The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-12-08

1900 per cent in the past ,twenty-four
years and nearly 200 per cent since it
was admitted to statehood. -
North Dakota has $500 miles Of rail-
roads in operation. :. = '...-.
The assessed valuation Of real and
personal property in North Dakota
about 20 per cent Of the actual value
is $l46, 537 a.. It's actual wealth is
rapidly nearing the billion dollar mark,
without including it's immensely valu-
able but undeveloped beds of Ignite
coal. =. ~ r,:. i
The farm products of North Dakota
for 1903 aggregated $l25,O0O,000. >
The dairy products of North Dakota
for 1908 Segregated 100000.
North Dakota has $3.50 public
North Dakota has 1000 students in
North Dakota has 1850 pupils in
it's public schools. ...-., -..:..::: -
North Dakota employs $500 public
school teachers. =. r.: ~.
N orth Dakota expended for the sup
port OF its public schools in 1903 81, $685.
The public schools of North Dakota
have an ep dowment of land worth fully
| $5O,0O0,000.. =. AZ 81 Ia :
North Dakota has 43,sBS farms under
! cultivation and $3.50 stock ranches.
! North Dakota has eighty-four -four
| Hills IN operation. : J. ".| /. 5... ..
Sixty creameries and eight cheese
kota. s..:-, -. .~-. - b.
Native Ignite coal, is being mined
at eighty coal mines in the state.
The manufactured products of North
Dakota aggregate $20O00,0Q0 annually.
| North Dakota ranks as the healthi-
statistics of the marine hospital SER
vice, with an average mortality of .6.95
q. thousand. The figures include rec
ords for towns and cities of 1000 or
more in population. The average for
the entire country is 1884, s:S::5r@
= Vacant Lands. - -.
The vacant. lands which may be tax
en- under the homestead laws are mainly
in the western part Of the state-altho
there are still scattered tracts near the
central portion of the state. - &:
The state school lands, comprising
one-elghteenth of the entire area of the
national government for the benefit
Of the public schools. They occupy sec
tions Of one square mile each, num-
bered 16 and SO of each township Of
thirty-six square miles. Each of these
sections embraces $40 acres. The
enabling act and the constitution fix
the minimum price at which these lands
may be sold at $40 an acre. They can
not thus be sold at less price but they
may be sold on any terms the state NAV
fix.
The money arising from their sale
must be. invested in permanent school
fund and only the interest can be used.
The terms fixed for. the state provide
for the sale of these lands on twenty
years time, one-ffth down and one
NTH at the end Of the first five years
a ana soo one;ffth Ill.,; at the end of
year terms, with annual all in interest rest
paid in : advance. About three
hundred thousand acres have been sold
up to the present time, by the board of
university and school lands.
North Dakota g opportunities are
present opportunities. It will have
other opportunities later, but the fact
must not be lost sight of that this
state is developing rapidly along many
lines. Especially is this true in the
settlement of it's low priced lands and in
building up of new towns and business
centers: to care for the rapidly de-
veloping. country. ..+t'
Ward County.
Ward county contains $500 square
miles. It is nearly as larg e as Con
nectacut 1T has 24O miles Of river val
hundreds Of coulees leading into the val
ley. One-half Of the country is adapted
to farming and the remainder is excel
lent grazing land.
In Ward county from five to ten tons
of hay arc all that are required to win
ter 100 sheep. The hay is cut from the
wild grasses. Millet, however, Yields
from three to five tons an acre and corn
fodder from seven to twelve. tons. There
is no trouble about forage in Ward coun-
ty.
Horses range all winter on the prai.
ries of Ward county, coming out in good
condition in the spring The weather
is never too severe for cattle or horses
The animals suffer less in 40 below in
this country than they would at &c
above In the eastern states
Morton and Hettinger.
These counties comprise a large area
of rich, easily-tilled and lasting loan
soil, are supplied with an abundance
Of the purest water, have an inexhausti
BILE supply of native coal, and afford
the last opportunity in the United
States to buy prairie lands, and take
free homesteads. The settlement and
development of twenty years have
placed these counties far beyond the ex
perimenal stage in every branch Of agri
cultural and pastoral farming and The
newcomer here can find among his neigh