The Arkansaw traveler., 1889-06-29
cHURCH's FERRY, DAKOTA.
The Spor sman's E dorado.

Did you ever hunt "honkers7" No? We'll You don't know what genuine sport is To the sportsman whose pcnchant Is for aquatic fowl there ts nothing that will send his blood bounding through his veins At A more ra pid gait, nor bring more joy to his heart, than to and ncld for his favorite sport where he may bc assured of geese and ducks galore. To such. Church's Ferry, \. Dah.. A thrifty three year old village on the St. r. M. X M R. R the largest town west of Devils Lake City. is the center of what has proved to bc their feeding. ground. To the north of the town are . chain Of lakes, which ts. in fact, but the widening of the "Mauvaise" Coulee, VI hich drains the Tur. tie m mountAin region into Devils Lake. These lakes are surrounded by vast wheat fields, and from the nrst week in October to the mid. dle of November ths region seems to attract all the geese and brant and afords them rest and food on ther flight south
 During this time their vast numbers and continual "honk." "honk."is music that one never tires of. and an alarm clock IS not needed to awaken you at three In the morning to begin your day's sport. With three or four iSas hour V fop sSs sisSsIs gSs nsIas s.sss that time are all in the lakes, and that is the time to make your preparations. Each person digs pit for himself su fiioiently deep Io hide in and out of t1e range of esch others guns; decoy geese, which are either mAimed ones caught and kept for the purpose or made from sheet iron and painted. arc then set out. Then Into the pits and wait tor daylight.
 As tho nrst ray of light appears you hear the chatter in the distance. On they comei they sec your decoys. Here they are and just AS they are ready to light you rise and shoot; {; sttll they keep coming and 1t ia but to reload and shoot. What more could a sportsman Aski Until nine or ten o'clock Tn the morning will this continue, and then they fly to the lakes again only to repeat the same course in the evening.
 Church's Ferry furnishes amp'e hotel and livery accommodations and ts general Ap pcarance indicates a prosperity which few s Iowns of its size " can equal: AS it's name cred" by Irwin Church in the spring of lsS:l SS ss:= S!ssSsss :S..E 3n the Coulee near where the town now stands and which furn- ished the only means of crossing into the then undeveloped country north and west of Dew. il's Lake. Although but few years have passed, those who crossed at that time are opment that converted the rich prairies into gigantic wheat neld. With such n at that the town is prosperous one' Not three years old. there have been marketed one million bushels of wheat from the hand Of the producers, and it has taxed the thIee elevators to their full capacity dur. ing the fall of the ear. to accommodate this
 The North Dakota Bank. established in the fall of 1887, gives financial solIdity to the town. A live weekly paper (Sunl. capAbly edited by $. A. Wye; progressive merchants, with complete stocks and ample railroad facilities, all tend to strengthen it's business prospects. We have no bonanEa farms to occupy large tracts of land 10 tho exclusion of settlers, but every quarter section is being cultivated by an energetic farmer who be. lieves m diversifying rather than concentrat. Ing hts work to single production. Many names could be given of those who came with nothing. or next to nothing. a few years ago, who are today in com rtable circu ms tances, owning their we'll stocked farms, binders, blows and all other machinery necessary to properly cultivate the same. To those who may read this who arc living in the over crowded, consumptive eastern cities or on the rocky side hill, stumpy, red soiled farms in the east. struggling 10 keep body and soul together. and the taxes paid. we would simply ask you to investigate the many advantages DAkn1A" mas to offer, Almost free. And in no place can one nnd better soil. climate, water or health than In or near Church's Ferry, Ramsey county, North Dakota.
 Church's Ferry offers special inducements to any party who will build and operate a hrst-clAss roller -four mill. We raise the best No. hard wheat in the world, and plenty of it, and good water and cheap fuel make this good point for such an enterprlsc
 Any one desiring any information regarding our town or county may get the same by addressing the board of trade "HoNKER