The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1889-02-21
WEALTH IN ITS BOSOM.
Tic rarto Mountain Region Of Dakota, One Of the Most Fertile in America,
and Botdneau County One Of the Most Prosperous and
HeaNhfal In that RekiOn. If
Increase in 1s Population and the Record Sure to Be
Broken Immigrants Pouring in from Canada and the States
--5tockraising and Manufacturing.

raising {
~ considerable has been written regarding
the :URrL. MorN,AlNs Of Dakota.
~ bu, there still exists more or less
| Doubt and uncertainty as to its extent and
| character and also that OF the country SUR
rounding it aud it is the purpose OF this
article 10 furnish UGH informatin. derived
from personal observation as we'll as from the
! .igures Of the census of 1889, the assessor 8 re-
| will dispel all doubt heretofore entertained
on the subject Of this the most picturesque
| region Of Dakota, for while the Turtle
.iountain region is one Of the best known,
it is at the same time the least known; the
latter because of the fact that the resources
that are in its coal beds, clay pits, stone
quarries, mineral springs and possible iron
mines are rs yet undevcloped.
In respect to that in which il is best
known, it lays claim to superiority because
Of the productiveness Of its soil and the
steady, sturdy character Of its inhabitants.
The best quality of wheat is raised in Bot
tineau county and for which it took the first
premium over all samples of spring wheat
ON exhibition at the New Orleans exposition
Of 1885. 1t is also to be noticed that a
sample Of the Number Ii hard for which
only Dakota is celebrated. which was raised
by John anu David Dinwoodie at the foot OF
these mountains last year, will be sent to
the exposition to be held this year at Paris,
France.
These mountains cover an area Of about
800 square miles-about thirty by fifty
miles-by far the larger portion Of which
being within the limits Of Dakota and wholly
within the counties Of Rolette and Bostineau,
in the extreme northwestern corner Of the
settled portion If the territory in the Devils
lake land district. Several Of these
mountain townships have been surveyed
within tho past two years by s. Surveyor
II. C.. Greene, who in his report recently
made to the land department at Washington
concerning township 1853, range IS, which
he characterizes as the banner tow nship, but
which may be regarded IS a type Of the
whole, gives the following description OF it:
Tn soil in this township Is Of u very good
quality, nearly oil classed hrst-rate anu capa-
Die Of producing magnificent crops. The
surface for the mIsL part IL not T., htlly As
other parts OF the Turtle Mountains; the
highest and toughest part being In the north
.-.-x rrhSx SNhA a nNhr Ak.HN
toward the center, which contains the valley
Of Fish Lake, Duck Lake and Oak Creek: The
township il all in the mountains and has
been covered with fine timbcr-pOpl;tr, oak,
birch and elm, nearly ali Of which has been
killed by fire, though still quite useful tor
building and fuel. This township is we'll
adu covered with rich and nutritious
grasses; the timer affording good shelter !;
and there is no scarcely Ut water as there are
Ia kes contain Gear, fresh water, as well as
many of the larger ponds. Fish Lake., the
largest, extends from near the south side OF
section ID, northwardi into the British possess
siOns: it varies in width from u few chains to
about ~ miles, and Is from IL Ieet "a - feet
deep and abounds with Iine pickerel and
suckers. Good water is also ound in wells
without digging very deep. The township
il being rapidly settled by an Industrious
class Of people, some Of whom have already
quite extensive impr1vements-At present
there are about ffty settlers in this township
whose homes are located in groves of timber.
Various kinds Of small fruit also grows
here in luxuriant abundance.
BoTrINEAu COUNTY.
which takes in the westerly half Of these
mountains has an area of l,1SO square miles
or over 100000 acres, Of which nineteen
townships or 437, 700 Acres have been sur
veyed and 23O, 400 acres have come into
market and Of which nearly $4,000 acres
have been appropriated by settlers under
the land laws, as appears by the rec" DIS of
the land office at Devils Lake. The remain
ing townships surveyed, but not in the
market are rapidly filling up with a hardy,
Industrious class Of settlers chiefly from
Canada. There remain thirteen townships
or. over 300, 1000 acres which lie mostly to
the west and northwest, a distance Of 9
~ or thirty miles, said to be acres of the
highest fertility, which will no doubt he
surveyed the coming season-splendid
opportunities for young men and women
and all who desire to make for themselves
homes in this healthy and happiness pro-,
ducing region. b
TIE Ian Law
Of the United States are very liberal, of
which a synopsis is here below given for
the benefit Of the intending settler:'
Under these laws, every native born male
citizen Of the United States who ia the head
of a family; every male citizen over twenty
one years Of age; every foreign born male
who has declared his intention to become u
citizen and taken the oath OF Allegiance;
every woman who is the head Of q family;
and every unmarried woman twenty one
years Of age, has three ''land. rights thro'
each OF which he or she con acquire l6u
acres Of government land, making 4So acres
in ali ~ follows:
lst-rHE PRESCRIPTIONS. s
BY making bonn-fde settlement upon q quar-
ter secLion (loO acres), within ninety DAYS
local land office, paying an entry ice Of Stand
continuously residing upon and improving
the land for six mt nths thereafter, the claim
months list. tospreve cup Up s nS tue and obtain :
patent, on the payment Of sl.1 per acre. He
has the option Of delaying proving up
Ties upon u~nsurveyed lands, or lands that
have been surveyed and are not yet In mar
ket, he cannot make entry until they are de
clared open to entry. A person who IL
already the owner Of 40 acres Of land In any
State or Territory can MOI make . pre-emp-
ton entry; neither can y pre-emptor make 3
homestead entry until he has proved up ON
his presumption. T." :
$500. 2nd-THE HOMESTEAD. r.
A homestead entry can be made on any lands
10 above upon payment Of Va. Within SIX
months after entry the settler is required "
take up his residence upon the land; M Il
he c.ntinuea to reside upon 1t and tmprDve 1t