The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1905-08-16

Ward county has the reputa-
ton OF being the banner farming
county OF the great and growing
state, North Dakota, and there
perhaps is no part OF the county
that helps her to merit this rep
utation more than do the sturdy
farmers OF the Bowbells country,
sixty miles northwest from Minot
up the 500. 1t is hard indeed to
describe capably the beautiful
country reaching in every direct
ion from that thriving little city.
Bowbells and Kenmare have
long been rivals in a business
and a social way and never be-
fore were the cities vieing
with each other so strongly for
points as at the present time.
Bowbells is about fifteen miles
from kenmare. Lying five miles
east from Bowbells is Lake Des
Laos which is familiar to every
tax payer in the county at this
time owing to the fact that the
county commissioners last week
let the contract for an $4,000
bridge to be erected across the
lake east OF Bowbells. Kenmare
while not wishing Bowbells any
ill luck realized that so long as
the bridge remained unbuilt,
much OF the trade to her north.
which naturally would go to
Bowbells, and for years it has
been doing SO. Naturally the
Bowbells merchants feel grateful
to the commissioners who are
responsible for this bridge. This
is one thing which will help Bow
bells in a business way very
much. The city is already a fine
tradit-, point. 1t has district
OF many hundreds OF square
miles from which it draws trade.
Nearly every quarter section
is occupied by some earnest farm
er who realizes that there is more
to this country than the mere
speculation. He has built some
good builC -ngs, starting perhaps
with a one room shack at first,
but these little habitations are
giving way to more modern
structures, nicely painted, large
and warm. Many of the farmers
homes are provided with hot
Water, the mail is brought to
his door daily by the rural car
riers. He keeps posted on the
markets and the events that
are daily making history. He
can talk with you intelligently
on any subject. He has time to
digest what he reads and he can
wind you up in a little while on
some subjects. He has not been
SO busy sowing and harvesting
wheat and oats, barley, speltz
and the other grains that he did
not set out fine groves of box
elder, cottonwood and ash trees.
Many Of these groves are seven
or eight years cd and make fine
shade for stock and beautify
and protect the home from win
try blasts. Truly the Bowbells
farmer has a good deal to be
thankful FOR. lie does not have
to send to Montgomery, Ward
& Co. in order to save money.
He trades with his home mer-
chant as a rule, and he is help
ing to build up a good town and
worthy enterprises. His money
spent for sugar and -four at
home gets back to him in a
dozen different ways. Ask any
Bowbells farmer how his crops
are and he will grow an inch and
assure you that they are Al.
He will tell you that his farm is
composed OF rich black soil and
a little deeper perhaps than you
will find in many other parts of
the county. We mention the
farming interests to some degree
that it is the farmer on
whom we depend for our exist
ence in a way, and no town in
the Northwest can be a good one
unless it is surrounded by good
tillers of the soil.
Let us look about the city a
little. We noticed in particular
that the walks are in good |
shape. Poor walks always are
q mark of condemnation for a
stranger. Bowbells has several
blocks OF good cement walks.
The streets are good. A foot of
gravel was being placed on Main