Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1895-12-26


that were built required no bonding
to raise funds TO build, the cash being
in the treasury to defray the expense.
mss the farmers got the idea in their
heads that they had too much land, the
reason being they could not team the
products of what they had broken to
market, a distance of between thirty
and forty miles. They felt the want Of
railroad and the want was fully sup.
Piled in 81 by a branch of the Great
Northern being run through the town
slip and giving us Il station named
Milton. With the advent of the Iron
horse each settler started to break the
remainder of his claim and today it
begins to look us il the s'long-felt
WANT that was supplied in 'S7 would
need to be duplicated if proper facilit-
les would be given to the transfer of our
products to Minneapolis and Duluth
Today the old pioneer can stand at the
door of his comfortable residence and
look over the land on which he located
years ago. He cannot see that virgin
grass covered prairie. nor natures
flower garden, the sod shanties, nor
the snow covered mounds with smoke
towering upward. But on the other
hand fine school houses, churches,
frame dwellings erected on out-build-
ings for the convenience of farmers
Several beautiful groves Of timber,
planted by the hands of the early set
tier, gives pleasing rest to the eye.
Some of these we had the pleasure Of
pic-nic-ing in last summer, and when
we look back from the past to the
present it is easy to conclude that the
pioneers of Montro5e township have
made grand success of farming. The
reason thereof is given: The lands
is good; no better water can be found
in the state, soft as rain water, and
easily obtainable at depth of from
Is to 80 feet. Natures irrigation, rain,
falls just about as we need it; good
healthy climate: not much sickness:
wood cheap and plenty of it. Good
crops of everything you sow-cu1tivate
the soil and you reap your reward,
The pioneers of Montrose are prin-
cipally Norwegians and Canadians and
it is quite noticeable these last few years
that a number of them have been TAX
ing a trip to their old homes-another
substantial testimony of their success
here. In conclusion L am convinced
by experienced that this is the county
for a man WITH small means and [ be-
lieve that my fellow pioneers of the
mountains will agree with me in the
above statement.
WIN. THOMPSON,
Montrose township, Dec, Z. 1895.
CYPRESS township. My first ac-
Acquaintance with Cypress was id
the year 1851 when number Of
persons armed with all descriptions Of
weapons chased three horse tl1ieve$
from Manitoba to the boundary line|
where they had removed one of thd
storm mounds and built it into ret
gular fort. Having got view of the
thieves Mr.. Blackwell took a bead on
them and would have likely laid them
out only a young lawyer stopped him
saying that as they were across the
line it would likely raise an In.
ternational dispute and that he had
better not fire, so the thieves got off,
Some time after U. S. customs officer
remarked, Its pity you did not shoot
the whole gang
Daniel Shanks and Peter .Murchie
were the first to break land, having
broken some forty acres in the year of
1882. The first settlers were, VIM. II
IIazlitt and his brothers, Robert
and Herbert. VIM. nazlitt built the
first house in the summer of 1888,
and found it slightly lonesome during
the first year. The following year R..
Naismith and Thomas Philip joined
the little colony. Settlement was
rather slow for a few years till large
number of settlers came from Mani
toulin Island, Man., and took up the
whole of the eastern part of the town
ship, and good class of settlers they
have made, many Of them having done
unusually we'll.
The township was organized the 20
day Of February, 1883 with the follow
official board: Supervisors, Donald
Shaw, chairman. Daniel Shanks, Geo.
Bulloch; town clerk, G. l.. Thomson;
treasurer, Peter Murchie which Office
that worthy citizen still holds. The
town was named Cypress on the motion
of Jacob HaZlett, who was the first as
SCISSOR. At the regular meeting of the
electors held two weeks latter the first
board was elected with Thos. Philips
in the stead of Daniel Shanks who
declined re-electiOn In 1888 y had