St. Paul daily globe., 1891-09-29

the immense crops of North Dakota.
The railroads are awake to the same i'm
portance, and the st. Paul jobbers, ever
on the alert in matters pertaining to
their field, are actively bestirring them
selves Their special committee has
prepared the following circular, ad-
dressed to the editor of the GLOBE.
which speaks for itself:
Several of our daily papers have pub
liShed articles at different times within
the past two or three weeks concerning
the scarcity of men and machines to Sc
cure the bountiful crops in North Da-
kOta, but, as none of them have fully
covered the situation, we ask the prlYi-
lege of laying before your readers some
facts as to the actual conditions exist
ing, in the hope that their publication
will assist in bringing into prompt ac
ton the needed relief.
Each of us, through our business in
tercourse with the territory north and
west of st. Paul, had become impressed
with the belief that the enormous crop
in North Dakota (of which the world is
now so fully aware) could not be secured
in safety unless outside aid was en-
listed, and that without delay One of
us has just returned from wagon trip
of 200 miles through the northern tier
of counties i'll that state, having seen
for himself the actual progress (or
rather, want of progress,) made, while
the others, through correspondence
with their customers and others, were
advised of similar facts.
Interchange of information developed
the following to be about the present
conditions in the section of country
bounded by the Red river, the main
line Of the Northern Pacific, the DEVILS
lake region and the northern limit of
North Dakota. Crops are equally large
IN Minnesota and other parts of the Da-
kotas, but the communities are older,
and consequently better able to take
care OF them.)
Successive partial crop failures for
the past two or three years, coupled
with the absolute immensity of their
present crop, finds the farmers in that
young and newly settled district wholly
unprepared to perform the increased
labor thrown upon them. Instead of
the regular increase in population by
immigration, such as had occurred for
many previous years, there has no doubt
been a decrease, so that, although har-
vest hands have been in active demand,
at high wages, few could be secured, for
the simple reason that they were not
there.
Both the Northern Pacific and the
Great Northern railways have been
sending men up there for two months
past, at nominal rates of fare, but the
demand is far from being satisfied.
Most of the men that have been sent up
there to work as section men, have been
enticed away by the farmers at almost
any wages that would secure them, and,
in consequence. the railroads are trOu-
bled to keep their section crews full, a
necessity very pressing. by reason of
the increased business to be done over
their roads at this season of the year.
This scarcity of men has prevented
the stacking" of grain, as is done in all
the older sections of the Northwest, and
to-day at least so per cent of the wheat
stands in ''shocks," in the fields where
it grew. In this condition it is unpro-
tected from damage by ram, and, should
a long period of wet weather set in up
there-not unreasonable anywhere dur
ing October-there is no telling what
damage may be done, or how much Of
the magnificent crop may be ultimately
lost.
In order to keep all the threshing ma
chimes in the section at work the farm
ers are helping each other, and 'thresh-
ing from the shock" 1t takes about
twenty-five men to keep machine run
ming in this way, including the number
hauling from the scattered shocks.
Thus, while one mans grain is being
threshed that Of all his neighbors' who
are helping him lies at their risk of
damage and loss IN their fields. In many
localities where crops have been poor
or failed before there are no threshing
machines to be had, and even this ''help-
your-neighbor'' class of work is not
being done. Competent authority says
that 100 additional machines can find
three months steady work in North Da-
kota, at better prices than are usually
paid. 1t is certain that all who can be
induced to go there can do so.
About forty-fye days more remain for
plowing before the ground will freeze,
when it cannot be done. 1t need hardly
be said that practically none has yet
been done, for this work is never conf
menced anywhere uutil the grain has
been entirely secured, either by stack
ing" or ''threshing from the shock" If