The Northern Pacific farmer., 1882-10-26
A Trip to the Shell River Country.
Four wears AGO. in cOmpanv with


u not paid IN advance. ..................... w
A Trip to the Shell River Country.
-Four years ago, in company with
several others, we started on an ex-
ploring expedition to the then nearly
unknown country beyond the Shell.
After much labor in cutting roads,
part of which is still travelled, we
were forced to turn back on account
of want of provisions, after having
reached point some six miles this
side Of whit is now known as She'll
City. Since that time the country
which was then q wilderness without
a single settler, has been nearly all
taken up, both government and rail-
road land, by Ill excellent class Of
people, who have improved the fer
tile land and made for themselves fine
farms and happy homes. Last Fri
day, in company with County Attor'
ney Couillard, we started again to see
this country under more favorable
circumstances. We followed the old
road to the crossing of the Red Eye
river, at which point we stopped for
dinner with A. Hendrickson, who has
erected house for the accOmmoda-
tion of travellers, and here We ob-
tanned q most excellent dinner.
At this point we first saw what is
known as the State road, upon which
we travelled some fifty rods, and this
distance is the only part of that road
that is travelled, and this, too, after
an expenditure of ST, 200 of the States
money. After passing Mr.. Hendrick'
sons place, the land is not worth
much for farming purposes for some
two miles, when we come into an
open country, which we think is very
good land and will make excellent
farms. OF this there must be several
sections. Beyond this, until We
reach the Shell, there is but little
land that it will pay to cultivate, al
though there are some fine meadows.
| Crossing the Shell. we came to
Shell City, which is very prettily 10.
Gated in bend Of the river, and con.
tains three stores, hotel, saw mill,
and several dwelling houses. There
is also an excellent water power here
but not yet improved. Here VT
passed the night very comfortably
with Bro. Carson, the good-naturet
Boniface of the Shell City Hotel.
Saturday morning we started acros:
the beautiful prairie for Manter
which is situated on Strait river anC
is finely located. It contains one
store, 4 machinery warehouse, hotel
blacksmith shop and quite 4 numbe,
OF dwellings; it is Eve miles from
Shell City. Leaving Manter, we tool
our course northwest through the
woods towards Park kRapids, rever
miles distant. After crossing the
Strait river until we reached the Fish
HOOK river, about FIVE miles. the lanG
is very poor, but after crossing the
river we came out upon a beautiful
| prairie, dotted with farm houses, and
after driving two miles over it, We
came to Park Rapids, a village con.
tanning two stores, a fine new hotel, a
Touring and saw mill situated upon a
splendid water power. and last but
not least, an excellent newspaper,
published by Mr. Cobb, late of Min
neapolis. This was the extreme
point reached by us in our trir--G0
miles by the road we had travelled,
but less than IS miles in direct line
from Wadena.
The men who are located in this
section are enterprising and full Of
push, and with 4 fertile soil, good
timber and water, are bound to sue
ceed in securing the good things of
this world. Among those whom we
met, and who are representative men,
were Frank Rice, of Rice Bros; mil
lers; Mr. Shields, merchant; l:r. Het-
singer, of the Park Rapids Hotel; Mr..
Cobb, editor of the Park Rapids En-
terprise; Mr.. Mobiles, young attor-
ney who has established himself here;
A. J. Jay, a large farmer, and DR..
Cutler. With such men Park Rapids
ought to grow and be heard from. At
MaRter we met Mr.. Jarvis, of the
firm of Jarvis & Ramsey, and Mr..
Todd, owner of the townsite, and
others of the same sort of energetic,
go.ahead citizens. What this people
need is a good road to the railroad
and not the apology they now have te
pass over in order to obtain theil
goods and supplies. The approprla
tion made by the State has been &
laid out as to be of no nse, and it il
necessary to the we'll being of thi'
growing region that they should hav,
better facilities for reaching mar
kof