The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1900-03-24
Some Big Farms In Indiana.
Indianapolis Letter in chicago Record.

indianapolis Letter in Chicago Record
The largest farms in Indiana-one of
them the largest of its kind in the world
are strung along through the northern
part of Jasper and Newton counties and
the southern part of Lake county. The
largest of these farms is the B. +. Clifford
tract, which, by recent additions, now con-
sists of 32, 900 acres 1t is doubtless the
largest body of land ever held by one indi-
vidual in Indiana There have been larger
farms, but they have been held by firms
OF men representing the centralized inter
ests of others. From the view point of
the West the Clifford farm is not so notably
large. But in Indiana, where farmer
that has from so to 160 acres is consider
ed in good circumstances, the size of this
large holding is enormous
In one respect the Clifford farm is
notable one compared to any tract. 1t is
the largest cultivated swamp farm in the
world 1t was only ten years ago that the
section which Mr.. Clifford is now convert
ing into pastures and vegetable and grain
producing land. was a series Of marshes,
pools and lakesAa part of the Kankakee
swamps. Mr. Clifford had previously de-
veloped great tract similar to this near
Champaign, Ill. When Mr.. Clifford first
conceived the idea Of converting portion
of the Kankakee lands in Indiana to agri-
cultural purposes he acquired at nominal
price about ten thousand acres. He then
bought two dredges, similar to those used
by the government in its river dredging.
The dredges were put to cutting large
bitches, almost the size of small rivers.
This work has been going on night and
day for years, and now there are 5000
acres in high state of cultivation. The
last year the tallest corn, and probably the
best in Indiana, was raised on this tract.
Instead of fences Mr.. Clifford has water
ways between pastures. He has seventy
five miles of largo bitches through the
farm, and has thousands of miles of small
er bitches In addition to this he is now
putting in drain tile. The soil taken from
| the ditch beds has been shoveled back over
the fields, and thus the fields, have been
raised little by little as the ditching went
on. The work is still going on, but it will
take years to put all the tract into cultiva-
ton.
Mr.. Clifford has between 800 and 400
tenement houses on the farm and the pop
ulation is probably 2, 900 people. He has
a spur to the farm from the nearest rail
way, and ships his products direct to the
markets. The land, when in state of
cultivation, is as productive as any in In
diana, and is worth from $50 to s75 an
acre. 1t cost Mr.. Clifford from 81 to
| s1.5O an acre. Mr.. Clifford lives at
Kankakee.
Leroy Templeton, few years ago the
Populist candidate for governor, owns a
farm of 5000 acres in Newton county,
and is said to raise more corn and cattle
every year than any other man in the state.
Less than ten years ago the state sold the
land for seventeen cents an acre. The
only crop then was bullfrogs and malaria.
A drain thirty feet wide and eight feet
deep was constructed, and the land soon
became productive. Mr.. Templeton paid
SIG and acre for it, and would not take
less than $50 an acre now. Year before
last Mr. Templeton raised 100, 600 bushels
of corn on his farm. He cleared SIG, 00O
on the years crop. During the year just
ended he raised 80, 900 bushels of corn.
He has more than thousand cattle on his
farm. He employs fifty men to look after
the work.
The Allen Gregory farm, which is now
being divided among the heirs, includes
5000 acres. The William Kent farm,
southwest of Fair Oaks, consists of $500
acres The Otis farm comprises nearly
1O,0 acres, and lies parallel along the
Moon Railway from Fair Oaks to Rose
Lawn. The farm of H. W. Cooley, who
recently fell dead in his office, in Chicago,
has almost 8, 900 acres, and last year it
produced nearly 100, 900 bushels of corn.
Browan Brothers, of Crown Point, have a
farm of 5000 acres. The Hamlet Hay
Company has about 10000 acres near
Hamlet. Nelson Morris has 10, 600
acres, and W. L. Shelby, of Grand Rap
ids, has nearly Is, 900 acres. Portions of
these farms are in state of cultivation.
The tenants are largely Polanders, Swedes,
Germans and Hollanders.
One of these large farms is owned and
managed by woman. She is Mrs. Jen-
ME Conrad, and owns Z, 600 acres in New
ton county. She farms every acre of it,
conducts a big cattle business, breeds
horses for the Chicago market and is max
ing great deal of money. She is a
woman of about forty five and has all the
graces Of her sex. But she looks after
her farm and vast business personally, not
trusting any one to attend to it for her
The land is worth from $40 to $50 per
acre.
Many years ago Adam Earl and Moses
Fowler owned the largest farm there ever
was in Indiana Before the war they ac-
quired stretch of Al, 900 acres in Jasper
and Benton counties. The farm took in
almost all the vast prairie lying from the
north of Boswell to the Sumner holdings.
Fowler held about 25, 900 acres in his own
name, and Earl had the remainder, which
centered in and around Earl Park. They
farmed together. During the war they
grazed and stocked it with tens Of thou
sands of cattle, and filed large govern
ment contracts Their Benton county
interests caused them to push the Indian
apolis and Layfayette Line through their
lands. Fowler caused the county seat to
be moved, and built the present town of
Fowler, on the eastern border of his farm,
by making land donations and giving $40,
600 toward the erection of courthouse.
After while Fowler and Earl dissolved
partnership, and the former began to sell
off his land Fowler had in view the per-
petuation of his great estate, and in his
will made provision that it should not be