The Dickinson press., 1890-11-29
Refuta.ion of False Statements.

Refuta.i0n of False Statements.
In i, late issue of the Binghalnton
IN. w Republican appears an arti-
| cle-inSpired by the fact that IL co
operative colony has been organized
at Binghamton-in which statements
are made that are not only wholly
false hut which show i%neNcusalle
ignorance on the part of the writer.
The paragraph below is Il sample OF
the Republicans INSCRIPTIONS mis-
representation Of the Northwest and
particularly North Dakota:
There is quite a formidable array
of millionaires in the Dakotas, who
made most of their money there by
speculation, and i'll the aggregate a
vast sum has been made by raising
wheat. Wheat is the chief product
and always will be. Anybody who
says it is Il corn country, a stock or
fruit country, or a country adapted to
general farming, tells what is not
true. The Red River valley, partly
III >OlGi A'uNOlts 10 VtlO SlVaui VI OAC
Northwest beyond the upper Missis-
sippi. There are IL few handsome
and ii%ourishing towns in this valley,
on the Dakota side, but all business
is founded upon and supported by
wheat. The apples and even the po'
tatoes consumed by the farmers are
grown further south and brought in
by railroads. Farm horses are
shipped in from the south, and there
are 10 COWS. Cattle winter on the
Montana side of the bad lands, where
the sinooks (chinooks!) from the Pa.
cific cut short the cold snaps, but the
hard winter three years ago depleted
or annihilated many herds and about
used up the cattle industry Of the
Far Northwest. Up as high as Bis.
marck the winters are long and very
severe, and lumber and coal are
scarce and dear.
That men make money through
speculation in North Dakota, the
same as elsewhere, is true and cuts
no figure in the argument; but North
Dakota is not given over to wheat
raising as the principal industry by a
long ways. In former years wheat
was counted as the main product, but
that day is past. The Red River val
ley produces Il great deal of wheat
the finest grade, in the world--but in
that, the banner wheat belt of the
continent, diversified farming seems
to be coming into favor. Come along
west 100 miles and stock is found to
be Il leading industry-shecp, horses,
cattle, ctc.-many fine dairy farms
and blooded stock. Cross the Missou-
ri and stock is the leading industry.
Finer stock, of all kinds, and owners
i'll Il more prosperous way, II not he
found any where. Our beef and mutton
brings the highest price in the market;
the stock thrives and winters in OK.
cellent shape. and every stockman
can have free and Unlimited grazing.
Six or eight years ago the country
Was new and had no horses, CONS ol
stock of any kind and, naturally
enough, incoming settlers had to i'm
port; but the tables have turned an(
we can and do export stock. Fine
Percheron draft horses are shipped
from North Dakota as far east as
Pennsylvania every year, and it is
mreasonable-really foolish-for any
paper to make the assertion that this
is not u stock country. To be SURE
we had a hard winter in 'S6.'S7, hare
on stock because of deep snow stock
men depending on winter grazing anc
no hay up in ase Of emergency-bu'
such Il winter may not come again il
many years, if ever. 1t is the prac
tice of small stock growers, since the
hard winter, to put up asmall amount
of hay for use in case of bad weather.
AS for apples and certain othe:
kinds of fruit, no one claims to pro
duce them here to any extent, bu
potatoes grow abundantly and til
quality is not excelled by any.
OF coal the state has an %inexhausti
bic supply, and the cost to the con
sumner is only the expense Of minin.
and transportation. Our winters ar
short as compared with tho New
England states, and the snowfall il
so small that stockmen depend ncarl.
as much on the range in winter as il
summer. 1t may seem almost incred
ulous to eastern p%eop]e-but tru'
neyertheless-that beevcs taken OF
the winter range last spring, having
had no shelter or feed of any kim
except what they rustled OH the opel
prairie, and dressed for the loca
trade, were actually too fat to sui
many Of the buyers.
If the editor of the Republican vii
take a trip out this way, SO that Il
can see some of the new development
of the New Northwest, he would 6
home wiser and reliably il
+; formed in regard to this country.
rr,ba fbo c1,i11ron tn fba Ti1ton ua