The Dickinson press., 1907-03-23

49, -fI-SY-l1 - - -
G
Possesses Great
Good Schools;
cial Condition
Stark. the central county Of North Da.
kota. il in a highly prosperous condition
and excites the admiration Of would.be
investors.
1t has e a large increase in popu
lation during the past year and = large
per cent Of the new corners are actual
settlers.
FINANCES.
The affairs Of Stark county have al.
ways4been managed ~conseryatvely and
its finances are on a sound basis. Under
the present board of county commission
ers. Messrs: Koesel, Mckenzie and Jopp,
it is safe to affirm they will remain so.
The annual report of the auditor and
treasurer. June 80. 1906. showed: /.
Cash on hand. ........ $4,000 81
Total assets, including build
ings, bridges, unsolicited
taxes and cash.:.......... Io7,7o6 6
Total Indebtedness, including
bonds. $4,000 IS
Assets over liabilities. .... 1900 90
Assessed valuation present F..
Observation-Disclosures. 2,864.22 90
The bonded indebtedness of Stark
county is now only s6,5oo-a very small
amount compared to what nos counties
in the state are carrying.
The cash balance Of county funds
February I, wa s51,8o8.o1; collections
for February, s5o,2o4.oo; disbursements
for February, S2I,7o7.4o. leaving a cash
balance March I, 1907, of s~So.So6.41'
probably enough to wipe out all floating
indebtedness. The tax levy for this
year in Dickinson, for all purposes, ID
43.5 mills, on a one-third assessed
valuation. !
IMPROVEMENTS. !
With the increase in population and,
the vast increase in production the coun-
~ will soon expend considerable sums
in bridges and improvement of the roads
to facilitate the marketing Of the great
quantities Of grain. wool and vegetables.
SCHOOLS.
The schools of the county are we'll or
ganized and up-to-date and Supt. RAIDER
is constantly striving to secure more
uniformity Of work. There are now S6
schools in the county and new schools
are being opened wherever the popula-
ton demands It. Thirteen new school
houses are now in process of constrsc-
ton.
The annual apportionment to Stark
county from the state fund in 1906 waa
$Io.1oo.I7
The several districts are in a prosper
Gus condition, most Of them with no out.
standing warrants and a balance in the
treasury. With 4 tax limit of 80 mills
none Of the districts in Stark county pay
more than IA mills.
NATURAL RESOURCES.
Ignite coal underlies the entire coun.
~, just below the surface of the land in
some instances. in others just deep
enough to make mining safe and easy
There are two commercial mines in
operation at present. the Consolidated
Coal Mining company at Lehigh, hall
waysbetween Dickinson and Gladstone
an extended notice Of which appears
elsewhere. and the Zenith mine neal
Bel6eld.
The great grain display Of Green 6
Brodie in Dickinson is evidence Of wha|
Stark county can show in the way o
farm crops.
, There are samples Of Tax from 1oca
fields which gave 10 1906 a yield of 2:
, bushels to the acre, and oats that yield
! ed 81 bushels. One sample Of blue stem
. wheat, raised south Of dickinson, is from
. aiield which gave an average yield o
81 bushels TO the acre, while a macaron
. sample is from land that yielded 4
!. bushels. a sample Of dent corn is from
!, ground that yielded IS bushels to tn
] acre. a bundle Of speltz shows hov
I !. bountifully this new variety OF grain pro
duces on the fertile lands d. this region
lone bundle Of barley raj matured in s
days and : short strawed variety, havinI
I wonderfully heavy heads. il IS day
3 Bronze grass. timothy. alfalfa and q
kinds 81 native grasses are includedi
the collection. h