Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1900-11-16
General Freight Agent Moore Tells
Why Northern Pacific Business
Holds Up.
Large Number of Settlers and Develop
ment of Resources Along Line
of Road.
Comparative Statements OF Shipping
From the West-Infueuce Of
Prosperity.

"~Frcuucntly OF late | nave Deen
asked the cause of our large freight
earnings in view of the drouth last
season. said General Freight Agent
Moore CT the Northern Pacific to the
Pioneer Press. and consequent reduc-
ton in the average bushels OF wheat
per acre, and will tell you some OF the
reasons.
I'VE have today over three-quarters
of a million more people along our
line between St. Paul and Puget Sound
than we had a few years ago. These
people are consumers, and require
provisions. clothing, and mining and
farm machinery for mining and agri-
cultural purposes. This increased
ings. These newcomers are also de-
yeloning many OF the resources of Our
vast western country. furnishing us
extra freight earnings for carrying
wheat. barley. flax, fruit, fish, lumber
and ores.
THE increase in acreage seeded to
wheat, flax, etc, last season was over
l.OUO.l MU acres. rs compared with the
previous season. Now if these new
farm lands yielded only an average OF
eight bushels per acre. we would have
S.OOU.Ouu bushels to help offset the
shortage by drouth. Part Of this new
acreage yielded from fifteen to twenty
bushels per acre. On one Of our
branches the new acreage plowed up
and seeded last season was just double
the acreage of 1880; an increase of
100000 acres.
THE census now being completed
by Commissioner Merriam shows a
gain of $4,000 in the population of Ore
gon. a large percentage of this in
crease is tributary to the Northern Pa
citic, the principal gain being in the
northern part of that state. The gain
in Washington was 1GS,O0O men,
women and children. Our system
reaches almost every point in that
state. Idaho's. gain in population was
over 1000 people. A great portion
Of this gain consisted of settlers for the
nClthern part of the state, which is
tributary to the Northern Pacific.
North Dakota increased her popula-
ton 10000 and the middle and north
ern part of our own state of Minnesota
eXcelled any one of the other states
mentioned, showing increase of from
100000 to 25n,00W people. The total
increase in population in Minnesota
during the past ten years. according
to the recent census, was 449, 500, near
ly half a million souls.
These figures will be especially in
teresting to the jobbers of the Twin
cities, who serve the people between
here and Puget Sound with the sup
plies manufactured and handled in the
Twin cities.
"All are familiar with the conditions
at the time of and following the last
census. the shrinkage in the west by
the great exodus Of people following
the depression. and the standstill per-
iod for several years thereafter, so
that we may estimate that this in
crease in the population between Lake
Superior and Puget Sound occurred
during the past few years. The fact
is that a large percentage of these new
settlers located last year and the year
previous. The increase in the num-
Der of people in Alaska will augment
the total considerably, making an in
crease of fully 100000 people tributary
to our line who emigrated from other
sections.
The influx of settlers into these
young western states during the next
few years will be great, and our earn
ings will continue to increase as rap
idly as in the past. New lands will
be broken, the number of farms in
creased, forest and timber lands will
be cleared, and new mines opened.
From these prospects an idea can be
formed of the splendid opportunities
of the Twin cities for new trade.
Il will give you an example tt indi-
cate what causes increased freight
earnings. Mr.. Amin, a ranchman
near Columbus, Mont. plowed up six
acres Of what is commonly called Mon
tana waste or desert land last year,
and supplied it with water. This is
what he raised on the six acres and
marketed along the Northern Pacific
railway:
10000 lbs. of onions .......... s 100
1900 boxes of tomatoes ...... $50
1000 melons ...... ...... -. $50
$4,000 lbs. of squash .......... $50
IOtal ........ ........ 80. 5 2,l9O
"The amounts shown in the right
hand column represent what Mr.. An
l. ---L r.