Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1906-02-08

settled up, it is thriving section Of
the state.
The first trip ! made into North Da-
kota was for similar purpose | went
out to North Dakota with a lot OF
real estate men, not as an agent this
time. We went TO LaMoure and Ran
som counties and spent considerable
time in the town OF Sheldon, driving
from there into the country round
about. And I talked with the old tim
ers there. Why they would say. when
they found we were there looking at
the lands, What are you thinking of;
we are in the dry belt and sersi-arid
region; this country is no good. You
see that grove of trees over theres
Well, that place was settled up once,
but the people have all gone away"
You could buy that land then at Ave,
SIX and seven dollars an acre. They
said that there was only quarter sec
| ti.n here and there that was any good.
| Look at it today. 1t is settled up and
| the towns are prosperous and the ooun-
| try is prosperous.
Lately have come and cast my lot at
Bismarck, on the Missouri Slope, and
I have heard that same story from
| many of our old timers and old citi-
! Gems. They say that we are in. the
dry belt herein the semi-arid region
that this is not a farming country and
that you cannot make an Iowa or Min
nesota or Illinois ont of ii. Now, mo-
body has more respect for the old set
| tiers than I have Most of them were
grand characters; they bIazed the way
| for the coming civilization. But they
are human and they came here twenty
years ahead of the times, and they
waited and waited until they were tired
out for what is here now. They did not
adapt themselves to the natural condi-
tons, and most of them, or many of
them, have become pessimistic, and /
do not wonder. But I say to you that
my former experiences at the time when
ipeople came into new country have
made me skeptical as to the stories of
| the old timers and old settlers of a
| new country, as well as of statistics.
| Now, w1lile~4spretend to no especial
knowledge of North Dakota, there are
certain facts that appeal to me as evil
dent, and presume that when you gem
tleraen go out to solicit, it is those
facts and truths about the country that
are used by you. =. yssv.s. IN,
! What are the facts about this coun-
try? 1t is easy enough to say that this
is not farming country and that it is
not a place for farming and the tilling
of the soil. But what are the facts?
Here in our county, and more particl-
aarly in the county north of us, Nc
Lean, the bank deposits are about one
million dollars. Who are the depositors?
Washburn is the largest town of the
county, having population of some
seven or eight hundred people perhaps
there are no mills or giant corporations
or manufacturing interests there II
the business men of that town have
money, where did they get it? Who
are their customers? Whose million
dollars is that? Can ii be other than
the farmers of Mclean county? Did
! these farmers bring that money with
them to that country? Show me set
, tier who brought in any great amount
of money with him when he settled in
a new country. Go next to Nor
ton county, and find the deposits in
Z the banks there amount to about a mil
lion and quarter dollars Now, who
! are the depositors? There are no gian,
corporations or manufactures there;
J there are no great mills or mines
!. Where did that money come from, and
e If it is not the money of the farmer:
. OF Morton county, whose is it? Here
IN Bismarck we have about million
e and quarter dollars on deposit in oul
!. banks. We are not in the same con
q dnlon, IN all respects, perhaps, as tn,
e odner two counties mentioned. Their.
e are probably some sources for these de
y posts, such as state funds and possibl
i other sources, that you do not find il
: the other counties I have referred to
d But go into the matter, figure up tn
i new banks in the counties and thei
: bank deposits and ascertain who are TIL
u depositors and where the money come
6 from. say that this all furnishes on
q OF the strongest arguments for thi
nj country we have here. You can max
lef assertions, but the fact is that tf1es
$. things are true. (Applause. Thes
IS people have come here with notilin
I'll practically, settled on the prairies
turned the sod and deposited the none
d this land Of ours has brought then
81 Are we IN 4 farming country
d II IS easy TO arraign tables OF staff.
,v# ficS IN, rainfall md a1f 5+I,,saE LII.