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VOL  XXI.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SATURDAY, SEPT. 18,1886. NO 38
TRIP TO THE NORTHWEST.
The Rett  River Valley and Its Productions.
Ky J. B. C.
One gets an indistinct idea at best of a
country by reading only. It required to
be seen to fully comprehend its extent
and possibilities. We had read much of
the great wheat producing regions of the
north west, and had come to consider it
pretty vast. But the delegates to the
Farmers' National Congress, held at St.
Paul the last days of August, were Invited
to see that country on the adjournment of
the body, and representatives from 27
States availed themselves of the opportunity.
THE TWIN CITIES.
Preliminary to mention of the trips and
country we traversed, reference is due to
the singularly, prosperous and growing
twin cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
They are situated ten miles apart, but it
will not be so in ten years more. Tbey
compromised on permanently locating the
State fair grounds midway between them,
which is reached from each by several lines
of road: and there, within eight or ten
years they will meet, practically become
one city, and lay down their generous
rivalry to excel in population. They are
now marvels of growth and business prosperity. If our trip had been cut short
with a visit to tbem alone, we might have
concluded that it was a bauble soon to
burst; but when we are done, the reader
like ourselves, will see differently. Aside
from the great, growing and inexhaustible
oountry north and west, of which these
cities are the base of supply, there is a
philosophy which in some measure underline and is the secret of this prosperity.
Surround one with ever so much rich resource for wealth aDd prosperity, without
impelling motive, and nothing Is utilized.
And so it is with communities. But here
are two cities within arm's reach of each
other, with their great rival railways reaching each, their manufacturing and commercial industries reaching out in all directions. One does not take an important
step of advantage that does not at onoe
send tingling through the nerves of the
other equal or greater conceptions of their
possibilities. And so under such conditions of rivalry the very best phases of
nmmercial and industrial expansion is
seen here. With it all is seen and felt the
consciousness of the solid country to the
W43st and North, to sustain it, for the people are bright and intelligent as well as
plucky. We need not mention the great
flour and lumber interests located here,
for our readers are advised as to these. We
ware told that each ef these cities were increasing in population at the rate of (ten
thousand souls annually. Minneapolis
builds a great palace hotel at a cost of a
million of dollars, and St. Paul follows
with a like one. St. Paul gets glory out
an Ice palace, and Minneapolis follows
with something more substantial, a magnificent exposition building, of masonry,
which was open while we were there, replete and full of Interest In all respects.
In both cities could we mark the solid
business appearances on all hands. But as
already stated, we should have followed
the predictions of others who have gone
no further than these cities, and believed
this all abnormal, but the great country
around and beyond make It plain that
generous rl vary and wonderful growth
have very srbstanttal groundwork, and
that the two or three hundred thousand
population of both are but the prophecy of
a great city to be.
THE TRIP NORTHWEST.
The St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba
Railroad (mind you, where St. Paul is
named In an enterprise, Minneapolis must
be also), placed a special, well equipped
train at our pleasure for this 750 miles trip
by daylight. This branch of the road runs
through central and northwestern Minnesota. The first hundred and forty miles Is
"the park region" of the State, so named
from the scores of beautiful lakes, intermingled with groves and skirts of timber.
Many of these lakes have high banks,
beautifully wooded, around which are
some handsome farm homes, of rich and
productive lands. Of oourse on a run by
rail we could get but glimpses of the oountry here, but were told that it wj»s a fair
sample of all that region of the State. In
this part of Minnesota we of oourse saw
wheat, but also some very good fields of
oorn. Tbenos into the open prairie oountry
lay our way for the balance of a rapid
day's run. Soon tha Northern Pacific
road Is passed at Glynden, and the waters
of the tributaries of the Red river all flow
to the north. Down the Red river of the
north we speed, still in Minnesota, and at
nearly dusk reach tbe city of Crookston, a
four year's old town of 5,000 inhabitants,
with its streets lighted with electricity,
with water-works, a telephone system,
banks, wholesale and jobbing houses in all
lines, together with all the modern phases
of our civilization, including the saloons
and Norwegians—pardon, "sample rooms"
It should be said, for these people are as
polite as the older civilizations. Ou this
last balf-day's run we had a most delightful diversion, in an hour's stop-off at the
7,000 acres farm of our genial and good
friend, Mr. Springer Harbaugh, who accompanied the party on the whole trip.
We had as well stop right here long enough
to say that Mr. Hirbaugh, and Mr. J. A.
Book waiter, two of Minnesota's best farm -
ere, had arranged the trips for the party,
and were from beginning to end, the two
genial souls around whom all else on the
excursion centered, as will be seen further
on. Carriages and wagons were provided
to carry the party out to the farm houses
here, and a generous lunch was served at
the dairy. The strong flow of an artesian
well here, sending water all over the farm
is sure prophecy of plenty of the very best
water In that creat valley. The farm Is a
handsome and productive one. All were
served with samples of the superb hard
spring wheat that had grown 20 bushels
per acre; and here not a hundred miles
from the Manatoba line, we noted a field
of oorn right well eared, and vegetables
equal to any to be seen elsewhere. Potatoes and other tuber and root crops seem to
grow to perfection. We also noted some
excellent oats fields, which would make 30
bushels or more per acre. We should have
stated that the Crookston authorities very
generously met tbe party with bands and
carriages, to show their town and surroundings, and provided a good supper for
all at their own expense, for nobody would
take pay for anything.
Twenty miles more and we reached the
city of Grand Forks, in Dakota, so named
from the confluence of Red Lake river
with Red river. This Is a city of about
five years, and six thousand inhabitants,
situated on the left bank of Red river,
which is navigable the year round here.
The road crosses the river on a very fine
and substantial Iron bridge. If the people
of Minnesota had shown us most generous
hospitality, it was plain that they had no
monopoly of it, for we were again met
here with bands of music.and carriages, and
driven through streets lighted with electricity, and to good hotels for the night.
Bright and early In the morning carriages
were In readiness to show us the new ag
ricultural fair grounds just completing for
northern Dakota, the handsome Territorial
University, and other public places and
buildings. Just at the edge of the city,
and in a beautiful grove on the banks of
Red river, we saw the fine herds of Aberdeen Angus, and Hereford cattle belonging to Dr. C. J. Alio way. The Dr. has
here built handsome barns, and will an-
doubtly make a great success in stock-
growing. In every way he is finely located. Before leaving this handsome and
enterprising city of the north, It was plain
that the party had been captured by Its
hospitable people, and in the speeches and
responses just before leaving, constituents
of more than one recreant Congressman
who voted against the admission of Dako
ta as a State, denounoed his representative
for unfatthtulneas ln this regard. And so
In the bright sunshine of a northern Dakota morning, we start on
THE TRIP^SODTH.
On this day we were promised big wheat
fields. The road runs up the Red river,
not Immediately along it, but in the valley,
which Is 200 miles long by I.jO miles wide.
The soil Is anywhere from 20 to 100 feet ln
depth. The land Is level or gently undulating over the whole valley, with mostly
a black soil. We soon found wheat fields
and wheat fields! The grain was in the
shock, or being threshed therefrom. On
either side of the road, much farther than
the eye could reach were shocks of wheat.
Fields are now estimated to make 14 bushels per acre, and now 18, and now 20, according as the shocks were thick on the
ground. Now we run through a field of
ten thousand acres of wheat, now one of
twenty thousand, and thirty-five thousand.
We accepted it all by faith, for It oould not
all be seen; and before the day ended
would have accepted anything to be rid of
the wheat monotany, for one's eyes wearies
In trying to take In thesituation, and from
sheer exhaustion glad of the power to close
them and shut out of view even Dakota
wheat fields—the best wheat and fields in
the world,—for the grain all grades No. 1
hard. We came up South (that sounds
paradoxical but it is true) to Fargo and
Moorehead, dining at the latter city, situ
ated on Red river at the head of navigation. Here our train switched to the
Northern Pacific tracks and we crossed the
great valley to Casselton, where the Dsvlls
Lsake branch of the Manatoba road Is Intersected. And so our run had been down
toward the north on the Minnesota side of
the great valley, up toward the South on
the Dakota side, and across to tbe West.
The reader can  easily see   that we had a
food view of this country, and of its possi-
ilitles. It Is new, and little attempt has
been made to grow more than wheat, oats
and vegetables. We saw some flourishing
red clover, and believe that with small and
early maturing oorn 20 bushels may be
grown per acre. Timothy grass makes
excellent pasture and hay, though It does
not grow so tall as here. Of oourse If
clover does well they can n o texhaustthesoil
growing wheat, for the clover plant Is the
great recuperator. In the run down to St.
Paul from Casselton Is wheat, and wheat.
By the middle of the afternoon we again
find numerous lakes and groves and handsome, but smaller farms. And so passed
our two days' trip by Bpecial train In the
Red river country of Minnesota and Dakota. It Is a country that can bread the
world when all under cultivation, if the
mercury does get down to 50 degrees below zero, and hang at 40 during a good
part of the winter. The people have Indomitable pluck, and who wouldn't have
with such an Inducement. Such afflictions
seem not joyous, but grievious, but they
work the peaceable fruits of Industry, unto
those who are exercised by them, and 40degrees requires exercise, and so here we see
a happy, Industrious and prosperous people, where aches, rheumatism and like
complaints are not known, for if It Is cold
in winter, the atmosphere Is dry and pleasant. Here and there we saw cattle, but
herds were not large nor numerous. Great
Is northwestern Minnesota and Dakota,
and Wheat Is their prophet. We oould
write columns more but must desist.
UP TO DULTJTH.
Back again to St. Paul, and at the million dollars Hotel Ryan, with the brain
dazed at what had been seen, and full of
mental Indigestion, the trip is already
planned for Duluth on Lake Superior, on
another line of railway, 155 miles distant.
The trip is made in daylight up, and back
at night. The oountry has many lakes for
the first hour or two; and then succeeds
pine barrens, rocks and hills. The noted
point on the trip up is the rapids of the
St. Louis river, which puts into Lake Superior at Duluth. Out a few miles from
the latter city Is a wonderful water power.
We were told that a wealthy syndicate had
bought all the lands touching the rapids,
and would soon erect great mills and factories there.
Duluth has evidences of thrift I had not
expected to see. The mouth of the St.
Louis river has been dredged till it affords
a splendid harbor for large steamers, and
here are eight very large grain elevators
completed and completing. The city Itself
Is on the. side of a hill over-looking the
lake. The ground is not worse—indeed
not so bad for building a city—as that on
which Kansas City is built. We might
have sneered at its pretensions bad we
visited it before we did the teeming grain
fields to the west which we have described,
and through the heart of which runs the
Northern Paeific road and terminates here.
With what we have seen west of here, it
is no great stretch to Bay Duluth must become a city of no mean trade and proportions. It won't be 20 years hence either.
Indeed it is on the threshold of a boom,
the like of which no city in the northwest
bas seen. Proctor Knott's caricature is to
be outdone ln the reality. There stands
Duluth, at the head of Lake Superior.
Look at It. Consider it as on the direct
water line of the great grain fields of the
world, more than three hundred miles by
water nearer the seaboard than Chicago or
any of her great grain rivals, so far as these
fields are concerned. See her harbor filling rapidly with grain elevators and shipping. Suppose the hills are there. If they
were ten times greater Duluth would grow,
and must grow to a great city. The party
was treated handsomely here by the Cham-
bar of Commerce, the trip ending with a
view by carriages,  and a lake  excursion.
We have already mentioned the two
genial gentlemen who planned both of
these trips. There is here at Duluth a denouement before we return south. At St.
Paul had been procured two handsome
gold-headed canes, by the party, and in
the hotel parlors, was the ceremony of
presentation, which was a fit termination
of the trips so well planned and executed
by Mr. Harbaugh and Mr. Book waiter for
the representatives of 27 States.
GENERAL NOTES.
Grain elevators are numerous on the
railways in all that country.
The average rainfall of Minnesota and
Dakota is about 22 inches annually.
Grand Forks and Crookston people boast
that they are north of the cyclone belt.
At Grand Forks, Dakota, we were told
that wheat was selling at 65 cents per
bushel.
Wood was selling at two to three dollars
per cord In Northern Minnesota and Dakota, in the Red River Valley.
The year was a very dry one for the
Northwest, but there were plenty of wheat
fields which averaged 18 to 20 bushels per
acre.
The ladles of the party were from ten
States, and notwithstanding the long and
weary journey, were genial and bright to
the last.
The Minnesota State fair grounds contain over 100 acres of land, and the buildings and improvements are of the most
substantial character.
A people possessing such Intelligence,
energy and enterprise as those of Dakota,
deserve to be admitted into the Union of
States without quibble or question.
Minneapolis is the prettiest city In the
Northwest, and its enterprise is unbounded. Why not, when ten thousand souls
are added to the population each year.
The Red river ice and snows at its source
and in its tributaries melt and overflow its
banks before the mouth of it at the north
is thawed out. The fact is, the river flows
up north.
Coal has been found in this northwestern
country, but the mines are not yet developed, and anthracite coal by way of
Lake Superior and rail costs about what It
does In Indianapolis.
A delegate from Texas, (Mr. R. J. Sledge),
with the party, after he had seen the West
and Northwest, said that he would not
have spent four years of his life In the rebel armies, If he had known the resources
and energies of this country.