Morris tribune., 1889-08-07

productive soil, Stevens county Offer
attractions unequalled. Our county
principally a rolling prairie, we
drained, studded with fine grove:
watered by streams and lakes, an
nearly all available land. The sol
as stated yields, especially under com
petent and careful tillage, crops of al
descriptions, adapted to the climate
in quantity or quality rarely excelled
while the rich grasses, abundance o
water and pasturage, give superior IN
ducements to stock raising and dair.
farm interests.
Now these natural advantages arr
supplemented by
TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES
such as place us within easy and di
rect reach of all the commercial cen
ters, and having direct communication
and by competing lines, with the prin
cipal markets, including lake and riv
er points, we are in q position to take
advantage and have choice of the
most desirable in price and place. Al
extended comment on the desirable
features of direct and competing lines
of road to agricultural communities is
too apparant to need remark, further
| than to say it is an absolute necessity
that Il community must possess these
advantages in order to Il successful
| deyelOpement of its resources. We
have two great trans-continental lines
of road, the st. Paul, Minneapolis &
Manitoba and Northern Pacific traver-
sing our county from north to south
and east and west, and centering at
Norris, the county seat, thus afford
ing unusually desirable transportation
facilities. Both of these lines are
vast systems, having direct connection
with the east and west, and ensures
the lowest traffic rates on produce,
stock, merchandise and machinery.
These lines also traverse the big
Timber" region of Minnesota and
supply this section with abundance of
CHEAP FUEL,
and in this direction this county is es-
pecially favored, as the fuel question
is an important one to settlers on the
prairies. limo section of the prairie
portion of the state are the people
better or more cheaply supplied with
fuel than here.
We have, as is the rule in the west,
a mixed population, composed princi-
pally of Scandinavains, Americans,
Germans, Irish and Scotch, the sever
al nationalities preslominating in the
order named. That most of our farm
ers came here in limited circumstan-
ces, financially, and that. with very
few exceptions, they are prospering,
is evidence of the productiveness of
the soil and testifies to the energetic
and thrifty character of the people.
In fact there is truth in the oft re-
peated assertion that the settlers of
the west are the best and most desira-
BILE of our emigrants; and the intelli-
gence, good morals, progressive spirit
and energy of of the ''brawn and sim
ew" of the average westerner demon
strates that we have in our residents
the most desirable classes.
A word may be very proftably
spoken here with regard to the value
of a practical farming experience on
the part of intended settlers. While
a thorough knowledge of practical
farming as in vogue elsewhere is not
absolutely essential before engaging
in this pursuit in the west, yet 1t is of
great advantage and some practical
experience is necessary. Farming is
not a hap-hazard, go-as-you-please
matter; on the contrary, the same de-
gree of care, judgment, industry and
skill are necessary and essential to
success in this vocation as in any 9TH
er line of business. 1t is true farming
on the prairies is quiet and easy work
compared with the laborious and ted
ious years of toll in timber and rocky
regions, as here the soil is ready for
the plow and the burrows as soon as
made, for the crop; while hay and
pasturage are abundant, yet there
needs to be work, care and judgement
and where experience is added, prog
ress and success are assured; but they
are only q result of patient effort.
Practical farmers and men with some
ready means have no difficulty in
making good living, and money, and
this class of men are the ones we wish
to see come among us. Bonanza farm
ers are not invited, as it is better to
have ten families on one section of
land and the land thoroughly and sue
cessfully titled, than to have one fami-
ly on ten sections of land, rendered
nnproductive by careless, 'cut and
cover by the square mile" farming.
Land can be bought at from IS and
upward per acre from the railroad
company, and some good farms are
now to be had at reasonable figures
from nonresident owners. The price
depends on distance from railroad
station, as well as on the quality of
soil, but on the latter point there is
but little choice, as the soil in this vi
cinity is very similar. Desirable
lands on favorable terms can be OBJ
tanned now; probably at present the
| opportunity is the most favorable for
investments, as the present prospects
of the most enormous crops in the
history Of the county will doubtless
have tendency to raise prices in this