Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-08-30
WISCOSIN BOY FINDS THEM IN
NORTH DAKOTA.
AWFUL AlKALI WATER
And Culinary Conditions equally Bad
Half Crop This Year in the
Richest Wheat Region OF the World
Huge Farm Of the Dalrymples.
Snecial COrreSnOndence

ton from mere IS the DaIrympIe Iafm!
Just a mile and half east"
Late Monday afternoon Mr.. Dalrym-
pie telephoned to Minneapolis, 800
miles away, that he wanted 80 harvest
hands and would pay them 1925 per
day and board.
Now, in the misty gray of Tuesday
morning, a single person got of at q
wayside station midway between Fargo
and Grand Forks. and was holding a
conversation with the station agent,
the only other person in sight Fol
lowing the direction indicated we came |
upon a small store, still locked, where |
was sold hardware, dry goods, boots
and shoes, clothing, drugs ana medi- |
cines and grOceries-the only store Of |
any kind in town. 4 glance around us
revealed nothing but great patch Of
unbrOken fatness whose limits ex-
tended beyond the range Of human
vision; we were in the valley Of the |
Red river Of the north, the greatest
and most noted wheat producing re-
gion in the world. Here there is not
the faint9st suggestion of a hill or a
valley in sight. The monotonous
landscape is relieved at rare intervals
by farm houses and occasional clumDs
of trees, while the great dome Of
heaven shuts down over all. Truly
and literally there was "a lot Of Sky
out this morning"
A man in a road cart appeared. Our
irst inquiry was put again, the same
rely received wiz the additional di-
rection to Just follow the telephone
poles
On arriving at the place Mr.. Dalrym-
pie sent us to that boarding house
over there" to get breakfast. The
boarding house was a one-storied
shack about 20 rods away, operated by
a man-cook and two girl assistants
Our first meal served to give us good
idea but very poor opinion of the
board which these western farmers
furnish to their help. We were met
at the door by one OF the girls, ragged
and uncouth, who was sweeping out
the dining room. From the collection
she had made it would seem mat a
scoop shovel would have been a more
appropriate utensil than a broom, for
the first attack at least-dirt, straWs,
grain, flies, crumbs, odors,-and this
was the eating place! Inside the cook
met us-a square-faced, greasy, dirty
looking Scandinavian, smoking a very
much-smoked pipe, and wearing a very
much-used hickory apron. The dishes
were made very largely of pot-metal,-
tin plates, cups and spoons, iron knives
and forks. The food was in perfect
keeping with the other things in the
place, and, to make matters worse, il
was all cooked with water Of the region
which we are told is mot alkali but
salt" At any rate it is particularly
vile. 1t taints every morsel of
food with which it comes i'll
contact. A residence of "a hours
here is quite sufficient to make
any one from Wisconsin sympathize
heartily with the ancient mariner
about water, water everywhere, but
not a drop to drink" One can under
stand too, the feelings which were re-
Gently experienced by wealthy English
men in south Africa who offered their
entire fortunes for single drink OF
water.
We imagined that this place was be-
yond the limit of civilization, but at
the store there appears in the window
cOlored portrait Of Edward Atkinson
and several copies Of Hearst's Chicago
American together with a testimonial
by the former concerning the good
work of the latter. On our way out to
the farm some farm hand was whist
ling Just as the Sun Went Down. We
are not so far behind after all.
The DalrympIes cultivate between
10000 and 10000 acres of land in the
region of Gardner, Casselton, Kelso
and Mayville. The entire region here
about is devoted to wheat raising, and
the immense fertility Of the soil, every
foot of which is tillabIe. can be seen
when it is known that some patches
have produced a good crop of wheat
every year for more than fifteen years. |
However, wheat is not the only thing
that grows here. Potatoes and nearly
all garden vegetables grow enormous |
ly, and corn often attains a very re-
spectacle size-much better than in |
many parts of South Dakota and Min
nesota.
Flies Of all kinds occur here in
myriads. They are fearfuIly tantaliz-
ing to both man and beast. Mosquitoes
are not nearly as numerous as in Maui-
son, but are much more vicious, being
able and anxious to bleed you through
several layers Of clothing, and are
nearly as aggressive at midday as after
nightfalI.
The wheat yield in the valley this
year is said to be less than half the
usual amount, but the quality is good
and there will be enough bread ma
-erial produced to feed a good many
1t is here that the raw material is -,
produced from which IS manufactured .
such things as the Unecda biscuit.
grape nuts, postum cereal coffee and
Best. A. V. R.
ROYS TRY To EAT EIPE