Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-02-21
LETTER FROM DAKOTA.
FARGO, ID. T., February II, ~.

TAhfO, IL. L =, rtOIuiIy ~ ~.
ED. NoRTHwEST:-Acc to n
promise that / would enlighten your
readers as to the real situation in North
Dakota, ] will now proceed to grind out
an alapathic dose, using for my raw
materials the productions, and prices
thereof, of North Dakota and those of
Northwestern Ohio, and shall try by
judicious comparison to cOncoct a COM
pound that by close application to af-
fiicted parts will warrant to cure any
ordinary.case of Dakota fever.
The main product Of this country,
and the grand hobby horse astride of
which the boomers ride forth to meet
the host of emigrants, commonly called
tenderfeet, is wheat. This staple is adj
vertised extensively in flaming colors
throughout the United States and Eu-
ropean countries, as the hinge upon
which the world hangs, and the North
west territories, especially Dakota, as
the post to which this mighty hinge is
screwed. Railroad depots, hotels, sa-
looms, lamp posts, board fences and ev-
cry other immaginable place where an
advertisement can be stuck, the coun-
try over, are adorned with richly col
ored streamers and cards setting forth
the glories of Dakota as wheat pro-
ducing country. The family newspa-
per is often filled with "letters from Da-
kota" in which the smoothly gliding
pen of the writer portrays in high
sounding language the wonderful pro-
ductiOns of Dakota soil, and their pen
pictures are almost invariably immense
granaries of No. / hard, incased in
frames of greenbacks, gold and silver.
These letters either emminate from the
brains of men whose presence in re-
spectacle communities would almost
breed contagion, or the atmosphere has
a wonderful effect on the imagination.
Thirty-five, forty and even fifty bushels
per acre is often advertised as an aver
age yield. A yield of this kind, am
prepared to prove, should occasion de-
mand it, has never been realized except
in the Imagination of the boomer The
past harvest is admitted, by the Oldest
residents of the Red River valley and
North Dakota, to have been the best
ever reaped in this section, and the av-
erage yield'is, according to the most re-
liable information, less than Is bushels
per acre. 1t is also stated by these un-
scrupulOus individuals that the largest
bulk of the wheat produced in this
northwestern country, and more par.
ticularly the Red River valley, grades
No. hard. To this statement | can
furnish affidavits that not one-third OF
the crop of 1888 will grade No. hard
and the great bulk of it grades No.
straight and is not worth in this mar.
ket, or at any of the elevators on rail.
roads penetrating the country, within
80 cents per bushel, as much as the No
2 red of Henry county production. In
your issue of Feb. you quote wheat al
IS cents apd 81. On the same date No
hard was quoted at IS cents in thi.
market, difference between your low
est grade and the highest grade here o
II cents per bushel in favor of the Hen
ry county wheat. The boomer Il ust
the term boomer because it is one o
F purely western significance) when me
face to face with this argument vii
bring in his pernicious statements tina
the difference in price is more than off
set by the greater yield and the smalle
cost of producing than in the stale ole
timber countries. If there is any virtue
in my statements above the yield busi
ness is exploded; and as to the cost O
raising crop have not "reckoned m,
host without counting the cost thereof
and am loaded according to the emerg
ency. The Henry county farmer cal
hire his laborers at from SIS to $40 pc
month and get his harvest hands TO
not to exceed $3.50 per day; the Dakot
farmer has to pay from $50 to $50 pc
month and not less than $3.50 per da.
+ during harvest for his men. The Mau
NEE valley farmer raises his own meat
. makes his own butter, and is no
obliged to pay out half his income 70
fuel. The Dakota farmer buys all hi
provisions except his bread and potatoe
and few summer vegetables; he ais
pays from 81 to $40 per cord for hi
wood or SO to $14 per ton for his coal
and in consideration of the fact that tn
1 winters last from September to June
you will readily conclude that it takes
pretty large pile of No. hard to NEE
the cost of keeping warm. Add to thes
positive differences in the expenses an
: profits of farming the comforts of livin
i, in temperate climate where there
: something to feast the eyes upon asid
8 from flat, stale prairie; strike differ
{ ence and you have large percentage i
q favor of Henry county. Another obje(
q ton have to this country is that tn
e majority of the people here is made u
: of the most clanish foreigners that eve
s set foot ON American sod, and the Dem
q ocratic party may justly congratulate
u itself with the fact that they (the sal
0 foreigners) drink raw alcohol and a
h most invariably vote the Republica
n ticket, and they are SO repulsive to tn
o Germans and Irish that if by some cor
+ vulsion of nature or other unavoidabl
J. act of providence, one of their nationa
ity should appear on a Democratic ticl
ct all Ireland would vote solid Republ
can, Germany ditto. Dakota has som
virtues, but they are invisible to tn
naked eye, and the weather is too col
for field work with microscope. Sh
: likewise has some vices which l hav
! not enumerated, but having alread
g g occupied considerable space, | lsubscrih
= myself, yours, overfiowing with Dakot
l. | .xtL,,;oe,,, " TT