Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1896-02-01

that the James river valley has room
for thousands and tens of thous
ands Of settlers, and that the rent
er on worn-out eastern farm, the
mechanic struggling in the over.
crowded manufacturing centers
and the residents of the old world
vainly striving against fate, can in
a very few years acquire free homes
under our liberal homestead law
or with limited capital, can buy
our fertile lands on the "crop pay
ment' or long term plan, at from
So to $40 per acre.
The largest and best area of
public land yet open to settlement
in the United States lies in this
part Of North Dakota. In the
various land offices Of the state
at Grand Forks. Devils Lake, Far
60 and Bismarck k-information on
this subject can be obtained by
writing for it. In the three coun-
ties Of Benson, Eddy and Wells
alone: with railroad facilities and
thriving population, there are
over 500, 900 acres of this land open
to settlement. But with all the
opportunities offered this is no
place for the man who expects to
get along and make money without
work. and the man who never sue
ceeded elsewhere will have no
special favors shown here.
The eastern capitalist who wants
to loan his accumulated means on
farm mortgages, the safest of all
investments, can find no better
security than by aiding some in
dustrious young friend or acquaint-
ance get a start in this country.
From $3.50 to $500 Oh any average
l6O acres Of land is amply secured.
Twenty-seven years ago North
Dakota was scarcely more than an
Indian reservation. The popula-
ton of both North Dakota and
South Dakota did not exceed 80,
600 souls, most Of whom were in
South Dakota. This great state
was but a wilderness. Now there
are cities, towns. schools and
churches, railroads, telegraphs and
prosperity on every hand. Our
natural advantages here place US
in the lead and while we have few
orchards or gold or silver mines,
yet we have agricultural resources
that are equaled by few, and can
supply food enough to almost sus-
tain the country When the infor-
nation Of our resources is spread
among intending settlers, and the
facts are known as they will be,
the number of inhabitants in the
state is bound to be greatly in
creased. and it will not be many
years before the cheap but fertile
lands of the James river valley
will be wholly owned by pros
porous farming communities and
by those engaged in the stock rails
ing industry.
The enormous yield of farm
products in the state this year,
prove that it is only question of
few years of application for in
dustrious families with frugal hab-
it's to secure for themselves unin-
numbered homes by practical work
in agricultural pursuits and the
stock raising industry.
The east has no more real know
ledge of the possibilities of this re-
gion today, than it had of the ex-
tent to which the development in
the northwest could be carried,
forty years ago. The average
North Dakotan himself is proba-
bly, unaware. without his attention
is specially directed to it, of
what our own resources are as COM
pared with other states.
The character of the population
Of the state is rapidly changing. The
man who came here expecting to
get rich in few years raising
wheat at 81, a bushel has left or
he has reversed his theory and is
now making money more slowly,
yet more surely. farming the soil
as farmers do elsewhere. The old
days of extravagant living and
reckless plunging into debt are
gone. The hard times throughout
the country and low prices Of pro-
duce have taught the North Da-
kota farmer salutary lesson. He is
less of Spectator rlsking all he
has on the fortunes of one crop.
He has become a farmer in the
right sense Of the term.
GOOD OPENINGS.
There are good openings in the