Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-03-22
RAPID SETTLEMENT.
Colonel Lounsberry Tells How the
Settlement Of the State Has 4
Progressed.
Thinks the Census Will Show 4
Larger Population than
Dreamed Of.

Col. ~Lounsberry, whose work as
special agent for the government,
gives him opportunity to observe the
settlement Of this state, says
MThe vast immigration coming to
this state through the active interest
Of several lines Of railroad can
scarcely be realized. The Devils Lake
land district has been receiving the
bulk Of the land seekers SO far but the
other districts have not been over
4 During the year 1899 home
steads were flied in the several dis
Ytr1cts as follows: Devils Lake, 44223:
sMlnot, 1879; Bismarck, 1.4O1; Fargo.
. Grand Forks, 729, making a grand
OF 1923. These filings may
fairly be presumed to represent four
new settlers to each or nearly 10000
new people, while large numbers have
purchased land from the Northern Pa
clucI Railroad Co. OF from the loan
companies or other decided land.
These with the new settlers in towns
n villages will Increase the settle
ment b state during the past year
TO probably 5000 and tie new settlers
coming in this spring will further in
crease the new population to the yicin-
1ty Of 100000 by June L.
New lines of railroad are being built.
new industries established and j n
my opinion the census of 1900 will
show a population in the state of 49,
900, against less than 100000 in 1890,
giving the state an additional member
OF congress and completely changing
~ complexion of the new legislative
districts.
In 1892 I marked out the lines Of q
new county to be called Mclean, and
suggested that the county seat be
located at a certain point to be called
Washburn and that w. D. Washburn.
then a prominent member of the
United States senate, would build a
railroad to that point and develop the
vast coal interests of the Missouri
river country. The county was created
THE next session of the legislature
and the county seat located and named
as proposed, and last year w. u. Wash.
burn purchased 114,OOO acres Of land
in the vicinity Of Washburn and COM
menced the work of railroad building
as I suggested he would do seventeen
years ago with the result that a very
AN+6S PoAIAOL III I4c 1duu& u6& LQGu Dur
chased has already gone into the hands
OF new settlers who are coming into
the state this spring by the train load
Ihey are coming with their wives ant
children with bands of horses and cat.
tie, trekking very largely from lowe
and other western states, giving a neW,
population experienced in opening ur
new countries from knowledge gained
through the work of their fathers.
Lands which were going a begging
two years ago at from 50 tx, So an acrf
are already selling readily at from S;
to So, not only in the Washburn dis.
tr1ct but in other parts Of the western
part of north Dakota, which the set.
tiers in the Red river valley Of twent,
years ago were wont to class as worth.
less and to insist would never be set.
tied. Up to the last two years these
lands were largely given up to thu
cattle interests but recently it has beer
discovered that these prairie land.
can be broken up in the spring and {
profit of S. to $40 an acre gained thu
first year from sowing fax on sod
Indeed there are many instances where
the sod crop yielded a much greater
sum that $40, sometimes upwards o
SD, besides paying all expense )
breaking, seeding, harvesting, thresh
ing and marketing.