The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1903-10-24
NORTH DAKOTA.

Like South Dakota, and every
other states, has it's drawbacks, but
it also has it's advantages.
The president Of one of Chicago's
largest investment companies in
discussing North Dakota recently
said:-
"Since 1898, while the farmers
and merchants OF the state have
been heavy buyers in the Chicago
market, there has been less and
less demand from them for loans
for home investment. This means
that their lands have gone up in
value, that their crops are profta-
BILE, that their stock is remunera-
tive, and that they have bank ac-
counts. 1t is less than fifteen years
ago that my corporation had a lit
tie over $6,00O,000 placed in North
Dakota, all drawing interest, and
all secured by Dakota land. We
have today less than a million dol
lars in the same district, and this
is not due to any desire Of ours to
withdraw from the state, but be-
cause the farming and mercantile
population there is no longer bor-
rowing.
North Dakota is dividing itself
into two great natural producing
sections. The Red River Valley
and the country east to the valley
Of the Jim is being given over to
diversified farming and blooded
stock raising. The soil, the water,
the ground CONFORMATION north from
Sargent, Richland and Ransom
is all favorable to this kind Of de-
velopment As Duluth on the east
and st. Paul and Minneapolis on
the southeast have grown in pop
ulation and mercantile important
ance the markets for eastern North
Dakota have steadily grown in
value, until today the skilled stock
breeder and the intelligent diver
siied farmer finds little difficulty
in placing his products.
The North Dakota just east Of
the Missouri and also west Of it,
is more and more passing into the
range cattle industry. Here the
beef products for the outside world
are being raised. A harder steer
is raised than in the southwest,
with the result that a superior beef
is secured. Great attention is be-
ing paid to water areas and water
distribution. also conservation OF
supply and the extension OF the
natural grass districts. The set
tiers who are coming in, whether
stock raisers OF farmers, are bring
ING new ideas with them and apply
ing them to the soil, The school
house, the church, the town hall,
the public library, the open road
are everywhere.
"The population is Of a very
high character, sturdy, strongly
American, extremely intelligent. L
regard North Dakota as one OF the
most favorable locations in the
West for permanent settlement"
Continuing, Nh. r. F, Gable says,
in Western Progress
From my own personal obser-
vations, which cover some twenty
years of travelling through the re-
gions referred to-, L would grant to
the Canadian northwest all that is
claimed for it's openness and super
fetal richness of soil. l would con-
cede that if half a dozen or more
railway lines traversed the Asslnl-
boia. if timber culture had been in
progress there fifty years, it the
summers were not too hot and the
winters too long and cold, it might
eventually make a successful farm
ing and cattle country.
"But without wishing to detract
from "a single just merit it may
possess for settlement purposes, L
would say that North Dakota, not
subject to the monopoly OF a Sill
gle railway, with more facilities
than even staid Arkansas, or Lou
isiana possess, with less illiteracy,