The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1889-03-14
RE Turtle ngusTIlns:
The Paradise Of the Stock Grower
Their Varied Resources yet
in Their Infancy

/vonsiderab's has been written regarding
IL the TuRrLx M~oJxfAlNs Of Dakota
~ but there still exists more or les.
doubt and uncertainty astc their extent and
character and also that Of the country sur
,oandins it and tits the purpose OF thi
article to furnish such informsin. derived
/ from personal observation as we'll - from the
CURES sf.he census OF 1855, the assessor sre
.urns of 1888 and the U. 5. land Office. A.
will dispsl all doubt heretofore entertained
on the subject of this the most picturssq"'
region of Dakota. for while the Turtle
Mountain region is one Of the best kncw",
! it is at the same time the lsas. known; the
latter because Of the fact hat the resources
that are in its coal beds, clay pits. ston'
quarriss, mineral springs and possible iron
| mines are - yet undevelo2ed.
In respect 70 that in which ii is best
known, it lays claim to superiority because
Of the producsiveness Of it's soil and the
steady, sturdy character Of its Inhabitants.
The best quality Of wheat is raised in Bot
,ineaa county and for which it took the FIRST
premium over all samples Of spring wheat
on exhibition at the New Orleans exposition
Of 1856. 1t il also to be noticed that a
sample Of the Number one hard for which
only Dakota is celebrated. which was raised
by John and David Dinwoodie at the foot Of
these mountains last year, will 10 sent to
the exposition TO BE- held this year at Paris,
France.
These mountains cover an area of about
1900 square milss-about thirty by Tit,
milss-by far the larger portion Of which.
icing within the limits Of Dakota and who'll,
within the counties Of Rolet,e and Bo.tineau,
in the extreme northwestern corner Of the
settled portion If the territory in the Devils
Lake land district. Several Of thes,
mountain townships have been surveyor.
within the past two years by U 8. Surveyor
II. c. Greene, who in his report recent,
made to the land department at Washington
concerning township 1853, range Is, which
be chsracterizes .
THE BANNER TOWNSHIP
bnt which may be regarded as q type ofthe
whole. gives the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Of il
The soil In this township Is III u very good
quality, nearly I'LL ciassed nrst-rute and capa-
Die Of producing magnificent crops. The
surface for the IN st p.Irt is not . hilly Us
other parts vi The Turtle NJ; ,untNins; the
highest and toughest part being In The north
eastern part, which has u general slope
toward The center, which contains The valley
OF Fish Lake, Duck Lake and Oak Creek. The
township II ali In the Mountains and hus
been covered wish fine tiInber-poplar, oak,
birch and elm, nearly all VI which haS been
killed by fire, though still quite useful Tor
building and fuel. This township IL well
adapted to stock raising a. there are large
meadows covered with rich and nutritious
grasses The timer a%ffording good shelter ;
numerous streams, ponds and axes. The
lAk ev contain Gear, fresh water, Hs well az
many Of the larger ponds. Fish Lake the
largest, extends from near the south size VI
section ~, northward into the British pOsses-
siOns; it varies In h from q few chains t.,
about X miles, and Ii from H. feet to ~ feet
deep and abJunds with fine pickerei and
suckers. God water Is also found in wells
without digging very deep. The township
IL being rapidly settled by an industrious
class of psople, some of whom have already
quite extensive improvements present
there are about Atty settlers In this township