Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-09-18

expended here in raising wheat, will
make a man comparatively rich.-
Here is the farmers paradise. The
land lies ready for the plough, and
the only labor is that of raising and
gathering crops. These prairies were
reserved for this age of railroads and
, improved implements. Here the
farmer can drive anywhere until he
|, finds farm to suit him and then he
has only to unload his implements
and, while sitting aloft in the shade,
drive his team to a fortune. This is
modern or prairie farming.
And now what are the opportuni-
ties for men of moderate means? Let
us See. First, the government gives
him the land or, along the road, the
railroad company sells it to him at
from Sc to SO an acre, with one-tenth
down and five years time to pay up.
Secondly, nature clears, drains and
dresses the land for him, and he has
only to "tickle it with a hoe and it
will laugh with a harvest" Thirdly,
if he joins the National Colony, as 1
did, he can bring his family here at
a reduction of from 30 to so per cent.
on fare and freight, and have lumber
and implements at a discount. A
man to get on smoothly should come
with enough money to build a house
at cost of 500 or $500. to buy some
implements, and have something left
for emergencies. But men have come
10 Minnesota with just enough money
TO get here, have entered claims,
worked for others 10 pay their way,
ahd have come out in a few years
with a cultivated farm. A man who
came to the Sank Valley ten years
ago with only a yoke If oxen, now
owns a section of land nder cultiva-
ton and is rich man. Men who
farm extensively, like DalrympIe,
who cleared s15O,OOO in five years
raising wheat, make foltunes in a
few years.
A few words now concerning this
section of the State and the National
Colony. The lands of the Colony
embrace fifteen townships lying
chiefly in Mobiles county, three town
ships looping over into Iowa. Worth
ing;on, the chief town ofthe Colony,
is III miles from st. Paul and 90
miles from Sioux City, on the Sioux
City and st. Paul railroad. The
prairie is undulating, well watered
with lakes and streams, the soil be-
ing rich black loam from two to
four feet deep with clay and gravel
subsoil. This is said to be the soil Of
all soils for wheat. There are proba-
bly, fifty lakes in the county, the
chief ones of which are Okabena,
about six miles in circumference
Ocheeda, about seven miles long; and !
Graham lakes, each several miles in
length. Okabena is one of the finest |
of the smaller Minnesota lakes. 1t |
has beautifully curved shores with !
elevated points for residence sites and |
a bottom OF sand and gravel, while
the banks in many places are built |
up with boulders like walls laid by |
hand. From this lake the town |
obtains water, ice, fish, sand, gravel,
at d stone, to say nothing of boating, |
bathing and fishing. The town of
Worthington is situated on the north |
shOIe of this lake and commands a |
fine view of the lake and the prairie !
for miles beyond. Graham lakes are
two beautiful sheets of water, with |
timbered shores and are surrounded |
by beautiful farming country. A
hotel will be opened there next year
and these lakes will become one of |
A. he many place of summer resortl
There are three towns, or railroad |
stations, in the Colony, the chief one
o. which is Worthington, the future
county seat. Last spring there was
not a finished house in the town
now there are about one hundred |
buildings, over thirty of which are
places of business. When L arrived |
here there were few houses to be seen
on the prairie; now they can be
counted by hundreds and everywhere
the land has been broken and crops
are growing. A hotel has been built
and fitted up at a cosCof about Sl3, 900;
a public hall is nearly completed at a
cost of about $1,000, and a school
building for graded school is to be
erected at cost of SIS, 900. Efforts
are also making to secure the location
of a seminary at this point, and
every thing will be done to make
this a centre Of education and of NOR
al influence. Two warehouses are
being erected for the shipment of
grain of which quite a quantity is ex-
pected even this year. The town
a trade from four counties
besides Mobiles. Our only railroad at
present is the Sioux City and st.
Paul, which will be running through
trains by the first of October. ThiJ
will be one of the trunk lines of the
west, and it is claimed that the dis
lance from Omaha to Buffalo by this
route is one hundred miles less than
by the present route by way of Chi
eago. A branch road will be b1ilt
from Worthington to Sioux Falls,
there to connect with a road to Yank-
Ton. This will, it is expected, draw (
the Southern Minnesota to this point,
and thus we shall have direct outlets
10 the four points of the compass. {
The National Colony is an Ohio
The managers are DR.. A. {
P. Miller, formerly of the Toledo (
Blade, and Prof. r. F. Humiston, !