Litchfield enquirer., 1880-01-29

l barley, oats, and the vegetables grown in the Northern States. It IS too far north for corn The wetter portion of the valley affords abund- ant grass, which is used for feeding and cut for hay. It is claimed that the capabilities of this valley are equal to the present wheat pro- duction of the whole United States. The Northern Pacific road crosses the valley at Fargo, which lies on the west side of the river, about fifty miles above it's southern end, and holds land grant of forty miles on each side of it's track. The St. Paul and Manitoba road traverses the valley from south to north, about ten miles to the east of the river. .-f
 The failure of Jay Cooke 6 Co.,, in 1873, had the effect of throwing large bodies of the lands belonging to the Northern Pacific road into the hands of the holders of it's securities | Among them were the owners of some of the farms hereafter described.
 Oliver Dalrymple, of St. Paul, the pioneer in the great farm operations in this country in the Northwest, began fourteen years ago, in Minnesota, near St. Paul, where for number of years he successfully cultivated farm of 2,500 acres. At the time he commenced his operations near St. Paul, in 1866 he paid $2 a bushel for his seed wheat and sold his crop for $1. S3 per bushel; from his first crop pay ing for the whole investment, and leaving a | large surplus. ...
 After the Northern Pacific lands had passed | into individual hands, as above referred to, MT. Dalry.nple entered into an arrangement with some of the holders, by which he was to undertake the management of their lands in the growing of wheat and other products, ,-the proprietors of the lands to furnish lands, stock
 and tools and the capital required for seed
 labor, and improvements, upon condition that when.the products of the farms had re- paid all the expenditures with an agreed inter- l est, he was to receive clear title of one half | of each farm with it's stock and improve l ments.
 In the spring of 1876 he commenced his operations near Castletou, upon what are known as Cass the farm, of 6355 acres, and the 1 Cheney farm of 5200 acres. The following year work was begun on the Grandin farm, at Grandin, of 40,000 acres. Subsequently, l Mir. Dalrymple obtained in his own right the Alton farm, of 4O00 acres, adjoining the Cass | farm.
 On arriving at Fargo, July 18th, attempt ed to find Mr. Dalrymple at his office in that town, but did not succeed, he being at Castle ton. Most fortunately, encountered Mir. J.
 L. Grandin, who at once cordially invited me to his farm at Grandin, thirty six miles to the north of Fargo. -!-
 That portion of the farm known as the Grandin, in which Mir. Dalrymple has an in terest and which he manages, lies on west of the Red River, about six miles to the north of Elm River, tributary. It has frontage on Red River of four miles, and contains 28,- 900 acres. A portion, only, is in solid body i; on the western side the alternate government sections being held by other parties. Some | six miles farther to the north, on Goose River, another tributary of the Red, is another body of 2,000 acres, which make up the 40, 900 acres of the Grandn farm. Twenty -four miles to the west the Grandin brothers, J. L., W. J., and B. B. Grandin, bankers of Tidoute,
 Pennsylvania, have farm of nearly 30,00O acres, known as the Mayville farm, in which Mir. Dalrymple has no interest. This last farm is designed for stock raising, being well supplied with water from the heads of the Elm and Goose rivers, and has at present 250 head of cattle. About 200 acres are in oats and | barley, with some wheat, and 600 to 800 tons | of hay are cut.
 l J. L. Grandn is the principal owner of the 40, 900 acre, or Grandin farm. At present there are on the farm three stations, or points
 where are located the farm buildings necessa- ry for the operations in their sections. Sta tion one is in the northeastern part of the 29,- 1 900 acre tract, 250 yards distant from the 1 river. At this station are two dwellings, both
 of two stories and good size, one being the resi- dence of the local superintendent and the foreman at that station; the other is fitted up | specially as boarding house for the farm hands. There are also two large barns, the | general farm office, large building for the storage and care of the farm tools, known as
 machinery hall steam feed-mill, blacksmith shop, granary, vegetable store -houses piggery, sheds etc, in all thirteen good, substantial
 well-painted buildings, having disappearance, at short distance, of a considerable village
 At this station are two large windmlls, one near the superintendent's residence; the other on the bauk of the river, about 300 yards dis 1 tant, that forces water into tank at the sta. 1 tlon. On the bank of the river is store house for the shipment of grain, with two cars to | run on double wooden tramway, so arranged that the loaded Car in descending to the boat will draw up the emty one. Station two is two and one half miles to the south of station one, containing the dwelling of the foreman at that station and boarding house, both small
 CT than at station one, machinery hall, a large barn. and a blacksmith shop, with other buildings, eight in all, substantial and well painted. At this station is large water tank, | filled by windmill on the bank of the river, one half mile to the east On the river-ban at that point is another store house like that ct station one, and for the same purpose. Sta | tion three one half mile south and one mile 1 west of station two, has one dwelling of one and half stories for the foreman there locat- | ed, and cooking arrangements for the men | there employed, who find sleeping room Tn the loft over the machinery hall; beside which is 8 large barn and other smaller buildings. At this station there was being erected granary of the capacity of 50, 900 bushels. The build l ings of this station are of the same substantial | character as the others upon the farm. The three stations are connected by telegraph and | telephone, and with the general office at sta 1 tion one. The numbers employed on the place are from April lst to May 1st, 150 men; from May 1st to July 18th, twenty men, but if | breaking new ground, fifty men ; from July 18th to July 3Oth, 100 men; from August 1st to September 18th, 250 men from September | 18th to November 1st. seventy five men; from l November 1st to April 1st,. ten men.
 l The wages are, from November 1st to April | 1st, $15 per month from April 1st to May l 1st, SIS; from May 1st to August 1st, $16; from August 1st to August 18th, $2 per day ]; l from August 18th to September 18th, $1 50 per day from September 18th to November ! 1st, SIS per month. @ The tools, machinery, and animals employ l ed are, sixty seven blows, of which eleven are gangs of two blows each; sixty four harrows {; thirty-two seeders of eight feet six mowers 1 thirty-fou self-binding harvesters; seven steam-engines and threshers, adapted to burn- l ing straw for fuel !; fifty wagons and 125 head of horses and mules. For thirty days thirty teams of two horses are hired. There are on the place 100 hogs and pigs and thirty head of cattle, but no poultry. This year there are 1 5300 acres in cultivation, of which 1855 acres are in wheat, BOA acres in oats, 127 acres in l barley, and nine acres in potatoes. Amount of hay cut, about 1000 tons The men are called up at four o'clock in the morning, break fast and get to work little after five, and continued till seven p. m., with one hour at noon for dinner, making nearly thirteen hours of work per day.
 Every facility was afforded for the fullest observation, and it would be difficult to find 1 finer sight than was presented by those mag niticent fields of grain, standing breast high, l and taking on the golden yellow that precedes l the harvest, the top, as far as the eye could reach, aslevel and smooth as great table and when famed by the wind moving in rin