The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-06-11

the 30s or has now. These lands can be
secured at merely nominal prices-$3 81,
S., and at most Sc an acre, is all they cost
at the present tirne-landS that are as
certain to rise to $50 to 500 per acre as
settlement and development proceed, as
have been those of Illinois or Iowa.
Now, let us see why these naturally val
liable lands are bound to have values
from twenty to thirty times as great as
they possess at present: The question of
transportation is alreat1y solved. They
are not far removed from cheap water
transportation; they are Immediately at
the head of Lake Superior They are
already penetrated every few miles by
railways. They have a wider range Of
crop production than does Central Hill
nois, for Central Illinois is only fit for
corn and grass, while the timbered dis
trict of Minnesota cannot be surpassed
for all the small grains; vegetables grow
luXuriantly, and, as producing
country, 1t is far and above superior to
the best parts of Illinois, where lands
possess the highest values. 1t was the
present governor of our state who said
at the last meeting of the State Fair as
socia ton, at the Commercial club at st.
Paul, that what is known as the TIM
bered district of Minnesota must become
the future site of its butter and cheese
producing industries; not necessarily that
other parts of the state would decline,
but that relatively the timbered districts,
by virtue of their moister climate and
superior adaptability for growing tame
grasses for hay and pasture, must In the
future become the center of an extensive
dairy and creamery industry.
GREAT AGRICULTURAL COUNTRY.
All the region around the head of Lake
Superior and extending westward
throughout the basin of the upper Mis-
sissippi into the Red Lake country and
along the Rainy Lake river, is bound to
become prosperous well settled agricul-
tural country within the next few years.
It's nearness to Market its fertile lands,
Its freedom from drouth,r its healthfulness
all these factors will cooperate in
bringing about this result. 81
Then Minnesota possesses a variety of
other resources not possessed by it's sis
ter states, which makes. a. large home
market for it's agricultural products. Our
state is the largest producer of iron ore
in the United States, If nottdn the whole
world. The workmen in tlpe iron mines
must be fed and clothed. The citizens Of
Iowa, Nebraska and states ito the south
and southwestward annually pay us from
IS, 600 900 to 100000, 900 for the lumber pro-
duced by our mills. The tworkmen nee
essary to this industry are consumers
right at home. Therefore lit is equally
as important that our lumber industry
should be preserved from extinction as it
is that we encourage the agricultural de-
velopment Of the central sand northern
parts Of the state.
But Is central Minnesota attracting the
attention of immigrants? The answer Is,
most decidedly, yes" The past two
years have seen thousands of Iowa farm
ers transferred from those states into
the timbered district Of Minnesota, and
the wonder is that, large as the move
ment is at present, it does not gain still
moro rapidly in force. Central Minneso-
ia is far better market for all agri-
cultural products than are Nebraska and
Iowa, both far removed from cheap wa