The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1892-02-17
NORTHWEST GROWING.
1T HAS BEEN BOTH RAPID AND
STEADY.
Cheerful Outlook for the Residents of
South Dakota and Nebraska-A Careful
Review or tho Situation-Rapid Settle
mo t still Ahead.
The Past, Present and Future.

City, has given to the public thu follow
ing encouraging and interesting article:
In the month of June, 1882, accom-
panied by friend, l drove across the
country northwest from Stern Lake to
Sheldon, in O'Brien County, to attend
land convention being held under the
auspices OF Geo. ID. Perkins, the newly
appointed Commissioner of lmmigra-
ton for the State of Iowa. The dis
lance between Storm Lake and Sheldon
in straight line across the country Is
about sixty miles. On this drive we
passed over many solid sessions OF va
cant prairie. After leaving Buena Vista
County and getting into the corner OF
Clay and O'Brien Counties we began to
note vacated houses and abandoned
farms, the number growing quite largo
as we came near the county seat town
Of Primghar, whore we stopped for re-
. freshments. While we were eating
lunch the proprietor of the restaurant
begged us to buy his farm. which we
had passed on the way. 1t lay two miles
east Of town and was mortgaged for
about 5000. He wanted $500 for his
equity, but we felt that we would not
be safe in offering him 500 for his home
stead subject to the mortgage for fear
he would take us up. This would have
made the farm cost us less than SIS an
acre. 1t had a comfortable little house
and nice grove of trees, and about
eighty acres under cultivation. We
had noted the farm on our way along
with especial interest on account OF the
oversupply Of dilapidated machinery
that we saw scattered around the house
and in the grove adjoining. Hundreds
of farms we found could be bought on
as favorable terms in several Of the
counties Of Northwestern Iowa at this
time, and the burning questions that
were discussed at the land convention
were how to attract settlers to our
prairies and how to best promote the
prosperity of those already settled. We
discussed flax growing, dairy business,
blue grass, timothy, clover, etc. Dur
ing the convention we heard from AleX-
ander Peddie, representing Scotch colo
nists, and Close Bros, representing
English coloniSts. l.. s. Coffin, of Fort
Dodge, made a stirring address, point
ing out the necessity of keeping these
lands for American farmers who would
yet come in by the thousands and APP
preciate the magnificent opportunities
our prairies afforded OF founding fine
homes. Willis Drummond.. jr., OF Chi
cago, was on hand with his lieutenants,
representing the Chicago, Milwaukee 81
st. Paul land grant, aud other men
were on hand representing the land
grant departments Of other railroad
companies. These gentlemen were all
perfectly willing to let the land be in
Vaded by the peasant farmers OF Europe,
or India, for that matter, provided the
lands were sold at fair prices and
good first cash payment made on the
purchase.
Looking back across only the brief
period OF eleven years, and thinking OF
the really desolate character of North
western Iowa in that year when we
were all so anxious to promote immig ra-
ton, one is lost in wonder and surprise
at the swift changes that have taken
place in this portion of Iowa. Since
that day in June the railway system Of
Northwestern Iowa has been perfected
to a wonderful extent, so that it is i'm
possible for farmer to get more than
ten miles from a railway station. The
Northwestern line has been built
through from Ea yle Grove to Hawarden
and beyond; the Burlington, Cedar Rap.
ids ~ Northern line through from
Grundy Center to Watertown and Sioux
~
Cherokee to Onawa and Sioux Falls;
and, last but not least, the Sioux City
e. Northern, with its great lake outlet
for the products of the soil. If some one
had predicted at our land convention In
1880 the things that would come to pass
during these eleven years, indicating
the compact settlement Of the prairies,
the enormous rise in the price of lands,
and the industrial and agricultural
changes incident to improved methods
OF farming, all who were present at the
convention would have voted the man
visionary" or perhaps insane.
Taking up the cue from what we have
all seen OF Northwestern Iowa since
1880, may not we " no live here in Sioux
City be entirely just fed in glancing to
west and northwest of us to find the
conditions that surround the people Of
Dakota and Nebraska, in a certain sense
surrounded just the same as the people
OF Northwestern Iowa were ten years
ago. May we not also be entirely JUS
titled in looking for much greater prog
ress and development during the next
ten years liz the section referred to than
has been made by us in Iowa between
the years 1880 and 1899? The soil OF
the prairies westof us is as fertile as is
that OF Iowa, perhaps more so, having
larger quantity of lime in the soil,
thus making sure better quality and
yield of small grain. The climate is the
same. The one drawback that has
been menaCing the people of portions
of South Dakota-namely, the lack OF
mosture-is now in fair way to be
overcome by irrigation. 1t is clearly
shown that the irrigation of immense
areas Of South Dakota is purely mo-
chanical question; that is to say, ques-
ton of reaching the underground flow
of water, and then, when it is found,
distributing it properly in the right
season over the land in crop. Millions
OF acres, however, that are yet to be
brought into cultivation, will yield prof
table crops without irrigation, so that
whether irrigation becomes the com.
mercal success that is hoped for or not,
still the State OF South Dakota is capa.
BILE OF sustaining an agricultural popu.
lation ten times greater than it has at
present, and still not have its irst-class
lands as compactly settled as are the
1ondo Of cou,a Of tho Eaotorn Statao