Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-05-24
LETTER FROM DAKOTA.
FARGO, CAss Co., MAY 4, 1880.

life here upon writing again; but as
yet, have seen none of them excepting
those common to all places in the spring
season, such as rain and mud. The
mud of this county is of peculiar
quality, deep, very sticky, and almost
impossible to remove from any article
till after several days drying. The
wind blows nearly all the time and often
harder than in the East; though not
nearly so hard as in Kansas and some
of the states farther south. What, in
the past few weeks have been cyclones,
Nso destructive to life and property
in those states, have only been strong
winds with rain or snow here, doing no
damage. The weather in winter is cold
and windy, but the atmosphere is so
dry that the cold does not produce the
chilliness usual in places bordering on
large bodies of water, in fact, covered
portions of the body will scarcely feel
the cold when the face, hands, and ex-
posed places will sting smartly with it,
and at temperature that would be very
uncomfortable in New England. The
summers are correspondingly hot as well
as some of the spring, the thermometer
having now stood at 80 degrees in the
shade for several days.
The water although better than in the
Western states is not the pure and
sparkling spring water of Vermont;
but, no doubt, will be much better than
it now is, as soon as the wells are dug
and curbed with care.
Lumber is very high and as result
it costs great deal to build as large
and elegant houses and out-buildings as
are common in Vermont; but much of
the cost of lumber is due to the expense
of freightlng, which it is hoped will be
remedied by the completion of one of
two railroad extensions which will be
done this summer, making competing
line with the Northern Pacific, which is
now slightly exhorbitant in its charges.
Another source of unpleasantness is
the lack of room. While many of the
houses and hotels are large there are not
half enough of them to accommodate the
the inhabitants and people arriving
every day, and it seems as though the
more are built, the more arrivals there
are
Cass County is pretty well settled
and but little government land remains,
but plenty can be obtained in counties
south and west, the land office being
located here, and in counties north whose
land office is at Grand Forks but large
quantities of both wild and improved
land are for sale in this county at low
prices and on long time. The govern
ment land can be obtained by pre-emp-
tioD, homestead and tree-culture entry.
Heads of families, widows or sim
gle persons (male or female) over
twenty-one can pre-empt l60 acres by
settlement, and the payment, after six
months and within one year, of Sl.25
per acre, if outside railroad limits
(Which are for forty miles on each side
or $3.50 per acre if within railroad
limits and showing an actual residence
, during the time and, that habitable
dwelling has been erected and other i'm
, provements made to the satisfaction of
the land officers.
!. A homestead is taken by payment Of
, a fee of SIS within, and Sl4 without
, railroad limits for 100 acres and actual
, settlement and cultivation for five years.
: Under the tree culture laws l60 acres
devoid of timber can be taken upon pay.
ment of $14, No residence is required
; on a tree-claim, but the claimant must
, break five acres during the first year
r after entry. During the second year a
second five acres must be broker
and the first five cultivated to crop
During the third year the second five
must be cultivated to crop and the first
five planted with trees-making ter
5 acres to be planted with trees in foul
years, which if in good condition at the
t end of eight years, entities the entran
! to patent. During these eight years
: he can cultivate and crop as much of the
/; 16O acres as he chooses, and the law
. of Dakota exempt it from taxation during
!. that time. The same person can taxi
: both tree claim and homestead O
d pre-emption, thus securing 800 acres o
r the incest farming land in the world fo
r comparatively nothing, the cost of tn
! trees being small and the first crop pay
e ing for both cultivation and tree planting
= = If farmers and laboring men in Yer
d mont realized the advantages of thi
h territory for farming and the cheapnes
a of procuring 800 acres of land just llk
! the richest garden in that state, I ar
d sure many of those of limited mean
g would do as thousands in Michigan
Ell Iowa, Wisconsin, and Southern Min
Il nesota are doing, sell out for what the
4. can get and come to Dakota regardles
of the unpleasant things not experience