The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-08-09
From Dakota.

FARGO, ID, r., August ,, 1919,
EDS FREE TRADER-Fargo is on the We,
bank of Red River, the eastern line of ID. T.
at point where the Northern Pacific milrom
;crosses. The river at this point is about th'
width Of the Fox tat It's mouth, but Is mucl
decper-a sluggish, muddy stream, the bank
of which are steep ana from forty To sixty fee
high The Red River valley 50 called is Z
level prairie, rs much 50 It's any in Illinois, cN
tending west, north and south along the rvcl
for more than one hundred miles IN each Iii
rection and on the east side in Minnesota i,
not so wide find it a much larger body of fine
land and of greater fertility than | expected
Much as it has been praised | think it ha,
been undcrrated For wheat, oats and barley
never saw its equal The soil does not pro
duce an over growth Of straw but the grain
Crews strong. stiff and of a bright yellow cast
lrpenlng up IN perfect manner, yielding from
twenty to thirty bushels Of fine wheat to the
acres The soil is of a black loan, ten to fit.
teen inches in depth, and produces the finest
of potatoes and other vegetables. The tide OF
emigration is moderate, but Of II good class.
There is anumbcr of large farms being opened.
| enclose you an account OF the Dhirympic
Farm twenty miles west of this place, and
there is quite number Of farms in the vicni.
ty that number the acres by the thousand.
There Is one forty miles down the rlver con-
tanning thIrty-clght thousand acres. The own
or employs a steamboat of formidable proper
tons to transport his vast products of wheat
up to this place to transport east on the n. +.
X. II, TO Duluth. The time is not far distant
when every acre of this fine section will be
one great wheat field. In places now il IS
wheat as far rs you can see, with numberless
machines IN operation. The only machine IN
Use is the harvester, which enables two men
and four horses to put twelve acres in the
shock each day worked. Cnlmproved lands
are worth from two dollars and fifty cents to
twelve dollars per acre. Ilomesteads are OBJ
tainable within forty miles Of this place. The
greatest drawback to the section is the scarcity
of wood and water. IN some parts there is no
timber, only IA fringe on the streams, which
hiC 'hiP'y INV
the Red River, and from ten to twenty niles
apart. Freight to Duluth is fifteen cents per
bushel for wheat; lumber is thirteen to TWEEN
ty-five dollars per thousand; good brick six
dollars
| shall return next week or the week fol
lowing. Mrs. lIosford's health is improved
remain your most obedicnt
JOHN II. HosFoED.
A BIG NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ID. T.,
July 20, lS,0.-The Catholic colonization par
ty, accompanied by Manager Sanborn and
Land Agent Powers, Major Bracket and Rev
Dr. Dana, spent the day on the Dalrympe
farms and went by special train as far as Val
ley City, A portion OF the party return to-
night, Dalrymple is harvesting at the rate Of
800 acres a day; 10000 acres IN grain all
told; ll5 reapers and selfbinders at work; 20
steam threshers 600 men all told average
yield 90 to % bushels per acre, Chapn's
farm runs as high as 35 in some pieces. Iso-
lated sections on smaller farms Will reach 40.
The weather is fine, and every grain field alive
with harvesters and threshers, and double the
acreage sown this year compared with any
previous one. Throughout No 1. Minnesota
wheat crop exceptionally good.