The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-13

town now contains about 5000 people
and is growing very fast, buildings are
going up In every part of the city ana
today you cannot find a vacant building
In the town. Bemidji was named AFTER
the famous Indian, Chief Bemidji, one
of the pioneer Indians of this country.
BemidJi is one of the best geographical
ly located towns in the Northwest, being
100 miles east of Crookston, 100 miles
west of Duluth, 100 miles north of Brain
ard, 100 miles south of Koochiching, on
the Canadian border, 200 miles from the
Twin Cities, and is connected with these
points by the Great Northern and Min
nesota & International railways, and has
ten daily passenger trains and the best
of freight service. Aside from its SPLEEN
did possibilities as a summer resort. it
is so situated geographically that 1t is
bound to maintain its supremacy as the
commercial center of this section, and
now commands a large volume of trade,
covering considerable surrounding
area. Bemidji is the wood and lumber
supply point for the Missouri river coun-
try, and the farming country tributary
TO Bemidji produces all kinds of small
grain and produce raised in any northern
climate. While numbering has been the
chief industry since the inception of the
town, and the supplying of logging
camps and the men employed therein, as
well as settlers, has heretofore consti-
tuted the volume of the business of the
local merchants Bemidji, has for the last
two years been taking on more the APP
pearance of an older settled town in the
midst of a farming community. and to-
day the merchants enjoy a very large
trade from the farmers of this section.
Bem1dJi boasts of her city schools, for
they are one of the leading schools of
the state. They haIeEa fine school house
and employ fourteen teachers, the very
best they can get. The court house. built
in 1902, cost the county $4,000, and is
credit to Beltrami county. The city has
a fine opera house and city hall, six
churches of the principal denominations,
and a public hospital. conducted by the
Benedictine sisters. The new county jail
cost $4,000, Foley Bros brickyard, two
lumber yards wholesale liquor house,
twenty general stores and brick business
blocks that would do credit to. much
larger town; two drug stores, two banks,
three meat markets, bottling works, one
cigar factory, a fine brewery, just COM
pleted at a cost of $4,000; good system
of Waterworks, owned by the city, and
since 1900 have put in over $40, 600 worth
of mains in the resident district; volunteer
fire department of fOrtyfive members,
and they hold the championship of
Northern Minnesota; electric light plant,
owned by the Warf1eld brothers. is a
credit to the town; four hotels, all mod
ern, three sawmills. The Crookston Lum-
Der cOmpany's plant was built in 1903 at
a cost of $3.50, 900, and when in full blast
employs 500 men, and the cut for the
season is 50,000,000 feet and is the sec
ond largest mill in the state. The pro-
posed sash and door factory to be built
this spring will employ sixty men and be
a credit to the town. Three newspapers,
two weekly and one daily, and are a cred
it to the town and county. Beltrami
County News, owned by Martin & Chris
Henson, is one of the leading papers of
the town and county, was established in
1898 and has a very large subscription
list and advertising patronage. The Be
midi Sentinel owned and managed by
our old-time friend Hayes, is always on
time and read by all. Mr.. Hayes is an
old-time newspaper man of the state. The
Bemidji Pioneer is one Of the leading
dailies Of this northern country. R. w.
Hitchcock is manager
The Beltrami County Fair association,
organized In 1903, has fine grounds in
closed and the best half-mile track in
this state, grandstand with seating ca
paclty Of 1000 and best ball grounds in
this Northern country. Bemidji can offer
today better inducements for mills, sash
and door factory, foundry, boat building
establishment, wagon factory, box fac
tory, casket factory and better site for
a pulp mill could not be found In the
Northern country, as the material is here.
and the water always plentiful and of
the purest quality. The water power in
this section Is going to- waste and the
business men Of Benidit stand ready to
give inducements to the right ones to
locate any of the above mentioned works.
Now for q few remarks to our friends In
the East. There Is mo other section Of
country where such opportunities are pre-
scented for poor men to secure comfortable
homes and a fine farm as there are In the
territory tributary to Bemidji. The pure
air. good water and even climate, the soft
wind, laden with doors from the pine trees
fir and cedar. all combine to make it re-
sort for people worn out with the noise
and dust of the cities, and for those that
are suffering from pulmonary diseases.
For the sportsman, this country can
not be surpassed, as the lakes are all
teeming with fish, and the woods with all
kinds of game This ecut-over land in
this county. and vicinity of Bemidji is
now selling from Sc to $40 per acre, but
you will have to close the deal this sea-
son to get the land at that price, as the
rush is soon to come and my motto for
all is to keep your eye on Bemidji.
BeItrami County.
In Beltrami county there are large
tracts of cut-over land now open for
settlement, and this land offers unusual
advantages 1Of Stock IdlSIIlS d1lu Qduy-
ing, as we'll as diversified farming. The
vast agricultural resources of the north
central part of Minnesota are but dimly
understood or appreciated by the people
of the East, This portion in Beltrami
county is particularly favored in many
ways. The greater portion around Bemid-
il, the county seat, is heavily timbered
with pine, cedar, fir, spruce and tama
rack There is also a considerable amount
of heavier soil covered with oak, maple,
birch and. poplar. This region abounds
with beautiful lakes of pure water. 1t is
traversed by brooks and rivers at frequent
intervals that furnish good drainige and
fine water power. Along these streams
are strips of meadows where the wild
grasses grow luxuriantly. Good wells Of
pure water are secured at from ten to
twenty-five feet and they never go dry in
the hottest weather.
Soil-The soil Is variable. being rep
resented by nearly an known characters,
from light sandy to- a heavy clay. and
very fertile, warm, quick, easy to work
well drained by a porous subsoil, but not
subject to drought. Then, along the banks
of the streams, lakes and swamps there
is more or less of black, sandy soil, with a
mixture of peat and clay. This soil has
great power to absorb moisture and give
1t off again when needed by the crops
1t is very productivei easy to cultivate,
and is probably some Of the most valuable
land in the district. aIitI N
There is considerable area of tam
arack swamp with from two to three feet