Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1894-03-30

SCARCELY letter received by our set
tiers from the old home in the east fails
to speak of the hard times there. Men
and women who have always had
employment at fair wages are now idle,
and have been for months. Their scant
savings have disappeared, and thev are
depending upon more fortunate relatives
or upon the public for support While
times in North Dakota are not what they
would be if fair prices were being paid
for wheat, yet there is probably no other
state in the Union where there is less
suffering for lack of food, clothing and
shelter. The percentage of people being
taken care of by the counties of the state
is hardly visible factor in the expense
account. Here every man owns his
home, and has no rent to pay for house
or farm. He can raise most of the neces.
sarles of life, and very little money does
he have to pay for the services of phy-
slcian. Unlike the wage worker or the
renting farmer of the older states, lie
does not have to depend upon the mood
of boss or farm-owner for chance
to earn living for himself and those de.
pendent upon him. When we take into
consideration the fact that several gen
erations have contributed their work to
make the older states'@ what they are,
while the present generation only has
labored in North Dakota, and in some
sections theteof but few years, there is
every reason to be satisfied with the re-
suit. A large proportion of the farmers
in states farther east have received most
of their Improvements as a heritage de-
scended from their ancestors, while here
it has been necessary to open farms from
the raw prairie while at the same time
laboring for the present necessaries of
life. Sometimes q settler is heard to
speak disparagipgly of the country, but is
his criticism just9 Are we suffering any
more than other sections on account of
the low prices of farm produce? Is this
country to blame because wheat cattle,
wool and mutton are low2 Suppose, for
instance, that in this county of Emmons
We were getting the same prices for the
products named that we did few ears
ago. May we not believe that such prices
would have enabled nine mortgaged
farmers out of ten to have paid off their
mortgages, when we remember that there
are very few mortgages on the register s
books that amount to more than few
hundred dollars7 1t should not be for
gotten, either, that large proportion of
SUCH Indebtedness was assumed for the
purpose of obtaining money with which
to pay for pre'emption claims, and an
other large proportion represents debts
for farm machinery that, unsheltered and
left to the mercy of the elements, went
to rack and ruin before one. third of an
average period of usefulness had passed
Conditions are changing, and will con-
tinue to change in this country. More
stock is being raised; the keeping out of
prairie fires is giving us a stronger
growth of upland grass; machinery for
making hay more rapidly and cheaply is
being perfected and better shelter is
being provided for stock. This section
of the state, however, will never be given
over entirely to live stock, for the reason
that, year in and year out, most of those
who have tarmed carefully have raised
fair crops. But farming will gradually
become more diversified. Fewer acres
just what can be taken care of without
hiring much help-will be the rule, to
the end that, even with low prices of
grain. there will be sure cash remunera-
ton for labor performed. There will be
more livestock raised, because experience
proves that it pays to raise stock. Even
during these hard times Bismarck bankers
and other business men say that the
farmers who have band of stock are the
ones who are reducing the principal of
their debts. As to the future of the
Missouri Slope, the writer believes the
time is not far distant when it will be the
most prosperous part of the state. 1t has
unbounded wealth aside from its farming
and stock-raising interests, in its vast
mines of Ignite coal. This coal is rapidly
going into general use throughout the
state, and its sale will bring vast sums of
money to the slope, to be paid out tor
work, and by the workers expended for
the products of the farms. The Record
editor has been here at Williamsport for
ten years publishing his paper; and he
has just as much faith in this section as
ever, as a country Of homes. And we sin.