The Press., 1898-01-06
NORTH DAKOTA LETTER.
Oheron. N. D. Dec. Z. !


Minot is on the Great Northern, where
the Minneapolis, st. Paul and sault Ste
Marie crosses 1t. There has been great
land swindle there, the victims of which
are largely eastern people of small means.
A tract of land, known as the Brooklyn
addition, comprising about one hundred
and sixty acres, was plated by an east
ern concern, and the lots were sold to
eastern people, there being q good many
ready to invest. The tract laid out was
mostly hills and gullies. The investment
has turned out 10 be loosing one. When
those who invested saw they were getting
nothing for their investments, it appears
theyrunited and sent agents out there to
Investigate. They found that ''sone Of
their lots were standing on end, and 9TH
ers lying on their sides on account Of the
steep hills." The lots proved to be ut
terly worthless, and SO the taxes were
not raid Now the county is put to the
expense of advertising and selling this
| land which viii be more expensive than
the value u the land. Those who pla ted
and sold these lots are thought to have
cleared hundred thousand dollars.
have given this incident, which has
just fallen under my notice, for the pur-
pose Of remarking that, whereas, In q
former day, there was much swindliDg
going on throughout the state, and many
people suffered thereby the total loss Of
investments, there is no need now that
this should be continued. The lands Of
the state are better known, their value is
more accurately sscertained, the soils are
better understood and what can be best
grown on them, they are brought under
better conditions of examination, and the
amount of taxation they can comfortably
sustain is better understood; SO that
from every point of view the chances that
investors will be cheated are greatly les
sened. Moreover, investors are them
selves largely to blame for their i'll luck,
because they have been too fast to place
their money here, lured by the prospect
of lager percentages. They have seemed
TO see that they could get 80 much larger
rates OF interest hera than In the eastern
banks, that they have withdrawn their
deposits and placed them here. without
first iudiciously inquiring into the char
acter OF the men, and theil enterprises,
who have solicited from them. They
should have moved more cautiously.
Sometimes the eastern investor has failed
to get returns from his investment, and
has sent some one out here to look up
the matter, and be has come and has re-
ported to the detrlment Of the investor.
To illustrate A party 10 Boston invest-
ed some ten thousand dollars Ia small
loans on farm lands Ia the Red River
valltgg He was secured BY mortgages
II; St sell behind. He became alarmed,
sent : man out to see the character of
the security. He reported after investi-
eating. The investor concluded to dis
pose of his entire interest. A man who
knew the value OF the lands, and that the
investment could be had for nine thou
sand dollars, raised the money and took
it. In three or four years he sold it for
twenty thousand So much for knowing
the value of the land. The state has
thousands of acres of very rich land, and
then, again, 1t has thousands Of very poor
lande. Good soil and poor soil lie side
by side here, as elsewhere. We are sorry
when we hear Of these people Of small
means being swindled out Of all they
| hoxy hut of hn
There have been losses where there was
no intention to be unfair or dishonest.
Soils were thought to be good which
turned out to be poor. Men have learned
something by experience. Lands yield
well in wet seasons that fail in a dry
time. 1t is so in other places.
The state is receiving good many set
tiers this year, and the prospect is good
for larger increase next year. We have
had, on the whole, a very good crop sea-
son. The fall was so late grain had no
opportunity to ripen, which one time bid
fair to be destroyed by early frosts. We
have never known grain to ripen so SLOW
ly. There was so much moisture in the
ground the straw grew and grew, but
there was not a corresponding yield OF
grain. Still the crop throughout the
state is very good. The price-almost,
and sometimes, double that of a year ago
has made up for the shortage.
We are past Thanksgiving, and there
Is but little snow on the ground. We
havo hod h,y% wow, G4AIo Ab,,c Co.. 80
year, at this time, we had immense snow
drifts and . number of severe storms,
with one blizzard, SIX weeks more of real
winter than we can have now, unless II
should be extended into the spring. The
indications are for good weather up to
Christmas time at least This is Of i'm.
mense benefit to the farmer who has the
care of much stock. This was great
wild fowl season. Geese and ducks were
in immense numbers. Everybody could
have wild fowl, and did. Prairie chick.
ems, however, we're less numerous. The
long and severe winter. year ago, was
too much for them.
AS one travels about the state he notes
improvement everywhere. The towns
are growing, the country Is settling up
and the farms improving in buildings and
in cultivation. The future of the state
has bright promise. O.P. CHAMPL1N.
THE GREATEST DISCOVERY YET.-W M
Repine, editor Tiskilwa, ILL.,, Chief, says
"We won't keep house without DR.. Kings
New Discovery for Consumption, Coughs
and Colds. No other remedy can take its
place in our home, as In it we have Ger
tain and sure cure of Coughs, Colds
Whooping Cough, etc." 1t is idle to ex
pertinent with other remedies, even i
they are urged on you as just as good al
DIR. Kings New Discovery. They ar'
not as oood haeansa fhis ranadv has ,