Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 December 1898 — From The Cold End Of The Country. [ARTICLE]

From The Cold End Of The Country.

Rock Lake, N. Dak., Saturday Nov. 26, ’9B. Editor of the Republican: I arrived here in the Turtle Mt. region Nov. 27 and found winter weather on my arrival. lam now with brother Jim, 16 miles east of the nearest town of importance. Perth is somewhat nearer, but is not so good a town, being one or two stores. This is a fine prairie country, slightly undulating in this locality. The mountains are 22 miles from here. Jim and I camped among them three days. We were not in search of game, but for fire wood, i 1 •» 1 • 1 1 WiiiCti bo IiUUA U*> iiIULO iTt miles round trip. The timber is pricipally cotton-wood aud balm, with a few scattering oaks. The law restricts the cutting of green trees, but this obstacle is done away with by the occasional 'xf Tnfitwlb i 'n the f&P when dry. This causes a conflagation which lasts for weeks killing enough trees to over-supply the demand of the settlers. Although the wcK>d not a < uo-vl and pit*nd ful as we had wnile on our trip down the Mississippi river in u house boat, but nevertheless we Tire IJO proud oi a loud when we do arrive home, that 1 photograph it. As to game there is quite a little in the mountains. Several moose have been killed here already this season. Two of which were killed a few miles west of our camp in the mountains. There are plenty of prairie chicken and grouse here. I got up here too late for duck shooting, ducks remain in this country through the summer by the thousands (they nest here) and Jim says it is nothing to get a Pot Shot most any time. Sandhill cranes are also very numerous here, in the summer I saw hundreds of white brant on one or the large lakes below, on my way up here, but of course they are gone now as the lakes are covered with ice a foot thick. Last Tuesday morning the atmosphere was 17 degrees below zero and Sunday I felt as though I was nearing that point, as I was on my way back from a 65 miles trip overland to Devils Lake. I slept by a hay stack about 25 mile south of here and about 3 miles north of Cando, froze out at midnight, built a new bed and when I got up in the morning the weather was storming. Had to face the wind the rest of the way here with an old cow in the wagon and 16 bu. of wheat.

JOB V. HARRISON.