Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1903-11-07
MADE independently FIVE YEARS
Was In Debt When He First Settled in
/ Oklahoma. Owns 50, 500 Worth Of
Property and Likes the Country.

Oklahoma. Owns So, 500 Worth Of
Property and Likes the Country.
just five years ago myself, wife aud
two small children settled on 100 acres
OF unimproved land near Duke, Greer
County, Okla, with but 20 cents in
money, about one months supply of
provisions, without dollars worth
of property and $3.50. 90 in debt. Now.
I own q, 10000 worth of paid-for pro-
perty.
The next day after settling here I
hired to one of my neighbors by the
day, to help him gather his big crop
of Indian corn, Kaffir corn, Milo
maize, Sorghum cane, cotton, &C., and
paid up my debt in six months. con-
tinued to work for wages until was
able to build house, buy a wagon,
team, plows, etc. then began turn
ing my rich, sub.irrigated valley land,
which has produced an abundant
amount of several different kinds of
farm products for three successive
years. This valley produces frcm
one half to bale of cotton per acre
every year. Eleven thousand seven
hundred and ninety. eight bales, aver
aging 529 pounds per bale, have been
marketed in Greer County this season,
and the crop is not quite one third
marketed. The total output of the
county will be 10000 bales. The aver
age value per bale is $4,000, making
the total value of Greer County's cot
ton crop for 1902 81, 900, $4,000 for
every man, woman and child in the
county. This is showing of wealth
production that is astonishing, and
cotton is only one of variety Of great
field productions, besides live stock
and poultry.
The hay industry is very profitable
one. The native grass, from five to
ten feet high, waves annually over
thousands of acres of sandy land
This hay sells at from 80 to 50 cents
per bale, which is clear profit, with
the exception of expense of cutting
and marketing. The black land farms
are covered with green waving wheat,
that promises, as usual, bountiful
yield. The spring feed crops this year
were so very fine that many of us re-
called the language of Abe Lincoln:
II stacked all could in the field and
put the rest in the crib" At this wri >
ing, Nov. 8, the fall crop of Milo
maize, Kaffir corn, Indian corn, swee
and Irish potatoes aud many kinds of
vegetables, such as cabbage, lettuce,
beets, turnips, tom atoes, beans, etc ,
are as green and fine as man ever
saw in any country at any season OF
the year. There are thousands of car
loads of nice, green, fresh, we'll ma
tured watermelons and other kinds OF
farm and garden products here today.
1t is nothing uncommon to see cab
bsge head that can hardly be put in q
half-bushel measure. I planted a
bucket full of Irish potatoes last
spring. My family and two other TAM
ilies-twenty persons in all-ate pota
toes from the patch most every day for
two months, and then I dug eight
bushels. This is a splendid f1ui
country-grapes, plume, currants, e,c. ,
grow wild in such enormous quantities
that all who will gather them can have
an abundant supply.
There is not better hog country
known to me. Hogs never die here
with any disease. 1 gave SO 90 for a
SOW three years ago, which has sup
piled my family with meat ever since,
and I have sold $4,000 worth of her
pigs. Another citizen gave S6 90 for a
SOW two years ago; he has sold $75 90
worth of her pigs and has $50 90 worth
of hogs, including the SOW, on hand.
It'costs little to raise hog feed here.
Milo maize, Kafir corn, Sorghum,
ground peas and artichokes never fail
to produce we'll. Ooe of my neighbors
told me few days ago that he had
four acres of artichokes on sandy land,
that each hill would average the siz=
of half bushel, and six inches deep
This is fine poultry country. My
sister, on a 100 acre farm, has bought
a fine buggy and sewing machine re-
Gently with the turkey and chicken
m ney of two years. Her husband
~old 5000 worth of corn last yea ar from
thirty acres of land. The great variety
of grass, principally mesquite, keeps
stock cattle in good condition all the
year, and with a little feed, milk co VS.
give an abun dant amount of butter.