The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1906-08-18
DICkINSON'S PROSPERITY
Shown by Her Enormous Shipments Of Cattle,
Horses, Wool, Coal, Brick and Grain. Largest
City in State West of Missouri River


be the more attractive. The possibi
lties of these lands have been known
for trials were made fifteen years ago,
results were published far and wide,
but the time was not ripe for that new
immigration which was predicted must
come, farmers in the adjoining north
western states had not begun to realize
the propositions they were contending
against in the cultivation of limited
acreage of high priced lands. This
years activity began early last March
and prominent land firm declares
that about 135 people week from ad
joining states have been coming to this
section of the west to personally look
into the offerings which were being so
extensively advertised. There has been
great deal of buying for investment,
mostly of lands south in Hettinger
county. Eighty-fve per cent of the
buyers were from the states of Iowa,
Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin and
Indiana and skilled in diversified farm
ing. 1t is stated that from the top of
one knoll on the road from Dickinson
to New England, twenty-five miles due
south, sixty-fve new homesteads can be
seen and ON many of them are substan-
tial houses of six to eight rooms, all
plastered and comfortable in arrange
ment and appointments. Since the
early spring the hotel at New England
has fed on an average ffty-two people
per day, all of them transients, land men
and buyers and the movement is still on
and getting stronger. The actual set
tiers this year were those who made
selections in the spring and fall Of
last year. In 1905 there were forty cars
of new settlers and novables received
at the Dickinson station and this year,
to June I, $50 cars were received and
the new corners were distributed to
points north and south and quite
number went Immediately to work and
put in crops adaptable to the conditions
ASSESSED VALUES.
There has been an ascendency in the
figures donating the assessment values
of real and persona; property especially
since farmers east have become at
tracted to the fertile regions in that part
of North Dakota and they are signif-
cant to the student OF the states de-
velopment. The ascension has been
gradual and proportionate to the
strength of the new immigration. For
comparison here are the figures of the
past four years: This year, 1906, the
assessed value of real estate in Stark
county is S,,562,oco; personal property,
ST, 100000. Last year, 1905, the assessed
valuation of real estate was SI,4I7,847;
personal propererty, S1,oo3,5o1.
In 1903 the realty assessment amounted
to so32,232; personal property so48,734.
In 1902 the figures for the two items
were still little lower than the previous
year. Real estate assessments amounted
to s815,558; personal, So12,o28. In the
four years there has been a healthy
increase of about 4o%. Recently a
central corner business lot in Dickin-
son changed hands at $1,000.
& DICKINSON PosToFF1CE.
July 1, this year, the Dickinson post
Office was advanced to the presidential
second-class and an agitation has begun
with the hope that free delivery system
will be inaugurated early next year.
! N. c. Lawrence, the postmaster, pro-
! vides we'll equipped office, but under
the new classification there will be still
greater conveniences at the disposal of
the public that will aid in the quicker
distribution of the immense mail which
comes to this office. A daily star route
is dispatched from this office south to
New England, Haley and Saltwater,
covering an area of about seventy miles,
daily, south and west of Dickinson. Tri-
weekly star route mail is dispatched
to Fayette, Oakdale and Baily
DISTRIBUTION OF FARM MACHINERY.
Only few years ago the distribution
of farm machinery from Dickinson was
very insignificant, one or two men, en-
gagged in other pursuits, used to dabble
in the business as side issues. Today
there are five firms extensively engaged
in the business, one or two exclusively
so. Figures secured show that the
business this year will double that of
! last year and will be six times greater
than the volume of business done in
1902. Nearly $4,000 worth of small
machinery was sold from the Dickin-
son yards this last spring. The
business in mowers, binders, twine and
threshers was yet to come. The pros
pective orders for binders, harvesting
machinery and twine this season
amounted to nearly $4,000 and if the
crop should prove unusually heavy the
sales would be proportionately bigger.
There has been a very active demand
for buggies and saddles the latter
medium priced, $40 to s45-when stock
men were supreme many saddles were
sold at double and treble that figure.
INDUSTRIAL.
One of the rich assets in North Da-
kota consists here and there of valuable
] clay deposits and there is one closely
adjacent to the city limits of Dickinson
capable of producing very high grade
of pressed brick and all kinds of fire
brick and engine blocks, for which there
is no trouble in finding market. In the
line of fire bricks and building blocks
they have become boon to the manage
ments of the great smelters in Montana,
who have become extensive buyers of
the product of the Dickinson Fire &
Pressed Brick works. All over this state
are to be seen extensive showings of the
Dickinson pressed bricks for they are
displayed in the fronts of numberless
public buildings, business blocks and
residences of every kind, as we'll as
churches and high school buildings
Now, architects display no hesitancy in
specifying the pressed brick from these