Morris tribune., 1886-03-31
ON the Real Estate Register.
STEVENS COUNTY.
It's Resources, Development,
Transportation Facil-
tiles, Etc, Etc.

1t mas, OF course, tuS SAME Cieai, uiS
and invigorating climate that is so
well-known to be common to the state
at large and its soil is of ineXhausti-
BILE fertility. In the county there are
sixteen townships and an area of~576
square miles. Nature has done as
much if not more for this county than
for any other in the state. First, it is
we'll watered. The Pomme de Terre
river runs through the county in a
southwesterly direction furnishing eX-
eellent water power and with its trib-
utary lakes is exceedingly valuable.
The soil is peculiarly adapted to di-
versified farming, producing abund-
ant crops of wheat, oats, barley, corn
and other kinds of grain as we'll as
hay, vegetables, etc. In fact every
thing that n skillful farmer cares to
raise can be cultivated here TO advan-
tage. The drainage Is we'll nigh per-
feet and crops do we'll in either wet or
dry seasons.
ut hESl SSIJlC1S IISAS III ASOc
and new settlers have been arriving
each season from that time till now,
the greatest rush of immigration be-
ing during the. seventies. There are
townships in which the Germans pre-
dominate, others the Scandinavians,
others the Irish, and Americans are
to be found everywhere. The people
as whole are educated and refined,
full of aggressive energy and have ac-
complished wonders. Comfortable
homes and well-established and we'll
conducted schools are to be found in
all parts of the county; churches have
been established, roads and bridges
made and people coming here now
share the benefits of these labors and
are at once in the full enjoyment of
all the advantages of older settled
communities. The present popula-
tion is about 5000. Ont of the $50, 1886
acres of land in the county, 1S5, ,169
acres are taxable and are worth over
100000 The personal property is
valued and 100000. The value of the
personal property and the taxable and
untaxable land together will aggre-
gate nearly $6,000,OO0. Some of this
untaxable land is held by the railroad
companies and the balance still be-
longs to the government. Much of it
is occupied and more and more Of it
is becoming taxable each year.
This county is remarkably we'll sup
piled with transportation. facilities.
The st. Paul, Minneapolis & Manito-
ba railway intersects the county from
the southeast to the northwest corner.
The Little Falls and Dakota railway
"a branch of the Northern Pacific) has
its present terminus in Morris, the
county seat. The st. Cloud and Lake
Traverse railway, running to Browns
Valley, also has its eastern terminus
in Morris and at least two other lines
are projected which will probably be
built in the near future. One, the
Morris & Southwestern, running from
Morris southwest through Dakota
Nebraska and Kansas, and the other
the Fergus Falls, Morris & Appleton
which will run through the places id
dicated by its name, and connecting
with the Milwaukee system. Thus il
will be seen that this county has di
rect outlet to Duluth, st. Paul ant
Minneapolis, and it will soon have tt
Chicago. These competing lines O
road are valuable in many ways
They insure lower freight rates, high.
.er prices for all kinds of farm produce
and lower prices for fuel and all kinds
of merchandise than are possible
where such advantages do not exist
The market facilities are excellent
Excellent markets for all farm pro
duce have been established and ar,
maintained at Morris, Hancock, Don
nelly and Clearfield, and especially il
this true of Morris, the county seat
In these places. there are a total o
eight elevators and warehouses with
combined capacity of $780, 900 bushels
There are large mercantile establish
ments and well-founded banks, capa
BILE of extending to farmers and 9th
ers any financial aid that may b
needed. Unlike many western local
tiles there is a market for everything
not wheat alone, but for live stock
dairy prodocts, vegetables, and in fac
all that farmers haye to sell.
Farming lands, although cOntinu
ally advancing In price, can still b
bought at low figures. The equity o
right of entry of some of the settler
on government lands can be pur
chased at merely nominal prices
Improved or unimproved farms be
longing to private parties and rail
road lands are for sale on favorabI
terms. There are also indemnit,
lands, which it is thought will b
thrown open for settlement. In this
as in every other new county, som
of the early settlers were not practica
farmers, and because of lack of in
dustry. general Indifference, extrava
gance, purchase ofstarm machiner
beyond their capital or requirements
or other similar reasons have failed
Their farms, or many of them, ma
now be purchased at cost but littl
exceeding the value of Improvement
made. Present conditions are sue
that. exceptional opportunities ar
here to be found for purchasing valu
able farms at low figures, and no pei
son wishing to establish a home il
the west, should fail to examine wha
this county has to offer before locat
ing elsewhere.
In this article 1t may not be out &
place to include one paragraph con