The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-12-18
From Dakota.

the use Of the columns Of your valuable paper
to answer many inqulring letters from the
readers of the FREE TRADER. also promised
many friends in La Sale county that | would
let them hear from me at the end of the season
o! 1880, | have spent one year ia this Red
River Valley. | am located miles south OF
New Buffalo station, and 80 miles west of
Fargo Cass county, Dakota Ter. This coun
try is settling very fast. The settlers (most OF
them are from Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan
Minnesota and Canada They are very quiet
law.abiding citizens and good neighbOrs. We
have had a great emigration IN the valley this
past season, and | am aware that 1t has been
well advertised, and you continue to see IN
the papers glowing accounts of the Golden
Northwest" or some similar name they have
given this valley. The old saying is a good
thing cannot be taken of too much. There IS
plenty Of land for all and all seem to be salts
fled with the country. Plenty of work and
good wages for all who will come and make
their homes with US. No one can appreciate
the Improvements that are gong on in this
valley. 1t seems as if a great army were
marching into the valley. One year ago there
was not over 800 acres of broken land IN crops
within the nelghbOrhood of New Buffalo, but
this past season there has been broke within
this range $4,000 acres ready for crops next
season. The towns on the line are also grow
ing very rapidly. Fargo, the county seat, is
promising young city of four years and has
;,I,o Mon loft lnCgn1fNn
Wheatland, New Buffalo and Tower City are
lively business towns on the line Of the North
ern Pacific railroad in Cass county. The
eastern part of the county has been under cul.
tivation from three to five years and has never
had failure except on the low, flat lands
where it would be too wet for any crops In
the neighborhood of Glendon and Fargo, and
down the river on both sides, IS where the flat
lands lie These flats are rich lands, but
they are not as sure for crops as little higher
land, where every harvest brings its average
crop of wheat barley, oats, etc. and all kinds
of root crops in abundance. 1t IS a very
healthy climate. The summers are not ex.
tremes OF heat and cold wet and dry, as IN
Illinois, but we have clear dry atmosphere
most of the time, and have plenty of rain for
the crops. The winters are somewhat cold
and clustering. The last winter of 1879 and
1880 set in with II snow storm on Dec. Z and
continued for three days-what we call bllz
zard. They are hard storms, but have seem
some very near as bad in Illinois. We had
steady cold from Dec. It'll to March LIST, with
once in awhile blizzard Good sleighlng all
winter.
The crops generally cultivated are wheat
barley, oats and flax, and all kinds Of root
crops. 1t is too cold for Indian corn to grow
Wheat, barley and fax are the marketable
crops in general The wheat crop IN this
neighborhood will average about IS bushels
per acre, and some will go as high as 30
bushels per acre. Oats about 40 to As bushels
per acre
The entire cost of growing, harvesting
threshing and marketing grain is as follows
on an average crop:
Wheat, per bushel, 4G cents.
Barley, per bushel 80 cents.
Oats, per bushel, 10 cents.
Flax seed, per bushel, IS cents.
New Buffalo, is as follows:
No. /, hard wheat, so cents.
Oats, No 2, 80 cents.
Barley, No. 2, So cents.
Lumber-Common boards short timbers,
fencing, etc, SIT to $40 per thousand. Floor
ing, siding and clear lumber, from s25 to $50
per thousand
Brick, per thousand, Sl2.
We have good market to St. Paul, Mime
apolis and Duluth; 800 miles TO each place by
railroad. Frelghts are high at present, but
we have good prospects for two other roads.
One Is almost complete now this far, and will
cross the Cheyenne in the spring.
We are well supplied with water, bat | can
not say that like it. Most all of it is alkal
water. 1t seems to be good healthy water, but
1t has a disagreeable taste and smell.
There have been several land spectators
here from La Sale county who have bought
and in the valley. Some have made very
good selections; Others bave not. would ad
wise those who bought insight and unseen to
look at their land next time, for some land is
too flat and others has too much sand and
rock.
There is not any government land IN this
neighborhOod now; it Is all taken but it can
be got 20 miles back. Wild land Is worth
from s. to IS per acre here. Farm hands are
getting from $50 to S25 per month. Day
hands in harvest, So per day; threshing $175.
PERSONAL.
Perhaps some of your readers would like to
know how l and my family like the country.
We all have good health and are strong and
hearty far more so than when in Illinois,
We like the country very much, and do
not see anything to make us homeslcK yet.
took up 800 acres of government land
.l,o.. L