The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-10-09
Man About Touun

THE retaining OF the vast areas
Of waste land in the west is a move in
the right direction. and the people OF
the country should do everything In
their power to help it along" said d.
o. Abbott OF Salt Lake City, Utah,
to the Man About Town. Room is
left for improvement In the summer
i'll which the government dispenses cf
the land once 1t Is made worth buy
ing. The conditions that confront the
work OF reclamation are now up to u
point OF commercialisnl.
THE reclamation bureau has proved
its ability to overcome all obstacles
as far as engineering the work is con-
cerned, and has shown that 1t can
place vast areas of land under irriga-
tion and ready for settlement, but un-
der the arrangement Of its irrigated
land they are obliged to place it on
the market, and in this way 1t is
subject to the greed of the specula-
tors, who have no desire to work the
land themselves, but simply want to
hold it for higher price.
I'll the government had 4 depart
ment that would work ON the same
lines rs do private corporations and
individuals. 1t could accomplish what
1t is seeking. that is, to make homes
for the people. where they will be
prosperous and contented. but in Or
der to do this it will have to change
and sell these lands as other corpor-
ations do. and get a selected class of
people to enter upon this work with
some desire to make home and de-
velop the land. and in securing set
tiers 1t ought to be the desire of the
government to get those who have a
taste in the direction of irrigation and
the raising OF irrigated crops.
1t is not practicable to try and
take a man from Grand Forks. for
instance. where he has been accus-
toned to raising cain and put him
into an irrigated country to raise APP
Piles. pears. peaches and plums. He
has no knowledge of the fruit busi-
ness. and in all his city life has
never developed any taste for it, and
1t is not many men that will make a
success under these conditions But
if judgment is to be used. and the
new settlers for any particular part
Of the west are taken from a coun-
try where the conditions. crops. etc,
are at least practically similar, the
chances for their ultimate success are
greatly added to.
The upbuilding of any country is
selling of space and natural condi-
tons to a class of people who will
prosper and be satisfied with the
space and those conditions. The irri-
cation propositions along the Great
Northern railway have all been fost-
cred by the emigration department
of the road, and the people who have
been brought in there have been
selected from the fruit districts of the
east. Whatever else is done, the land
should be kept out of the hands of
spectators. Senator Hansbrough of
this state is to be greatly commended
for the work he has done in this direc-
ton"
Crops were "tolerable" good this
year, and as consequence country
buyers-the kind with the Missouri
habit-have hit New York. The man
About Town we'll remembers how he
used to get IS stick for writing a
biography of certain backwoods polite
ians in the big city. Back in Perkins
Corners. in which village the merchant
is the bell COW, every one thinks he
has gone to New York to lay in his
fall stock of arctics, rubber collars
and possibly to pick up a pointer or
two for livening the Epworth League
meetings or facts concerning munich
pal ownership, but the Man About
Town on Broadway knew full well that
Br'er Reuben has. for the time being
discarded the yoke OF the simple life
The florid-faced philanthropist with
plug hat and green dress suit sizes ur
the country with a glance. No, he
does not have a fishy eye turned upon
him In return. The devilish CLEAN OF
the buyer indicates that it wants to
take in everything in town with one
exposure. II someone holds out on
him any real warm stereopticon view
of life In the great city he will say
they are passing him the lemon or
something else that means the same
thing down at the Corners. The jol.
Tiers who do the Internationally
stunt for the New York wholesalers
are getting their contusins these sad
autumn days. When the patriot gets
to the office at a. M, the club brings
him a card saying that the gentleman
has been waiting for three hours, hav-
ing arrived with the janitor. The card
is a lovely affair, heliotrope colored
with gold beveled edges and a design
In purple writing fluid, showing de.
lightful bird of paradise with the name
OF Mr.. Wayback done in script among
the tail feathers. The jollier or goat
then says things. He goes to the
ice cooler. bites his lips then puts a
clean collar In his pocket, telephones
his wife that he won't be home for a
week. makes adraw en- the cashier
splits on his hands and goes forth to
his fate. The country buyer is wise.
At his store he sold New York period
icals and he knows thing or two
about the G. w. w. and other streets
in the city. Before the train has pass
ell the second toll gate at Perkins
Corners he has unattached his white
bowie and thrown 1t out of the car
window, slowed away the badge the
Bible class gave him and smuggled
into waistcoat that would be regard
ed as a breach of ordinance in Fort
Smith. Mr.. Wayback then asks the
dusky porter who owns the train to
bring him the wine list He orders a
pusy caffy." then touches off with
his thick wrist a cigar that is almost
Havana like. He will not puff at any
of the kind that smells like a rag shop
fire until he gets back to the Corners,
either. Before he crosses the ferry