinery and agricultural department of 
the N. Y. State Agricultural Society, and at 
their annual fair held near Albany, N. Y. in 
the year 1859 (Green claims he invented this 
method after the war broke out, etc.) a well 
was constructed on the ground by the same 
method as now, aud as patented. This proof 
was fully corroborated by the next two wit¬ 
nesses, viz.; James E. Kirwan, of East Al¬ 
bany, N. Y. and Elisha Waters, the renowned 
paper boat manufacturer, of Lansingburgh, 
N. Y. 
Then commenced the filibustering prac¬ 
tice of complainants and the 37 questions 
put to Atwood by Mr. Reach in two hours? 
called forth from complainants a cross-exami¬ 
nation of over a whole week and more than 
700 questions. Then came uext Mr. Kirwan, 
who told Ms story for defendants iu six hours 
and about 80 questions. This called out proof 
of the construction of numerous wells by wit¬ 
ness at Wauconda and Waukegan, Ill.? 
Janesville and Beloit, Wis., etc. in 1848 and 
1849. The complainants still continued their 
course of pettifogging, and asked Kirwan 
more than 1,200 questions, keeping him on his 
cross-examination for 9}i days without shak¬ 
ing his evidence in the least. 
This practice was becoming very monoto¬ 
nous as well as expensive to the defendant, 
and Mr. Reach cited the complainants on 
motion before Judge Wallace, and on the ar¬ 
gument soon convinced the Judge that the in¬ 
tention ol the complainants waste tire out the 
defence, and he promptly made an order that 
the complainants pay to defendant within 
10 days the sum of §140, the Exatniuer’s fees 
for conducting such prolix examinations, and 
further provided that ever afterwards in the 
trial the complainants pay the expense of the 
cross-examination of defendant’s witnesses. 
This proved a “cooler” on them, and they 
seldom after kept a witness more than one 
day on cross-examination. This Albany fair 
ground well was seen by numbers of others, 
among whom were Alexander Gregory, of 
Albany; Horace L. Emory, of Cleveland, 
Ohio; Richard Spicer and John Chapman, of 
Lansingburgh; AY in. Vergo. of N. Y. City 
and scores of others. Then next came the 
witness, Joseph Brott, of 1,051 Fulton Street, 
Brooklyn, N. Y., who swore to a well put 
down in front of his father’s (Andrew Brott’s) 
hotel, at AAMterford, N. Y. about the time his 
first child was born, which was April 1, 1860. 
This date was fully established by other wit¬ 
nesses from Waterford, among whom were 
James P. Vosburgh (since deceased), DavidT. 
Lamb, Win. Hamilton. AYm. H. Fox. E. B. 
Honsinger, Lewis Wells, and others who saw 
it put down before they enlisted and went to 
the war some time about the first of 1861. 
They also said the man who put it down put 
one down for Henry Steenburgh at the same 
time, and since then the heirs of Mr. Steen¬ 
burgh have found among his old papers a re¬ 
ceipt as follows: 
$21.50 Received of 
Henry Steenburgh the sum of twenty-one 
dollars and a half for driving one well in his 
place in AVaterford. George Maller. 
Dated April 13, 18(50. 
[\\ r e have now in this office a photograph of 
this receipt.—E ds. 
This was not found until June, 1881, and is 
fully corroborated by the royalty receipt 
given by the ageuts of Wm. D. Andrews & 
Bro. (Grant & Knight) in 1877, which said the 
well “ was driven in 18150 by one Maller.” 
Both of them will be put in evidence in the 
case.—To be continued. Legis. 
P omesii c Cconomij 
CONDUCTED BY EMILY MAPLE. 
HELPS. 
Head-work will lighten labor; for the 
housekeeper it will save valuable time and 
give many an hour for study or recreation. 
Beef drippings are better than lard for fry¬ 
ing potatoes, mush, etc. 
Over-worked people, we think, are not so 
miserable as those who have nothing to do. 
Don’t, teach an infant to suck its thumb. 
Markings or spots of indelible ink ca i gen¬ 
erally be removed by washing the place first 
with a solution of salt and afterward with 
ammonia water. 
A bit of black court-plaster is a very good 
thing to mend a small tear in black silk or any 
kind of black goods. Moisten the plaster, put 
underneath the tear, sticky side up, aud press 
the frayed edges of the goods down upon it. 
ECHOES FROM EVERY-DAY HOUSE. 
ANNIE L. JACK. 
One of the pleasures attending the holiday 
season is the pleasure of giving. The time 
occupied in providing little gifts for those we 
think will appreciate them, aud the labor at¬ 
tending such work, anticipating the results, 
give the donor a feeling of exaltation that 
proves the truth of the Scriptural verse, “ It 
is more blessed to give than to receive.” It is 
a good thing to teach children to share with 
their poorer neighbors, to allow them to 
purchase material and make up small articles 
of usefulness for others, aud thus they learn 
the blessedness spoken of. 
The wheels of the household machinery jog 
steadily on without meeting many “ stum¬ 
bling-blocks" during the long AVinter. Unlike 
the Summer, when work crowds, one feels a 
leisure that no other season brings. Then the 
sewing of the future begins to take shape 
with hands and brain, and we find time to 
read the perhaps uncut magazines, and are 
glad that AY in ter comes with its rest and 
quiet. 
What funny things one finds out by little 
experiments even at the kitchen fire. I was 
cooking some onions the other day, and at the 
same time scalding vinegar to put over some 
pickles. The smell of the cooked onions is 
very objectionable to one member of the 
family, and we were quite astonished to find 
the vinegar had absorbed all the odor. I af¬ 
terward saw the same thing in a Western pa¬ 
per, and realized that “ there is nothing new 
under the sun.” 
Speaking of giving, reminds me that I went 
into the house of a fashionable lady in the 
city lately and found in her dining-room a 
table sot out with molds, and bowls of jelly. 
During conversation I found it was for the 
sick of her neighborhood, prepared by her 
own bands, to be sent not only to rich ac¬ 
quaintances, but to the poor as well, with a 
few choice flowers, I asked for ami received 
the recipe which was so simple and resulted 
in such a pretty and tempting dish that I 
transcribe it here, for the disli is pleasant to 
take to those who are well, whatever it may be 
to the sick: 
Two pounds of sugar; one pint of sherry: 
one pint cold water; one package Coxe’s 
gelatine: juice of two lemons; one quart, of 
boding water : a trifle of cinnamon. Soak 
the gelatine two hours, add sugar, lemons and 
flavoring. Pour over all a quart of boiling 
water and stir thoroughly. When the gela¬ 
tine is dissolved - put in the wine. Strain 
through a double flannel bag without squeez¬ 
ing, and wet your molds with cold water, and 
set the jelly away to cool after filling the 
molds about three parts full. 
- * ■ •* - ■*- - 
FELON CURE. 
M. B. MCLOUTH. 
A sensible cure for a felon is a small 
plaster as large as the finger nail, spread with 
the salve used for fly blisters. Keep it on 
12 hours, then where the Huger is puffed up, 
prick with a needle and let out the water, 
(Never use a pin to open a sore, for often very 
serious consequences ensue, as brass is very 
poisonous.) There, is nothing painful about 
the process, but the finger will he very tender. 
The skin that is separated by the blister 
keep on just as long as possible, or until 1? 
comes off itself. The flesh underneath wil 1 
be exceedingly sensitive, and will need wash¬ 
ing with cream oil or sweet oil. 
Ti» If.ikc Cpchih CflT. 
Put a cup with a spoonful of sw'eet cream 
on the stove-hearth and let stand, without 
stirring, until a clear od rises. Of course, the 
sooner applied after the felon begins to 
prickle, the more certain the cure. 
The Best Known Recipe for Co rning Beef. 
Cut the beef in small pieces, leaving out the 
large bones, pack solid in a six-gallon crock 
with a weight on top. Pom’ over the beef 
boiling-hot brine made as follows: Two 
gallons of water, three pounds of salt, one 
ounce of salt-peter, a pound of sugar and 
two large spoonfuls of baking soda. After 
two weeks, heat and skim the brine, and re¬ 
peat. t he process w henevor you thin k necessary, 
but never put the brine on hot after the firet 
time. If the weather is hot you can add a 
handful of salt and soda at any time, and like 
all pickling be sure the brine covers the beef. 
If packed in a barrel, a large cloth should be 
securely tied over it in Summer, to secure its 
contents from flies. The nicest, vessel to put 
it into is a half-barrel earthem jar. 
Pillow Shams. 
Make of the size required out of book-mus¬ 
lin (plain or dotted), or organdy. Line the 
shams wfith Turkey red. Make a ruffle five 
inch deep of the muslin, hem on each side and 
finish with a very narrow Valenciennes edge. 
Gather, leaving’a heading an inch deep, and 
stitch to the sham. The muslin should be a 
little larger i u every way than the Turkey- 
red lining, so that the muslin can he turned 
under and hemmed down on the lining. 
Mary B. 
Excellent Apple-sauce. 
Pare, half and quarter nice stewing apples, 
put into a baking dish, strew thickly with 
sugar, and add a little nutmeg or lemon peel. 
Cover the dish with a plate, set into a pan 
having an inch or so of hot water in the bottom 
and place in a hot oven. Bake until the 
pieces a re clear and tender. This sauce when 
eaten with a little sweet cream makes a very 
good dessert. Plain cake in this case may be 
served with it. c. G. 
-- 
QUESTIONS ANSAYERED. 
That Black Tea-kettle.’ 
Mrs. McL. writes that she is very much 
annoyed with a black tea kettle, and notwith¬ 
standing she has used sand, ashes and kero¬ 
sene upor, it, she can not make it. look well. 
Ans. —We can sympathize with Mrs. McL. 
because we once owned such a kettle. We at 
last blackened and polished it with stove¬ 
blacking which answered after a fashion, but 
when iu careless hands the lid was broken off 
we were glad to replace the objectionable 
kettle with one less offending to the eye. 
