The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1892-02-18
NORTHWEST GROWING.
IT HAS BEEN BOTH RAPID AND
STEADY.
CheerrA Outlook for the Residents of
South Dakota and Nebraska-A Careful
Iseview Of the Situati0n-Rlp.d Settle.
uent still Ahead.
The Past, Present and Future.

ment still Ahead.
The Past, Present and Future.
JOSEPH SAMPSON, President of the Fl.
deity Loan and Trust Company. Sioux
City, has gwen to the public the follow
ing encouraging and interesting artic.e:
In the month Of June, 1857, accom-
panied by q friend. drove across tn0
country northwest from Storm Lake TO
Sheldon, in UBrien County, to attend u
land convention being held under tho
ausp ces of Geo. ID. Perkins, the newly
appointed Commissioner of lmmigra-
tion for the State of Iowa. The dis
tance between Storm Lake aad Sheldon
in a straight line aero $ 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 U'Brien Counties we began to
note vacated houses and abin io1el
farms, the number growing quite largo
as we came near the county seat tow 4
Of Primghar, where We stopp ID for re-
freShmentS. While we were eating
lunch the proprietor Of the restaurant
begged US to buy his farm. which W.
had passed on the way. 1t lay two miles
east of town and was murtyaged for
about 5000. He wanted 500 for his
equity. but we felt that we would nos
be safe in Offering him 81 10 for his hom,-
stead subject to the mortgage for fear
he would taHe us up. This would hava
made the farm cost US less than S. an
acre. 1t had comfortable little house
and a nice grove of trees, and aboG!
eighty acres under cultivation. We
had noted the farm on our way along
with especial interest on account OF tn,
over. supply of diiapidatcd machinery
that We saw scattered around the house
aud in the grove adjoining. Hundreds
of farms We found coald bc bought Oh
as favorable terms ia several ot ika
counties of Northwestern Iowa at this
time. apd the burning questions that
we're disc 1ssed at the land convention
were how to attract settlers II our
prairics and how to BEST promote tao
prosperity of those already settei. No
discussed flax growing, dairy business,
blue grass, timothy, clover. etc. Dur
ing the convention we heard fro n Alex.
under Pcddie, representing Scotch COO
nists, and Close Bros, representing
English coloni>ts, l.. ). Colin. of Fort
Dodge, made a stirring address. po mt.
ing out the necessity OF keeping thcS1
lands for American farmers who would
yet come ia by the thousands and APP
preciate the magnificent opportuni les
our prairics afforded of founding fine
homes. Willis Drummold. jr., o! Chi-
cago, was on hand with his lieutenants.
rep. csenting tho Chicago, Milwaukee ~
St. aIl land grant, AID other mcl
werc on hand representing III. land
grant departments OF other ralioad
companies. These gentlemen We're all
perfectly willing t. let the Iaad be in
vadcd by the peas ant farmers OF Europe.
or India, for that m ttter. provided the
lands were sold at fair price and
good first cash payment male on tho
purchase.
Looking back across only tho bricf
period of eleven wears, AMI thinking OK
the really desolatc character OF North.
western Iowa in that year when We
were all SO anxious 10 promote immg graz
ton, one is lost in wonder and surprise
at the swift changes that have taken
place ia this portiAn of Iowa since
tn 1t day i'm June the railway system Of
Northwestern iowa has been perfected
to wonderful extent. 50 that it il i'm
possible for Il farmer to get more than
ten miles from 4 railway station. Tho
Nor, hwestern line has been built
thro Ugh from + . ylc Grove to iIawardcn
and beyond: the Bu linston. Gel lar Rap.
ids Il Northern line through from
t;run iy Center 10 Watcrtown and siou;
Falls: the Illinois cntrai b.alchcS from
cherokee to Onawl and Sioux Falls:
and, last bat not least. the .>ioux tity
& Northern. with lis great lake outlet
for the products of the soil. If some ons
had predicted at our land convention in
1880 the things that would come TO pass
during these eleven years, indicating
the compact settlen ent of the prairies,
the en- rmous rise in the price of lands.
and the industrial and agricultural
changes incident to improved metho Is
| of farming. all who were present at the
! convention would have voted the man
visionary or perhaps insane.
Taking up the cite from what we have
| all seen OF Northwestern Iowa since
| 1880. may not we v hn live he.e in Sioux
City be cnti ely just iiei iii glancing to
| west ana northwest OF US to nd the
| conditions that surround the people OF
| nakota and Nebraska. in a certain sense
surrounded Just the same as the people
| of Northwestern Iowa were ten years
| ago, May We not alsD be entirely JUS
| titled in looking for much greater prog
| ten years ic the section referred to than
| has been made by us in Iowa between
the wears 1850 and 1s42, The soil OF
| the prairies west of us is as fertile as is
| that of Iowa. perhaps mofe so. having
| a larger quantity Of lime i'm the soil.
| thus making sure Il better quality and
| yield of small grain. The climate is thu
| same, The one drawback that has
| been menating the people of PORTION.
| of South Dakota-namely, the lack OF
| mOisture-iS now in n fa + way to b3
| overcome by irrigat on. 1t is clearly
| shown that the irrigation of immense
| areas of South Dakota is purely 4 mo.
| chanical question: that is to say, Il Qucs-
| ton of reaching the underground flow
| of wafer. 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 } ,eld prof
liable crops W thOut irrigation SO that
whether irrigation beco nes the COM
mcrcial success that is hoped for or no.,
| still the state of South Dakota is capa-
BILE of sustaining an agricultural pop l.
lation ten times greater than it has at
| present, and still not have its first-class
lands as cOmpactly settled IA 4 c tie
lands of some of the Eastern stltcs.
| To give more than a mere hint at tho
| filling up of Dakota ami Nebraska that
Is sure to come within the next ten
| years would seem to be uanecessa y, for
| our most thoughtful peop:e fully conc ,r
| in the idea of the rapid ,ttement OF
the cheap lands west OF us. There is
ho such body OF cheap lands to be founl
on the Rlobc having the same climate,
conditions and railway facilities. No
other section Of the country to-day pre-
sents such field for lald invcslmcl:
or sp p,culation. East of us very lit Q
unimproved land is left to sell and tho
improved lands are ranging from $40 to
$45. while to the west of US the same
quality of land, " tn as good market
facilities. can be bought at from SO to
| SO per acre. With the inrush of new
settlers and the stir and enterprise that
l ,u;ll ho I'm tho mir durinp tho noyt few