The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-11
IN PINE COUNTY
A New Country in the Natural Grass
Region.

Region.
The present rapid settlement and devel-
opment of the lands In central-eastern
Minnesota, In what may be termed the
ST.. Croix basin, is source of amazement
to many people who have never made any
investigation of this district. Professor
Winchell, state geologist and the sports
men who have hunted and fshed in Pine
county have long known of It's merits and
advantages as an agricultural district and
that its proximity to the Twin Cities and
Duluth and Superior was bound to bring
settlement and Improvement, but the gen
eral public has until recently been almost
unaware of the really fine body of fertile
lands SO close at hand and SO lit tie devel-
oped. In the old days of almost exclusive
grain-growing, prairie lands were cheap
and easily brought under cultivation and
it was natural that they should first be
taken, but ever since dairying and stock
raising have come to the front in the
northwest the meadows and grass lands of
the so-called hardwood districts of Min:
nesota have been making a steady drain
on the prairie districts and this drain
seems to be gaining added strength.
The district between st. Paul and Du-
luth In eastern-central Minnesota has
been called the natural grass region of
the northwest" and quite properly for in
no other part OF the country can be found
such luxuriant growths of red top, blue
joint, timothy and 4big red clover" The
is the Farmers Land and Cattle company.
of St. Paul, with Offices in the Globe
building and at 1916 E Third street In
that city. This company some months
since, after making careful examination
of the lands purchased all of the holdings
of the old st. Paul & Duluth Railroad
company in Pine county, aggregating over
100000 acres. Subsequent purchases of
private lands have increased the holdings
of this company to about 225,000 acres.
Although this large purchase was not in
shape to be placed on the market until
nearly the first of November the sales to
February LIST amount to nearly 1000
acres, a very large proportion Of which
has been sold to actual settlers. The Of
fcers of the Farmers Land and Cattle
company are: president, Henry L. Simons.
Of Glencoe; vice president and counsel.
Hon. M. ID. Mum, of st. Paul; secretary
and treasurer, T. M. Paine, Glencoe: and
assistant secretary and manager, James
A. NOVEL;, of st. Paul. Messrs. Simons
and Paine are president and assistant
cashier respectively of the First National
bank OF Glencoe. Mr.. Mum is one of
the leading attorneys of st. Paul and
Mr.. NOVEL; is Minnesota Manager of the
American Bonding & Trust company.
Yes said Mr.. NOVEL; in answer to an
inquiry, "it is true that our sales to date
since the middle Of October amount to al
most Sc, 600 acres about as much as we
expected to sell in year. The way
things are moving / am almost ready to
predict that we shall close out the en-
tire tract before Jan. /, 1907
Why has this large body OF land so
sadvantageously located been so long neg
lected?" asked The Journal man
That is a question have been asked
by hundreds OF land-seekers, verbally by
those who had visited the lands and BY
letter. from those noticing our location
who have written to me to make In
quiry," was the reply. in the first place.
the Uoorest-lands in Pine county are along