The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1907-11-27
A NORTH DAKOTA HOMfSTEADfR.
@. B. TurreI Writes Of Conditions and
Redwood People Around Ryder.

To THE GAZETTE: When | left
Redwood / did not think so long a
time would pass before / made a
report to The GAZETTE, It is six
months today that | set up house
keeping in my shack a mile out of
Ryder. The time had passed pleas
antly and | am now within two
months Of the end of my residence
of eight months necessary to make
committed proof on a homestead.
Of the next two months I have a
little misgiving as winter is ap-
proahing but think | will get along
comfortably.
The season has opened very late
and cold and seeding was SO far de-
layed that the crop has not been as
large as was hoped. With late seed
ing and dry weather the farmers
were disappointed with results. This
is my fourth year in this vicinity
and is the first / have known with
out sufficient rainfall during the
growing season. As it is, the coun-
try is getting along nicely with
about half a crop, the high prices
having done much to make up the
shortage. There has been large
acreage Of new breaking during the
summer, and this section goes into
winter ready to put in a much larger
crop next spring than heretofore.
The claims in this part of the
state are being proved up very fast
and the land is passing into the
hands of private owners. Until this
is done the towns, counties and
school districts have to get along in
haphazard way.
To have success the land must be
in the hands of those who pay
taxes. Taxes and the power to en-
force them pretty nearly represent
the government. and until that con-
dition in the development of new
community is reached it cannot be
said to be fully organized.
Mr.. w. E. Baker and myself are
the only Redwood representatives
here. Minot and DesLacs together
have quite a number of Redwood
men.
Mr.. Baker has just returned from
Mondak, Montana, where he looked
over the government irrigation pro-
ject now under construction. Ac-
cording to Mr.. Baker the water is
taken from the Yellowstone river
near Glendive, where the govern
ment has put in dam s feet above
high water mark and a ditch 70
miles long is being dug along the
river bottom and provides water for
$4,000 acres of the bottom land.
The government will charge up
the total expense against the land
holders to pay in ten annual pay
ments without interest.
The cost of water is not yet known
but is supposed to be from three to
four dollars an acre year for the
ten years. After that time it is to
be free. 1t is admitted that with
sufficient water these lands will be-
come very productive, but they
should be, to make them desirable
as an investment.
The present owners of the land
ask from $50 to $50 per acre. and
many want to sell. At say $4,000
for 100 acres (only a quarter section
can be held by one party and four
dollars an acre for ten years for
water the prospective buyer must
have lot of faith to go into the
scheme to raise ordinary farm crops.
There are many ways though, with
out raising wheat. Alfalfa, sugar
beets and other industries may
take up the land and make it profit
able.
We are having very fine fall
weather. O. B. TURRELL.