The Saint Paul globe., 1904-01-25

We have Just returned from a trip
through the eastern part of Pine coun-
ty in our state. We love to make those
excursions into territory never travers-
cd by us previously, because of the in
formation which it gives with refer
ence to the nature of the soil, and also
concerning its present condition. We
left the Great Northern train at Bruno
on the Eastern Minnesota. From Bru-
no to Duluth is about fifty miles, and
from Bruno to Hinckley about twenty
five miles. We traversed the country
eastward in the direction of the Tama-
rack river The river is about twelve
miles east from Bruno and seven or
eight miles from the Wisconsin border.
We were more than astonished at the
little actual settlement of the land that
had been effected. We had not gone
far over the trail that led through the
forest before we were satisfied that the
country had exceptional adaptation for
farming 1t should not be considered
surprising then that we asked of Mr.
Patrick Murphy, who was driving,
what is the explanation of the fact that
such a country as this has not been
taken up by settlers? He gave the fol-
lowing explanation:
This land, he said, had been pur-
chased by the owners of the st. Paul
& Duluth railroad many years ago.
They had purchased it from the United
States government, and in one way or
another had had the timber removed
from it. Two years ago last autumn
this land was purchased by the Farm
ers Land & Cattle company, with
headquarters in ST. Paul. Until the
said purchase the land was not in the
market to actual settlers. We then
asked Mr.. Murphy how much of this
land was comprised in the purchase?
He replied about 10000 acres.
We asked how much of this
land has been since sold by the COM
pany? He answered, about 10000
acres, speaking roughly. We then ask
ed, is the balance all for sale? He an
Swered, yes. Our next question was,
what is such land held for? His reply
was, the lowest price was $3.50 per
acre and the highest price about SIS.
Much of it is held at about $500 per
acre. A good deal depended upon the
location and the amount of green tim
Der that was still on the land.
We drove several miles eastward
over this forest trail. 1t was a drive
that will lingeR for little while at
least in our memory. There has been
a good deal of rain in the country the
past season. Before we had gone far
we found that we were able to stay in
the conveyance by clutching tightly
and holding on to the bottom of the
seat Without such precaution we can
only conjecture how many times we
would have pitched out head first into
the mud holes on the trail. We asked
Mr.. Murphy if it had never occurred
to the owners of this land the advisa-
bility of constructing roads through it
here and there, in order that people
could see it. Continuing, we said to
him, it is simply amazing to us that
people could be induced to buy this
land at all after having made a jour
ney over such a piece of road. Mr.
Murphy smiled. He said, it is easier
talking about building road through
a new country such as this than max
ing it. We had evidence a little later
of the correctness of his statement,
as at one time we left the trail for
some distance in order to see the work
that has being conducted under the di-
rection of Mr.. f. Burns the owner of
the Bruno town site, in the construc-
tion of road leading eastward some
five or six miles from Bruno. We un-
derstand a piece of road about the
same length is also to be constructed
on the other side of the town lead
ing toward Willow river These roads
both lead through the lands owned
by the said company.
The bad roads, however, did not In
the slightest shake our faith in the
great value of this same region as a
farming country. We believe that it
has q very great future before it. Over
some of it the fire swept in 1894. Where
it did a growth of hazel and other
kinds of brush has grown up. 1t GER
tainly has a forbidding look to the
stranger at the present time, partic-
ularly on the higher ground There is
a considerable sprinkling of pretty
large pine stumps on this portion Of
the land. Large tracts intervening of
ground a little lower have never been
swept by the fire. There is still
good deal of timber growing on these,
some of which, as for instances the
oak and large birch trees still remain
ing, will make good lumber, and all of
which will make cord wood. On some
of the land there is but little wood; on
other portions from twenty to thirty
cords an acre could be obtained We
understand that this wood sells for
about So so per cord laid down at
Bruno station. Most of the timber
areas comprise yellow and white birch,
bass wood, maple, oak, with some ash
and elm. No jack pine or Norway pine
is to be found in this region.
we stopped at a Idrm IoF uInIleF
some four or five miles eastward from
Bruno. 1t is owned by Mr.. Nelson Free
man, who began operations there in
1902. He is conining his attention
chiefly to a forty-acre tract in the
meantime, although he owns a quarter
section. During the two years that he
has lived there he has brought four
teen acres under cultivation, about
twelve Of which are now growing po
tatoes and nearly all the balance is
garden stuff of various kinds. This he
sells to the lumber camps further east.
The potatoes were a most excellent
crop as also were the cabbages and
other garden stuff. He has also quite
a number of colonies of bees. The ex-
cellence of their product we had an
opportunity of testing while lunching
in his bachelor home.
The country traversed was undulat-
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