The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-12-28

| Iceuit Is 6Olt WdtoI. xucE0 10 I'LL 6Eto'
sian well near here that guslles brine III
which skins can be tanned. A butcher
in Pembina has bored and produced
water so strong that gallon oft deposit
ed over a quart of salt. So the people
depend upon surface water gathered by
wells, and it is very good 80 far as it goes
Hard coal costs $3.50 a ton. but there
is to be found all through Dakota, a ma
tive Ignite coal which is suited for large
factory furnaces only. 1t can be bought
foy $l.75 q ton at the mines, but is moi
used much in Pembina.
The farmers here are gradually getting
into stock raising. which is 80 profitable
in other parts of the territory. Every.
where is to be found wild hay. and or
the side of the hills which lie west Of
here is an abundance of short buffalo
grass, which iatten better that grain and
cures on the stalk in winter, go than herds
can find their own feed. All around
this country there is good home mar.
ket for beef and mutton.
A man does not need to be a farmer to
start in OIL these prairies. He can pick
j. up in u very short time. There is a
very little mixed farming done, and the
one thing which settler has to learn
is to handle plough and harrow. A
mechanic can leave the crowded east
and come out here OH an equal basis ale
most with u farmer.
But world 1t be wise for him to do it?
That depends on several things. First.
he must be man with courage, strength,
perseverance and the ability to stand
hardship and disappointment at first.
then he must have some capital. Of
course you can find men all around Penn
bina who came here eight or ten years
ago with no capital but the clothes on
their backs and their strong bodies WHO
are now comparatively rich. But hun
drcds have failed. A man who comes
here with too little money will have to
borrow cash for stock and seed and
house. Perhaps he will have TO borrow
something to make up large enough
sum to get the proper kind Of farm.
For this money he will have to pay from
twenty-four to fifty per cent. He will
have to mortgage everything he has or
expect to have, down to the baby's cradle.
If the frost bligl,ts his crop he is ruined.
Then he has to give mortgages for farm
Implements.
TIA man does not want to buy the
land he can lease farm. If the land.
lord furnishes the seed he gets one half
of the crop. Ifthe tenant furnishes the
seed the landlord only gets one third.
l have seen on the prairie around
here farms on which settlers are living
in mere kennels. 1t is their first year
aud they had to stand the hardship till
the crop was raised. Some OF them
made money enough to begin to put up
houses and harms, others were heavily
in debt.
should say that man ought to have
from $1,000 to $500 when he strikes
this region to settle. He can get farm
for anywhere from $500 to 5000, but he
ought to have enough to get farming i'm.
plements and live stock and to put up a
house and barn. Besides this he should
have a surplus upon which to live
through one or two bad seasons. The
man who comes in any other way is
tempting Providence. The winters ar g
hard and there is much risk about start.
ing life here, but take it all in all there
are great opportunities on the prairies
for rugged, persevering men. A man
who has lived i'll Pelnbina ten years is
called an old settler.
"What opportunities are there for a
man with capital in this place." l said
to a prominent citizen.
"He could start u lumber mill and get
his pine logs from the Clearwater River.
Lumber brings SIS thousand feet here
A man could make fortune in a short
time"
"What opening do you see for capital?'
said to Lawyer Kneeshaw.
"Thcre is room for a Irvine factory
big money in it."
"What chance do you see for capital
st::" was the question put to Banke
Booker.
1.-The most profitable thing I know O
out here is to lend money on chatte
mortgage. and farm property. A maj
can get eight or ten per cent secured b!
property worth seven or eight times til,
amount of the loan."
So it goes. There is room for mel
: with money everywhere. A man VIII
has q few thousand dollars can find on
> portunities to safely invest it at a larry
Z prof. almost as soon as he strikes tn
region.
As for men without any money at al
3 the plain truth is that this is no plac
. for them unless they are prepared for
long and perhaps bitter struggle.
Tie people of Pembins are the mos
!. picturesque folks in the country. Thin
of q town hlled with rustic Canadians-
French, English aud scotch-Frencl
5 half.breeds, Icelanders, Norwegians an
odds and ends Of Southern people. The.
3 roam around tile streets clad in q mon
strous shaggy coats Of goat skin, bufasl
skin, dog skin and oil the manner Of fur
sl,roudiny huge bodies. upheld by gaud
} leggings aud moccasins. Now you ca
! see the swarthy visage, cleaning eye
t and straight coal black hair of hall
/. breed, aud the next moment ? fair hairs,