The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1906-09-14


handling of the grain business
On the west side of the river is Oil
vert county with territory vastly pro-
ductive in stock and grain, and con-
sequently communities seeking trading
relations with Washburn the logical
trading center. To cultivate and pro-
vide a market and trading facilities
theE business men of Washburn have
co-Dperated in the construction of
freight ferry boat at cost of $4,000
designed for the freightage across the
river of grain, stock, teams, carriages,
etcssat frequent intervals, in fact dur
ing Ahe busy seasons on regular SCH
edu1fs There are perfect and ade-
quate landings on both sides and in
the near future they will be connected
by Telephone thus reducing delays to
parties on the west side to the small
est ftfraction. 1t is an enterprise
which will mean hundreds of dollars
to the merchants of Washburn and
proportionate value in convenience to
RANGERS and farmers desiring rapid
communication with banking, postal
and railroad facilities in the east side
metropolis. The ferry boat has been
equipped with ample power and faci-
lities for handling the big volume of
business anticipated.
New Inhabitants.
1t is no risk to state that the popu-
lation of Mclean county has doubled
within the past two years. mostly to
the northwest of Washburn, and a
journey from the latter point to the
end of the 500 extension to Garrison
will tend to confirm the assertion.
Ready buyers are found for the fertile
and nndulating wild lands at prices
, FROM SIS to $50 an acre. There is no
selling of improved lands, but instead
the early settlers are investing their
earnings of the last four years i'm adj
ditions to their holdings in order to
assure themselves against being
crowded and as a means or reserving
sufficient grazing lands, for large pro-
fits in diversification have been DEM
onstrated in more ways than one-not
counting that the method adds stabili-
ty to the general farming proposition.
Naturally the extension of this branch
of the 500 system to Garrison has
stimulated the passing of settlers into
this section of the state wonderfully.
A barometer of the movement is re-
Elected in the fact that forty-eight
grain elevators have been erected in
Mclean county during the past three
years and 1t is reliably stated that the
investment has annually netted a
profit.
Fertility.
1t is hard for the average man to
realize the splendid resources which
lie within the boundaries of the terri
tory in this county. 1t is evident
that there has been more than a mere
moving forward since the opening of
the new century, it has been a veri-
table springing forward. The story
of the present year is likely to be one
which will show surprising wealth
per capita in this section of the state,
an advance which a decade ago would
have been considered beyond all
bounds. The early settlers were GER
tain there were great possibilities I'M
der the influence of a more consider
ate weather man and more extended
cultivation.
North and west of Washburn the
fertility is particularly rich. The soil
is black loan with clay subsoil and
the land lies in gentle slopes. On the
south side OF the river, in the bottoms,
are hundreds of acres which the farm
ers have found particularly adapted to
the growing of alfalfa. On some
fields of the latter there have been two
cuts year made producing three tons
to the acre. 1t is anticipated that all
the lands along the Missouri river on
both sides will prove most productive
several fields have yielded large re-
turns in corn the last year or two.
From the landing at Washburn could
be seen not less than 1900 acres of
new breaking over the gentle slopes
on the south side in Oliver county and
as far as the eye could reach were to
be seen fields of yellow the breaking
for which was done last year. Also
could be seen numerous new houses
and farm buildings and all kinds of
activity. Four or five years ago not
house, not field of cultivated land
could be seen even with the aid of the
best field glasses. To the west of
Washburn can be clearly distinguish
ed the Schofield ranch six miles away
on the borders on Mercer county. Up
to within four or five years ago the
opposite side of the great stream was
just one vast stretch of rolling prairie
over which grazing cattle would APP
pear in sight occasionally. There
are los townships in Mclean county
and four years ago there were only six
miles of railroad constructed in the
county now the entire county is al
most spanned from two directions by
the Northern Pacific and the 500. A
striking feature is that the traveller on
the railroad today does not hear the
apology that the farms are away back
from the road. All the way from Bis
marcll TO Garrison the new terminal of
the Washburn branch on both sides of
the line there are great fields of wheat
or flax and back may be seen comfor-
table looking farm homes and SUBJ
istantial barns and granaries. II this
means anything IL means that the land
| is rapidly being sold or fled upon and
subjected to the Invading armies of
homeseekers who desire to be on ''the
ground floor and be near railroad fa-
cilities.
Good Schools.
/ There Is a splendid school spirit at