Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-07-27

JULY 81, 1875. ......
fore meeting the relief they were so
fatigued they could only march 100
yards without dropping on the ground.
Minnesota Productiveness.
The Place for the Nam with Moderate Means
or with no Means at all to Secure a Home.
The following extracts are made
from letter written by Thomas
Dowse, Secretary of the St. Paul
Chamber of Commerce, to the SPRING
field Mass, y Republican:
The increased acreage over 1875 put
under cultivation in Minnesota, this
season, is very large; in one county
along the line of the Northern Pacific
railroad, over forty thousand acres
are being broken. Along this same
road are six prairie counties Of the
same fertility, besides five timber or
forest counties. On one farm of &c.
900 acres on this road, single tract
of 5000 acres is being broken; on this
to-day they are pl0wing burrows six
miles long,-out and return to dinner,
out and return to supper, one team
making four burrows or "a miles per
day. At the Fargo United States Land
Office tat the Red river crossing Ut the
DA0i in In, <E
last alone, there were 90 prescriptions
and 20 homestead filings covering over
10000 acres of land, mostly in one
county. This WAS government land,
and does not include railroad land sales
for the same time. This railroad is
pre-eminently the one for great farms
Of from 1900 to Sc, 900 acres each, be.
sides the many small farms of 50 and
100 acres of pre-emptors and home
steaders. the government free gift to
poor but Industrious citizens, and the
many small or large purchases from
the road on the easy and long time Of.
fered them. or by full payment either
in cash or bonds of the company, which
it is, to-day, taking dollar by dollar,
with interest added, for her lands 1T
their regular fixed valuation. Other
roads in the state are doing the same
thing-taking their own bonds for
lands. So low are many Of these bonds
to-day. that the choicest railroad lands
can be he bought for from 81 to 81 80
per acre.
This for lands with built and opera.
ted railroads at their very doors lands
that will produce from Is to 40 bush.
els of wheat to the acre, that is, to-.
day, bringing in the remotest railroad
sections of the state from 50 to 80
cents per bushel to the producers
wheat that is quoted in this city, to-
day. from 90 cents to $1.04 per bushel,
according to grade. What is true of
the development, this season, along
the Northern Pacific is also the fact
along the St. Paul and Pacific railroad
GOO miles from here to Breckenridge,
on the Red river) on the St. Paul and
Sioux City, the Southern Minnesota,
the Hastings and Dakota, the Winona
and St. Peter, the Lake Superior and
Mississippi, etc., etc., all roads In this
state, from 100 to 800 miles long. Into
no state is agricultural immigration
coming more freely than into Mime
sofa, a large propol tion being by wag
on. A trip along the St. Paul and
Pacific railroad shows IN almost con
tinuous stream of prairie schooners
) the lands along this line are preemi
nently favOrite with those so coming
The years are but few in which vacant
land, either government or railroad
oar, ho r0f c1Onn thic road
The true secret of successful hus
bandry is becoming better understood
Il mean the raising of remunerativ,
crops, year after year,-this is pre-
eminently the fact here; rarely doe:
a farmer lose his crops from climatic
causes in Minnesota, in fact, never
some years, of course, arc more fruit
full than others. The reliability o.
the climate causes much of the gener
al agricultural success. Without fea
Of successful contradiction do | make
the assertion that, in no state in th'
Union, can the farmer produce, yc;.l
after, year with such uniform success
such Il range OF cereals as in Minnesota
, Here, on the SAM farm, they Can b
raised in remunerutive amounts, from
wheat to millet, while our vegetable
in range and quality are unsurpassed
For stock it is I'LL that oould be desired
our wild grasses are very nutritious
in the stables of our private citizen
in this city, the hay from the wilt
grasses is decidedly preferred to tina
from our tame grasses. Where NAL
lives in the greatest vigor, there TIN
animals that accompany man thrive
Hog cholera, sheep rot, and disease
incident to horned stock are here un
known. The short extra feeding tim
required here is more than recon
pensed by the entire freedom from
disease, so prevalent in more south
ern sections. The cost of our hay i
merely nominal.
The idea that this state and city j
the extreme northwest corner of habit
able creation is erroneous. No bette
grain-grOwing country exists than ex
tends for 500 niles north and 600 mile
west, while $500 miles northwes
from this city streams are open an
pasturage is grOwna full month earle
than here (air.line distances AZ
meant). Nor is this vast northwes
unapprOachable. You can, to-day, Tux
rail from here to the Northern Pacifi
crossing of the Red river, and an
there take your choice of seven steam
boats, of from 300 to 600 tons each t
Fort Garry, Manitoba, 600 miles b
river, (about 2S0 miles by land. A
, Fort Garry toke lake propeller Ilik
those on Lake Erie and other easter
lakes) through Lake Winnipeg, p
, to 800 miles to its northwestern end
, then take river steamer and so u
, the Saskatchewan, and it's norther
branch to Fort Edmonton and beyo,l
| 400 miles, or within $50 to 500 mile
, of the waters of the Pacific ocean. IN
| when you get there you can go ashol
f and telegraph the same day to yo,
. home in the Connecticut valley ,
Berkshire hills. These are facts. I'll
! wires are up, and the boats are the
! and running.
: Although it is about 400 mics
4 rail and about the same by rive- al