The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-02
WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA
AND ITS DEVELOPMENT

ing country as we'll as the Red river val
ley . -. .......s.s .s.: ~ .4e-. .. So.
,~ New settlers came rom Iowa. Kansas. I
Michigan and other states, not a few from
tar away Virginia, bringing stock and
money with them in many cases, and en-
gagged in diversified farming. They liked
the country, and their friends followed
them, especially the young men. who
worked out for other farmers while de-
velopng their own claims, having few of
the hardships endured by their parents in
opening the country where they settled
forty to fifty years ago.
1t is estimated that 100000 people have
been added to. the population of North
Dakota during the past three years This
influx has very largely gone to the west
ern part of the state. The branch lines
of railroads have been extended into the
| territory being settled and numerous new
and thriving towns have sprung up. Lands
which had been proved up" years ago
by claim hunters without farming !Rx-
perience, and subsequently, passed into the
hands of the mortgage and land COM
panies were placed on the market and
| sold at large advance over the cost I'm
proved farms have found purchasers at
good prices, conside rably above the prices
Of former years, and in some instances
| relinqutshments have sold as high as
| s1.700 for a quarter section in regions
| where two years before there was not a
| Single SeCCler. InlS means InaL all OF Ino
| government land had been filed on, and
that some father, brother or friend gave
a settler that amount of money to relin-
| quish his right to the claim he was oc-
| cupying and allow the purchaser to make
! an entry thereon.
| AS much as the advance has been the
prices are still below the actual value of
the land, and any farm in the state which
| can be purchased at present prices pre-
vailing in the locality where it is stu
ated, will prove a. good inveStment-bet-
| ter. in the hands of the practical farmer
than money at II per cent interest. Loan
companies, which few years ago refused
to place loans west of the Red River val
ley, eager to find borrowers in
the western part of the state. The in
creasing population has created new
openings in many lines of business, an6
new demands for apital.
While in some respects not equal tt
some barvests in other years. the harvest
of 1902 made a splendid showing for the
western part Of the state, and this will
result in a still larger influx of new
settlers during the coming immigration
season. = = -
Must Look to Its Laurels. ..-
The Red River valley will have to loof
} to it's laurels if it would continue to holt
it's supremacy over the western part o
the state, for as great and numerous a.
may have been the examples of success
In the ,tted "ttlVer valley, IN 1tS early. Gays
E there have been even better examples il
4 the western part of the state. A few day
/ ago a party owning a hotel in western
5 North Dakota decided to retire from tn
n hotel business and spoke to real estat
: agent about disposing of his property. II
was asked if he wanted to make an ex
e change for farm lands. ''Well, that de
r pends,' he replied, IF you've got some
il thing out this way. I might but I don
e want no farm down in the valley
d But to return to the ranchmen. Their
o are still several million acres Of land i
O western North. Dakota which may b
i used for grazing purposes but the days {
: the large herds are numbered. Instea
n of these there will be diversified farming
n but in less than five years there will b
4 more cattle, horses, sheep and other liv
a stock in the state than would have bee
n possible under the old system Of larg
- herds. .7zs