The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-09-01
OUR WESTERN CORRESPONDENCE.
CARLTON, BARNES Co.,
DAKOTA. AnO IL 1891

may not individuals have good ones |
also, and yet fail to meet their engage
ments? This court promised to give his
opinions of the crops, and improvements,
&C., &C., of this section for last weeks
ENTERPRISE, but owing to illness had TO
defer it. 1t is not yet two years since
there was not an acre of land west of
Tower City and east of Valley City taken
as homesteads or preemptions. Tree !.
claims were taken, (Oct. %, 1872 to be
had about ten miles north of this locality
in Tower 142, Range 90 w, since which
time these timber or tree claims have
receeded at the rate of two and half
miles per month, until Eow either north
or south of the N. r. r. R., none are to
be had at less than fifty. Many have
changed at a premium from twenty-five,
to four and five hundred dollars, accord
ing to location and desirability. Home
steads and preemptions can be located
on Government lands at fifteen miles
north and south. They also change
hands, but the man who sells out his
claim in any class cannot enter other
ones 10 take tnelr place.
When I selected tree claim eleven
miles north of this point in November
1879, there was no sign of Improvement
excepting the military road from Fort
Abercombie to DEVILS Lake, which road
we crossed while prospecting for said
claim. Nothing but an ocean of prarie
on every hand. No shrub, grass, tree,
or water to change the monotony of the
ride. Antelope came about us snuffing
the breeze, then flying away as if fright
ened by our presence, making wide de-
tours and coming up again on another
quarter, only to take another race, fl
nally being lost to view by their getting
among the depressions in the prarie. A
ten mile ride is typical of large sec
ton for many miles east and west,
north and south, the land being all
gently undulatiug, instead of the level
prarie like Illinois or Indiana.
Since arriving here, 1 have been far
North and South, and am surprised at
the improvement and progress made
since my first visit. Settlements extend
as far north as thirty miles, and south
about the same. Settlers shanties dot
the prarie in every direction, looking
lonely enough, miles apart, yet many
can be seen from any point. The first
breaking was done last year, and of
course, this season is in wheat - the
great staple of this territory. 1t is be-
lieved that fully five. thousand bushels
will be shipped from Carlton this fall.
This season an immense amount of
prarie has been broken and will be in
crop next year. One cannot ride in any
direction without seeing from five to
five hupdred acres in one piece-close
together; the smaller amounts are sim
ply to comply with the requirements
of the law in order to hold these. Many,
however, break $40 acres at once, but
they are not always settlers. BY the
way, one mile square of land is simply
an enormous field. Come out and go
over a mile square, either on foot or with
team ;examine it carefully as if intend
ing to purchase, and you will get new
idea as to It's magnitude. Even paltry
1t became my pleasant duty to walk
around and across a field of 110 acres OF
wheat land, the crop having been har-
vested. 1t was half a mile long and liz
rods wide. 1t makes a very cheerful
walk for a man of moderate vitality
say before be has been to breakfast
But if a quarter section is a fair sized
farm, what shall we say of the Dairy
mple's, .Grandin's, Steele's, and other
farms, ranging all the way from two
thousand toseventy-five to thousand acres
With my well known keen sight, 1 tried
to glance across the Williams of thou
sand acres, all in wheat, and would you
believe it, 1 could not do ir where then
would be on the Dalrymple? Echo
answers-sslost." Poor men come into
this country with no money, and little
. else, perhaps their whole worldly effects
including wife, babies, household goods
etc, all il one wagon, owning two span
of horses or oxen. They preempt OF
J homestead quarter section, and take 6
timber claim, build 14x16 shanty, anG
90 to breaking for some one, who car
| hire, making from three to five dollars
ting, burning back the sod) putting VI
hay, &C., &C., earning enough t0carry
him through, If he have money ol
material he breaks for himself, mex
5 season reaping the benefit. We have &
: character who came into Carlton some
time since with this inscription on hi:
wagon cover:
, ''In God we trust,
Dakota or bust.
Upon his arrival In this land of golden
: promise he had just twenty cents il
! cash, got trusted for his lodging and
e other expenses at this very house, anC
Immediately located a fine claim nearby
, and went to work energetically, anC
|, has harvested one hundred acres o.
i wheat this season. Nor did he have {
full outfit of teams, and had to buy or
credit. I am informed that he will bt
b out of debt in thirty days, and have hi;
4 farm in good shape for the season of 1882
1t may be proper to state that his name
' is Lafayette Beede, well known as g
! prompt, reliable, thorough farmer
o Success attend Beede, and all others o.
+ his stamp.
a Harvesting is almost over, all thu
early sown grain is in shock or stock
Threshing has commenced, and loads o
b. new wheat are already in market at {
n fair price. The price to-day is SO cts. a
y this elevator. The yield averages abou
twenty bushels per acre, although this
q has been a very dry season, along IN
= the Red River Valley, east of here, th'
!. yield is less, regardless of the wind useC
to initiate the number of bushels per acr'
by the Fargo papers, and the reason i
: that the rolling prarie Is ready for seed
t ing, when the fiat lands of the valley
t are covered with water that has no out
4 / laf hnt nnnSt soak intO the earth o.
Q coolies.
g GLn.oh soruinn mas held Mt Carltn