The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-03-22
PROSPERITY IN
RANSOM COUNTY
ALL CAUSED BY THE SOILS Elk
TRAoRDINARY RICHNESS. -
Loan Three to Four Feet in Depth,
Water in Plenty, Perfect Climatic
Conditions and Close to Markets.
Banks Full Of Money and Farmers
Loaners, Not Borrowers. ..
BY HERBERT vANDERHooF.

BY HERBERT VANDERHooF.
Two of the best indications Of the
standing of a state or a community are
found in its banks and its newspapers
The first. by their deposits afford an In
falltble index to the prosperity of the
residents. If the deposits are large 1t
means that the people are making money;
II they are low it means that they are
struggling along and are not meeting with
any degree of success.
1t is the same with the newspapers. II
they cover the news Of their section
thoroughly and their advertising columns
SHOW generous patronage. 1t means that
the people haYe money to spend and that
the merchants are aware of the fact. But
II the news columns are meager and
slovenly. and the advertising patronage
light. these facts reflect not only on the
community and the paper. but on the
financial position of the people especially.
The state of North Dakota has many
banks and many newspapers. and both
have in the past few years shown the
unmiStakable signs of prosperity. DepOs
Its have increased at a remarkable rate
and money has become so plentiful in
the state that the old rates Of interest of
and 10 and even II per cent, which
ruled for many years, have disap
pcared and money is now seeking invest
ment at per cent. with local money In
abundant supply to care for all needs.
The eastern money lenders. who for SO
many years found the state one of their
most profitable fields of opera ton, have
been virtually driven to new fields. AS
the farmers have prospered with their
crops they have paid off their mortgages
In many cases they have even joined to-
gether and established their own banks.
and the state is now dotted from one end
to the other with small and conserva-
lively managed banks the stock in which
Is mainly owned by farmers who only
few years ago were hustling to meet
the annual interest on their own mort
cages.
Now Glad to Loan Money
The few representatives of eastern cap
ital who still remain in the state are glad
to loan their money out at per cent. and
SO high has the estimation Of the value
Of North Dakota lands risen in their
minds that they now arc glad to loan
20 and 80 per cent more on a piece OF
property than they ever did before. They
are supplicants for new business, and the
man applying for a loan Is looked upon
as one comforting a favor, instead. as in
former Years. as one seeking to have a
favor conferred
Especially are these conditions the rule
In Ransom county. which for many years
has been known to the adjacent states IS
the banner county Of North Dakota. The
state and national banks Of Lisbon. it's
county seat, have deposits of over half a
million dollars, and their assets are over
100000 The deposits of the banks at
l-iIiSilIll anu ollSiuOl OlIeI important
towns in the county. will bring the total
of deposits well over the million mark.
In addition to this great sum. it must
be taken into consideration that the resi-
dents of the county have large sums of
money invested in securities and mort
cages, which do not show in the bank
statements
This is pretty good record for one
North Dakota county, and it is one that
has been made entirely from the SOIL I
asked one of the wealthiest farmers in
the county. man who is making thou
nroucn Of s + there era tine
particular reasons why Ransom county
should show such extraordinary prosper
tty as compared with other counties in
the state.
Yes. there are quite number of rea-
sons. in my opinion was his reply.
Let me give YOU a few. In the first
place. remember that this county dates
its birth twenty-five years back. We
before many other counties in the state
had a settler.
Suited to Diversified Agriculture.
''Then you must consider the extraordi-
nary richness of the soil all over the
county. and its adaptability to diversified
agriculture. We can and do raise every
thing that they do in any other state, and
on some crops, such as wheat and flax
We excel any other state in the union
With a black loan that is from three tC
four feet deep. We have no need of fer
filters and never use them. That is true
OF all North Dakota. however. The nu-
merous streams In the county furnish ar
ample water supply. but besides we are
In the great arteSian belt. \and the eX-
haustless supply from: these wells gives
Us absolute security from, drought. Be
sides these many advantages. We have
mover had crop failure since the county
was settled.
Il think our location. as we'll as the
inh 49, cNt1 xl>s,
to do with uninterrupted prosperity
Here We are. way down in the southeast
corner Of the state. 400 miles from oul
western border and 200 miles south Of the
Canadian line. We 300 miles nearer
the markets of st. Paul and Minneapolis
than Dickinson is. and We have just that
much advantage in freight rates on oul
productions over the western part of the
state
Our southerly position is also an ad
vantage to us in the matter of china e
Ransom county has gained a deserved
reputation for diversified agriculture anC
is gaining every year in hog and cattle
raising. Our farmers are not dependent
on wheat alone and although that is Still
our biggest crop. and will remain such fo
many years to come our prosperity is no
tied up with it, Wheat might be tota
failure this year. yet one would suffer
We have gone into dairying, and this ha
become an important industry here. W,
are growing fruits, and you can see a.
fine orchards in this county as in an,
state Of the union
The Values Of Land.
''How do land values here compare will
those in other states in the middle west p
I asked.
They don't compare. he remarked
with smile of amusement. It's impos
sible to make any comparison between
them, because there is not state in tn
middle west that has got land that will
anywhere near. approach. that of thi
county. Let me give you an example.
Three years ago man came her
from Iowa and bought half sectio
an acre, while the land he was living o.
in Iowa he sold for ts110 an acre. Hi
profits on the land in three years hav
been more than he paid for the land, h
has built himself q. nice house and barn
and has money in the bank. You cal
his land today, but he wouldn't sell ii
He says that it is only matter of fey
years when lands that will raise the crop
that our Ransom county lands do vii
command as good a price as the bes
lands of Iowa, Illinois and other state
do" - 8 -.
Has a Great Future. - -.
And there is no question that thi
farmer is right in his forecast of futur
land values in this favored county.
county that can ship over 81. 600 900 wort
OF farm products in one year, as Ransom
county did in 1905 has certainly got
great future before it. AS it's lands ar
taken up and brought under cultivatio
this production is bound to grow in yearl
value. &C.,. ..--@ 49,. -. : =.
The entire county it must be borne i
mind. has only about 10 900 popula tor
but this is gaining rapidly from the man
settlers that are being attracted to j
.fe- x,f@1 y