The Dickinson press., 1889-02-16
THE RESOURCES OF STARK COUNTY.
An Interesting Letter From Il Former
Citizen.

hlloN III lilC lVtlNOIIs i HWY OllSll NpIl-
dered why certain towns and localities
were ''boomed," and that wonder has
been the greater us the place and its
surroundings presented the lesser
natural advantages. This mystery
was solved the other day: l was APP
preached by a representative of the
Pioneer Press, who, as an inducement
for my subscription, assured HE that
if two hundred subscribers were Sc.
cured. the city, in which l am tenn
porarily stopping, would he noticed
and advertised daily. This bit of in
formation cleared the mystery, and
took the sincerity out of the articles
l read eXtolling the advantages which
nature and art have bestowed upon
the locality "hoomed." 1t also occur
red to me that | had seen little or
nothing regarding Dickinson and
Stark county i'll the great daily papers
Of st. Paul or Minneapolis. My heart
being so full of the good things which
nature has bestowed upon these places.
l feel constrained to write a few lines
that l may be relieved of the high
pressure of enthusiasm which l now
carry. My enthusiasm is as much the
result of my personal observation of
places and things, which l saw last
fall on my trip to the Pacific, as it is
from the knowledge obtained 10y five
years or more of residence in Dickin-
son. In my journey, l found 10 place
in which Il person with Il small capital
can secure quicker and better returns
cause the Land can be broken and II
good crop produced the same year.
Because it contains especial climatic
advantages for stock raising; the buff
alo grass curing on the ground makes
the best of feed for cattle on the
range; it being we'll and bountifully
supplied with water, and the chinook
winds, melting the snow, so that the
grass is always accessible to stock,
and without the care of feeding, the
cattle are always in fine condition for
market. All kinds of cereal products
can he raised, and corn grows and III
pens equally as we'll us in southern
Minnesota. With these advantages.
almost unlimited opportunities are
offered to the industrious; by increase
of stock. by creamery business, and
by general and mixed farming. |
wish to make Especial mention of the
creamery and cheese business. The
unusual facility for raising stock. and
the great amount of cream producing
properties contained in the buffalo
grass, which is the prevailing grass of
this part of Dakota, produces, by ac-
tual experiment, butter and cheese.
which for %cheapneSs of production,
flavor and color, cannot be eql,allcd
by that produced by amy tame, or
other wild grass known.
Another great advantage is the
quantity and ease with which Ignite
coal can he procured. About the only
cost is the loading and hauling of it.
And as it crops out all along the Heart
river. in bluffs and other places, even
this expense is merely nominal. Til s
pn.tl 1T * hnnIIlnsc tl add ,rtt1, t1,n
stoves manufactured for its conslmp.
ton. produces II heat equal to that oh.
tanned from wood or anthracite coal.
In enumerating the various alvanta-
gcs of the. county, | must not forget
the thriving village of Dickinson, sit.
uated in the midst of Il fertile farming
country. it possesses all the resources
of growth and prosperity possessed by
any town on the line of tho Northern
Pacific Railroad, and, added to this, is
the location of the railroad company's
shops, which pay to its employees
monthly from ten to fifteen thousand
dollars. SO far as L have seen, more
buildings have been erected in Dick.
inson during the past year than al
Mandan or Bismarck, or jamestown
or Valley City, or even Fargo, the
metropolis of North Dakota. | am
free to confess that when | first began
to live at Dickinson, | felt a strong
prejudice against the whole of STARK
county, but as the days, months and
years went by, each in its turn unfold
ing before me untold resources an(
unsupported wealth. l changed my
mind.
i. On my trip west | saw hundreds OF
elnigIantS, who had ventured all they
possessed to find Il new home, but dis
couraged and disheartened many re
traced their steps. and others, les:
fortunate. in having no money will
which to return, cursed the day they
ever left their eastern home. ] felt
and now feel sure that if these same
persons had stopped in Stark county
the result would have been, in Il great
measure, much different. Stark coun
ty needs no two hundred subscriber!
to boom her, she ;speaks for herself
And the time is not far distant whel
those east, who are seeking Il western
home, will make this rich and fertil,
spot their destination. l don't know
but | have presumed upon your yalua
BILE space, but my sincerity in what
had to say, kept my pen so busy tina
space was not thought Of until l wa:
ut its end. In looking over the arti
Gle | am unable to decide which par
ought to cut, and so l shall b'
obliged to leave it for you to do TIN
trimming. Yours truly,
E j. c. THOMPSON.