The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-02-20
GO ON THE FARM.

has been an unprecedented demand
for land in the Northwest. This de-
sire to become owners OF land, parti-
cularly timber land, has been enter
tanned by rich and poor alike, because
of the constantly increasing value of
timber In former years, when the
interior department at Washington
proclaimed the opening of certain
townships to settlement, there was
little or no interest manifested at the
announcement. Frequently there were
several pieces of valuable land not
filed upon at all, and it was not until
our neighbors in Iowa and adjoining
states saw the wisdom of moving to
our northern counties that we in
Minnesota awoke to the ACCESSIBILITY
OF joining the procession. Since then,
many Of Our home state people have
gone into the northern forests, erect
ed their log shanties, and are now
comfortably enjoying the companion
ship of their good neighbors. So gen.
eral has been this filing on lands that
not one timber claim of any consider
able value is to be had in this state
at present. True, there are still many
townships unopened for settlement, on
which some tardy citizens hope to
build the first shanties, but as to when
these particular lands will be opened
for settlement is a matter of conjec-
ture. Some of them and perhaps all
will never be thrown open to the pub
lie, and in that event the man who has
neglected to avail himself of his
homestead and timber and stone rights
will get left. But there are thousands
of acres of fine prairie lands still TN
occupied, and The Irish Standard ad-
vises all its readers to take advantage
of their rights and get 100 acres of
good land before the best of it is all
taken tip by enterprising people from
the East.
Many people suppose that to file and
prove up on quarter section of land
means great hardships and many
privations. This is not so. And right
here let us say to our Irish-American
friends that of the actual settlers in
our northern counties, our people are
sadly in the minority. A correspon-
dent OF The Irish Standard who re-
Gently Jnade trip through many
townships in Itaska county tells us
that all the settlers he met, with one
exception, were of other nationalities.
This lone Irishman was the happy
possessor of 100 acres of the finest
timber land in the county. He inform
ed our correspondent that our people
were losing the opportunities of a
lifetime by staying in the big cities,
when with half the exertion necessary
to hold down half-paid position in
the big towns they could be indepen-
dent on the claim He added by way
of self endorsement that his timber
alone was worth $1,000, and after he
had disposed OF it he would then have
means to either clear up his land and
make good farm out of it, or go
elsewhere and purchase a good prairie
farm. This man before taking up his
home in the woods was an ordinary
day laborer. By thrift and persever-
ance he has made a good home for
himself and his family. He cares lit
tie whether coal is sold at famine
prices or not. He has frewood for a
! thousand years to come at his very
J. door. What this man has done, thou
sands OF others can do, if they only
make up their minds to do it. All that
is necessary is little will power and
the rest will follow as matter Of
course. Our large cities are over
flowing with people looking for work.
The factories, shops and retail stores
are not the places for young men
who want to better their condition.
With the concentration of wealth con-
stantly going on, the condition of the
average city employe is daily growing
worse. The cost of living is much
higher now than for many years past,
and wages have not kept pace with this
increased price of breadstuffs. 1t is
reasonable to assume that the average
wage Garner pays at least IS per cent
more for the necessaries of life now
than he did four years ago, and the
man who has profted largely by this
increase is the farmer. He has reaped
the harvest, and we'll does he deserve
it. Let the young man who is trying
to get foothold here look squarely
at the condition of things as they are
If he does he will see that to be in
dependent he must give up the idea
OF securing a petty Office position
which he is liable to lose at any time
Let him make up his mind to be the
proud possessor of good piece o
land and he will succeed. On the farm
he will be independent, and as he goe:
to feed his horses. cattle and hog.
every morning and gather i'll the cror
of freshly laid eggs, he will have nc
fear of a sudden gall to the book
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