Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-05-11

this Kota is the real valley all Of
which as far as I have seen and from
what I can learn is prairie, nearly
level with slight slope towards the
river and is drained by small streams
and ravines, called coolies, leading
towards the river. The soil in this
valley without almost any exceptions
is a rich black paste resembling some
what the lightest of that part of our
Wood Co. soil found in the northwest
ern part at depth of from three to
six inches; this soil here being lighter
and richer, and from two TO five fee,
deep; under that is a subsoil of a
heavy nature which when exposed to
air and sun will yield as good wheat
as the top soil and can be found 20
( feet deep. I have talked with several
earnest, candid farmers here, some
who have lived and farmed ten
years in the valley and they tell me,
and [ believe they speak truthfully,
that anything put in the ground hall
as we'll as it should be yields beyond
all expectations, though wheat has
been their main crop because of its
great yield, and its adaptation to the
climate, it's certainty (where their
first failure has yet to Gomez and con.
sequently its paying better than any
thing else. Potatoes, bagas, barley,
oats. onions, cabbage and everything
that we can raise in our climate, they
can raise here and with the exception
of corn can double discount the best
land in Wood county. The climate is
colder, the warm season shorter, but
the richness and fertility of the sol
requires less time to grow and mature
crops. I would enjoy living in Wis
consin better then here, were the
chances for a hard working fellow like
myself better to accumulate enough Of
this worlds goods to last me and my
children & forgot haven't any) as
long as | lived and they needed my as
sistance. But such is not the case, a
man with half head and some energy
and by the way this climate is
especially adapted to giving energy
[ am just commencing to discover that
I was lazy. can make ten dollars here
to one there, but [ don't advise any
one to come here broke, there are
plenty of that class here now. /
would especially say to men who have
families unless you have $1,000 stav
home or leave your family there until
you get home here, and it is in shape
to be home, for they do have very
severe winters no doubt and long ones,
fuel and lumber is dear and although
magnificent farming country, they
don't pretend to raise anything Of
what they eat, on the contrary they
sell their wheat and buy everything.
IF you have money you can come in
the spring rent farm raise a crop,
after seeding buy some wild land and
break until harvest and be ready for a
crop next year on your own land.
Winters you will have to be idle or 90
back to the states and not one farm in
twenty that are cropped has winter
buildings on; summer resorts only.
Many come poor and tough it out
three to five years, then are pretty in
dependent, but I would not advise it,
especially with family. Land in the
valley is held from S. to $40 per acre;
back from the valley which is similar
being plain corresponding in highth
with the Kota herein described and
about as level as the valley to the next
Kota similar to first; then up on that
plain and away to the next each grow
ing narrower as you 60 back thinner,
weaker and less productive soil, more
likely to be streaked etc such land
can be bought for prices ranging from
Sc to SO per acre. Government lands
are taken from 20 to 60 miles ahead of
civilization; | mean tree claims, pre-
emptions, homesteads and soldiers
declaritories. There are crowd of
young men and foreigners from Europe
and the Canadas, watching around all
points where there is government
land office that are ready and anxious
to "gobble' the land as fast as it's sur
veyed and in market, most of them
not knowing what they are getting.
These towns are alive with the
ever honest and industrious lawyer,
who will tell you he has "inside" in
formation on a particular claim that is
A No. l his friend saw it while sur
veying, and will for the usual fee of
$40 locate you there, you to pay all
other expenses, including government
fees, and he has one of those left for
each applicant. | have my rights left
yet and can not see that they are of
much benefit. [ will not go it blind for
there is plenty of poor land and if a
person went out and looked up piece
say forty miles from settlement by
time he got back it would be gone. 1t
is far cheaper to buy from railroad
lands or spectators in settled county,
get right to work, pay one fourth
down, balance on time, raise two aver
age crops and pay for it, have some
thing left, and your land worth double
that which your claim would be. There
are people over 100 miles ahead Of the
government survey squatting on land,
Scandinavins principally; they go
ahead and pick out the choicest lands,
stay there and hold them until the
surveyors come, then they have to give
up the land they occupy. If you
come be prepared to buy. Ifyou have