Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1902-02-28
ABOUT NORTH DAKOTA.

An Old Timer Tells Many Interest
ing Things of That Wonder
full State.
Manchester [Ia.] News.
From reports cleaned from the
real estate men Of the state and the
immigration agents OF the North
ern Pacific, Great Northern and
500 railroads, it is confidently ex-
pected that fully 100000 settler
will locate in North Dakota this
year. The cause of this tremen-
dous migration to purely agricul-
tural state, nearly doubling it's
population, is principally from the
fact of the wide circulation given
the story of the unprecedented pros
perity Of the farmers of North
Dakota during the past three
years. In the northern part Of
the state quarter section farms
that were purchased three years
ago from 500 to 81 900 have yield
ed to their owners from $4,000 to
$1,000 year from the cultivation
of fax, wheat, oats and barley.
In the Devils Lake land district,
the fax belt of the state, nearly
every acre Of government land
has been homesteaded during the
past two years.
A homestead in this district is
worth $4,000 as soon as the gov
ernment issues a deed of the land
to the occupant, which usually is
IA months after filing. The home
stead laws are not hard to comply
with. Six months after fling the
homesteader must move on the
land, build habitable shack y
which costs about $50, and break
ten acres Of the land. Aftera con-
tinuous residence Of eight months
the claimant can commute and
receive d patent for his land by
paying the government $l25 an
acre. Or he can live on the land
continuously for five years, at the
end of which period he receives a
patent from the government with.
out any cost other than the or.
iginal fee of $l4 which is paid the
local land Office at the time Of filing
Another powerful incentive to
immigration to the state is the
anticipated opening of the Fort
Totten Indian reservation, which
is situated on the south shore of
the picturesque body Of water
known as Devils Lake. A treaty
was made last summer with the
Fort Totten Indians for the cession
of their unallotted lands, and bills
have been introduced in congress
to ratify this treaty. It is expe Ct
ed that congress will ratify the same
in time for the department to throw
these lands open to homestead
settlers during the early summer
months. The lands embraced in
this treaty comprise over 100000
acres of the best located and
richest lands in the state. There
are 800 living springs of pure
wholesome water, innumerable
small lakes and considerable
wooded land on the tract. Devils
Lake is a body of water nearly SO
miles long, from 8 to 12 miles
wide and from 8 to 40 feet deep.
The water OF the lake is salt and
is fed by Underground springs.
Devils Lake is known as North
Dakota's Inland Sailed Sea, and
is becoming famous as health
and summer resort. On the north
shore Of the lake, in vast forest
of stately oak, q Chautauqua as.
sembly holds forth during the
month Of July every year, and
is patronized by people froml all
parts of the United States. Hourly
! entertainments are given during
the assembly by the best talent
that money can procure. But the
hourly program in the largest
Chautauqua auditorium in the
country, the unexcelled boating
facilities, the cool atmosphere
and the seductive forests are not