Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-02-18
The Past. Present and Future.

uellty Loan ana trust Company, Sioux
City, has given to the public the follow
ing encouraging and interesting article:
In the month of June, 1881, accom-
panied by friend, drove across the
country northwest from Storm Lake to
Sheldon, In O'Brien County, to attend a
land convention being held under the
auspices of Geo. ID. Perkins, the newly
appointed Commissioner of Immigra-
tion for the State Of Iowa. The dis
tance between Storm Lake and Sheldon
In a straight line across the country is
about sixty miles On this drive we
passed over many solid sections 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 large
as we came near the county seat town
of Primghar, where 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 O.
stead subject to the mortgage for fear
he would take us up. This would have
| made the farm cost us less than So aR
acre. 1t had comfortable little house
and a 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
over.supply of dilapidated machinery
that we saw scattered around the house
aud in the grove adjoining. Hundreds
of farms we found could De bought on
as favorable terms in several or 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 colo1
nists, and Close Bros, representing
English colouists. l.. 5. Coffin, of Fort
Dodge, made 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
cago, was on hand with his lieutenants,
representing theohicego, Milwaukee II
-. ,.o,,I I'D ~-suI, sss -. -,
81, faul lsnaa ..na representing ftRF Rsa
gGfSaift 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 "a
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 immigra-
tion, 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 wonderful extent, so that II is inn
possible for farmer TO get more than
ten miles from railway station. The
Northwestern line has been built
through from Eagle Grove TO Hawarden
and beyond; the Burlington, Cedar Rap
ids Il Northern line through from
Grundy Center to Watertown and Sioux
Falls; the Illinois Central branches from
Cherokee to Onawa and Sioux Falls;
and, last but not least, the Sioux City
& Northern. with its great lake outlet
for the products of the soil. IL 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 a
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
tilted Ia looking for much greater prog
ress and development during the next
ten years IL the section referred to than
has been made by us in Iowa between
the years 1880 and 1889? The soil of
the prairies west of us Is as fertile as is
that OF Iowa, perhaps more so, having
q 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 far way to be
overcome by irrigat on. IL is clearly
shown that the irrigation of immense
areas of South Dakota Is purely me-
chanical question; that Is TO say, ques-
tion of reaching the underground flow
of water. and then. when IL Is found,
distributing II 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 W .thout irrigation. so that
whether irrigation beco mes the COM
mercial 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 IL has at
present. and still not have its frst-class
lands as compactly settled as are the
lands OF some of the Eastern states.
To give more than mere hint at the
filling up of Dakota and Nebraska that
Is sure TO come within the next ten
years would seem TO be unnecessary, for
our most thoughtful peop.e fully concur
i'm the idea Of the rapid settlement OF
the cheap lands west Of us. There is
no such body OF cheap lands to be found
on the globe having the same climate,
conditions and railway facilities. No
other section OF the country to-day pro-
sents such field for land Investment
or speculation.