St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-07-14
TURTLE MOUNTAIN REGION
Remarkable Development nf a Country
That Has No Railroad Yet.
HOW CANDo GOT ITS NAME.
But Railroads Are Soon to Be There and
the Great Resources Of the Coun-
try Will Be Utilized.
Special Letter to the Globe.

Although this section of the great
Northwest may not be accurately de-
fined as new country, yet it is not
ancient and effete, as the first settlers
located here about six years ago. Then
the nearest railroad point was Grand
Forks, 100 miles distant. Subsequently,
by the extension of the great st. Paul,
Minneapolis Il Manitoba line to DEVILS
lake, the people of st. John and vicinity
were brought within about eighty miles
OF market and rail transportation.
That was better than nothing, yet the
lack of easy and rapid communication
with eastern points hindered greatly
the growth and settlement of this fertile
region. Now, however, we are to have
railroad at our doors, and are rejoic-
ing heartily over the early completion
of the st. John & Cando branch of the
st. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba rail-
way, which extends from Church's
Ferry to this place, distance of little
over sixty miles, traversing the coun-
ties of
TOWNER AND ROLETTE,
opening up for further settlement and
stock country.
There is in Towner county nearly
ESQ., 600 acres of land, nearly all tillable,
while Rolette county comprises an area
OF 500 square miles, containing 576,000
acres. This large area of land is in the
Devils Lake land district, and while
considerable portion has been filed upon
thousands of acres of good farming land
are yet available for settlement under
the presumption, homestead and timber
culture acts. Seven townships in the
eastern part of Towner county are un-
surveyed; the balance is all in market.
Now that the railroad is an assured
fact, the land will be more rapidly taken
up and this region enter on new
ERA OF PROSPERITY.
To a people living 50 or 100 miles
from railroad the advent of the iron
horse is an event of no small impOr-
lance. Grading is nearly finished, and
tracklaying already begun.
Leaving the main line of the Manitoba
road at Church's Ferry, the line runs
due north to Cando, a distance of four
teen miles. CandO is the county seat of
TOwner county and derives the name
from remark made by one Of the
county commission when the subject of
locating the county seat was under dis
cusSiOn.
One of the commissioners was pro-
testing against it's location at this point.
frequently using the expression You
can't do it,
You'll see what we can do" replied
Jim Connella, another commissioner,
who came to TOwner county. after serv-
ing year or more under the tuition of
Maj. Edwards. of the Fargo Argus, and
who was therefore not easily thwarted
by a little opposition. So the county
seat was located at this point and the
TOWN WAS CALLED CANDO.
From here the road runs northwest
erly for about fOrty-five miles to ST.
John, prettily situated town on the
eastern slope of the Turtle mountains.
Two towns are to be plated at once be-
tween Cando and st. John, and with
the excellent farming country tributary
tial and prosperous places.
ST. JOHN
is the county seat of R0ette county and
has at present a population of about 200.
This is the noted Turtle mountain coun-
try, region unsurpassed for diversified
farming, equally we'll adapted for stock
and grain. Here we see illustrated the
fact that there is considerable immigra-
ton from John Bulls domain to the
country of the stars and stripes, and we
know OF no one returning for perma-
nent stay. st. John is only three miles
from the boundary line, and majority
of the settlers in this section came from
the province of Manitoba and Canada.
South and west of this point is situated
the Turtle Mountain
INDIAN RESERVATION,
comprising two townships. with some
1890 Indians and half-breeds, in the
proportion of one Indian to seven
breeds, showing that the noble red man
is gradually fading away by getting
mixed up with his white brethren.
The population in this vicinity is
largely composed of French, English
and Scotch Canadians, the French ele-
ment predominating. There are some
NOrwegianS. and a Sprinkling of native
born citizens OF the United States; so
one occasionally, though seldom, hears
the English language
AS SHE IS SPOKE.
Near st. John and Cando there are
was raised last year. Next year the
acreage will be largely increased. Crops
of all kinds are looking finely.
Stock raising can be profitably con-
Quoted, as there is abundant pasturage;
hay can be put up with but little ex-
penSe. water is plentiful; and the timber
in and about the Turtle mountains, and
along the small streams, affords good
shelter from wind and storm.
Two years ago the Manitoba road
built branch line from Rugby juno
ton to Bottineau, distance of forty
miles, which has proved profitable
feeder, and the CandO and st. John
branch will bring in even more revenue.
These two lines will materially assist in
the development of the famous Turtle
mountain country, and be potent fac
tors in making this section become rich