The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-17
TWO BIRDS; | STONE
North Dakota Convention Will Dis
cuss Drainage as Well as
Irrigation.
Excessive Moisture in Some Parts
Plans for the Meeting
Well Along.
Special to The journal.

work Of government irrigation in this
state are in progress. The commit
tee has made some tentative sugges-
tons for the program, but has not
definitely decided upon it beyond the
fact that President Hill will speak
on the afternoon Of the first day. The
lists Of delegates from all parts Of
the state are being made up by Com
missioner Of Agriculture Turner. Gov
ernor White will probably call the
convention to order. and after the
preliminary organization is effected
an adjournment will be taken until
afternoon, which will be given over
to teh address by Mr.. Hill.
# The second days proceedings will
be largely in the nature of a discus
sion to determine the best means of
irrigation Of seniarid lands in the
state and to formulate resolutions.
There will also be a discussion of the
proposed drainage amendment to the
irrigation law, providing for the ex-
penditure of some of the funds in
draining lands where there is excess
sive moisture.
It has been pointed out by the
Devils Lake Inter-Ocean, Senator
Hansbrough's paper, that as it is al
ready provided in the law that settlers
upon irrigated lands must pay their
proportion Of the cost of the irriga-
L1OIi Wo1hS ~ IS likely IIldL d SlullIdi
provision would be made in case a
drainage amendment were adopted,
and that farmers might as well pro-
vide for the construction of drainage
systems under state laws, thus avoid
ing the appearance of paternalism
suggested by a request for govern
ment aid in drainage. The several
view points Of this matter will be
among the matters discussed.
ms IN 7, oyaS
ing an irrigation system in North Da-
kota. s p
Another matter that will probably
form q prolific source of discussion
is the expression of the convention
regarding the government land laws.
The National Irrigation association
has been sending out literature to
show the land grabbing that has been
made possible by the timber and
of the homestead law. Many of the
final proofs perfected in North Da-
kota have been made under the COM
| mutation clause, where the settler has
lived on his land for fourteen months
and then paid for it at the rate OF
$3.50 an acre if within the railroad
limits, and $1.25 if outside of the
limits. Doubtless a resolution pro-
posing the repeal Of this clause will
be discussed. -. g.. - -. Il. -.
The desert land clause is also OF
much interest in some parts of the
! state, and several contests have orig
mated in the Minot land district All
| of these questions will furnish mate
rial for interesting discussion.
| As to Albright. =
Recent press dispatches stating tina,
Samuel j. Albright, governor Of Da
kota territory under President Pierce
has recently been taken to the Ma
Ettonal Military home at Dayton, Ohio
after sixty years of service as a news
paper publisher and editor, are ii
Terror in assigning to Albright the gov
ernorsh1p, of Dakota territory. HI
publisher of the territory of Dakots
and speaker of the house of the frs
provisional legislature. -
The history of, the territory shows
that Albright established a newspa
per, the Dakota Democrat, in tn,
Sioux Falls Settlement consistinl
of colony of adventurous settler
who located IN the vicinity of tn,
present city of Sioux Falls, S. D., il
| the fifties. 80 : r. = ~ -. =
The Sioux Falls colony was located
in 1857 by the Dakota Land compan,
that left st. Paul in a steamer AM
travelled by river to New Ulm, theme,
overland TO Dakota, striking the Ri,
Sioux river in Brookings county. The,
located several towns, among then
Flandreau, named after Judge Elan
drau of st. Paul. They pushed on t.
Sioux Falls and settled there, namin,
the colony Sioux Falls City. Every
thing went along finely until the lat
ter part OF the summer, when the In
dams appeared and compelled tn
evacuation Of the settlement. In tn
latter part Of August another colon
7 located there, built a saw mill and a
the beginning Of the winter there wer
at Sioux Falls a store, three dwellings
a saw mill and sixteen men.
+ Driven Out a Second Time.
In June of the following summe
the Indians again became trouble
some, and a second time drove set
i tiers out of the upper valley. ~ TIA
4 time there were about sixty able
! bodied men in the colony and a 500
! fort was thrown up for protection
4 Finding themselves without govern
ment, the. settlers around Sioux Fall
( resolved to organize a provisional
1 government.
4 A provisional legislature was con
i vened and Henry Masters was elected
president of the council and Albrigh
! speaker of the house. Masters dice
in the same year, the first death of
white man in the valley.
The territory of Dakota was no
established until 1851. DR.. William
Jayne was the first governor, and Al
bright, enormously stated to have beer
governor under Pierce, never occu
pied the position of executive.
ri = L .