Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1907-05-14
ItlIANSBIE1l()l)(jffI|
Of Tile, Future Of f
North Dakota ii .the.Ndi-:
5xEy3j .<t. y 53 ,' ~ I &E!.;s
!, tionaI MAGAZINE. ~.

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tionIal Magazine. s.. !.
In the opening years Of its: history,
lit was too often the case that those
who took upon themselves the priyil-
lege of telling of the: resources OF
North Dakota were prone to indulge
in exageration, i was q new country,
and the people who, came, here were
not to the manor born. Moreover q
great many Of them, especially those
who wrote about the state, were IL,
a measure merely .transients and did
not go to the bottom of things. In
view of this situation, many fabulous
stories have been circulated, which,
while they were designed. to help
North Dakota, really were an injury
to it But the period of exaggerat1on
has passed for two reasons: first, be-
cause those who. now write most a.
bout North Dakota are prominent res
idents thereof, and know 9 Whereof
they speak; and second, because no
pen, however facile, can exaggerate
conditions as they prevail today:
In population, North Dakota this
year passed the half-million mark.
Twenty-Five years ago its population
scarcely aggregated 100000. Itwould
be tiresome to go into statistics to-
show what there is here now or to-
predict future possibilities. Whereas |
once it was believed that farm pro-
ducts could not be successfully raised
beyond the western edge of the Red|
River Valley, it has been demonstra-
ted that almost every foot of soil in |
the state as far west as the Montana;
line is, susceptible to the highest
state of cultivation, Where fifteen
years ago, the bulk of population and
wealth was in the Red River Valley,
now it has poured over the undulating
hills towards the west, until the great
majority of the people of the state
live west of line drawn north and,
south through Devils Lake. Where,
fifteen years ago. there was an abund-
1 ance of government land to be had
without cost, now there is very little
4 government land left, and the prices
& for lands held in private ownership
have advanced from five and ten dol
4 1 lars to twenty and forty dollars per
- acre. While these latter figures ap-
: pear to the average Dakotan as be-
ing somewhat high, nevertheless when
a it is understood that an acre of North
n Dakota land will produce as great val
ue as an acre of Illinois or Iowa
y land, no one will be found beyond the
borders of the state who will complain
at even the highest price mentioned,
because lands in the middle west are
now selling at from one hundred to
to one hundred and fifty dollars an
acre. It Is a realization OF these facts
I'D which is bringing North Dakota al
aA the present time an endless stream Of
people from the middle and eastern
states. At the rate of settlement go
ing on today, North Dakota will have
million population by 1915, and ever
Id then lands will be much below theil
real value ~ *j: zss= >z:$ II. H.: =
III The. nonresident will naturally in
hi quire, what is it that brings people tx
North Dakota in such numbers, ant
I why the great rush to buy lands there
in? The. answer to this has alread!
been limited at namely: that an acr,
\ Of land ii North Dakota win produc,
much value as an acre Of land III
NH Illinois,, and can be bought today TO
\ less than one fifth Of the prevailing
HSi Illinois price. 5S} - yss3 SSJs E, #:
iii 4 The inquisitiye minded. person viii
AHl inquire further into the nature of tn
4 products of North Dakota. It seem
I like a. waste Of time and energy, be
cause. the whole world must know i
by this time ! to say that North Dake
aS tai IS the greatest wheat growing
u state IN the Union. AT the loves
\ estimate, the wheat crop 81 the stat
q II this year viii reach The enormous sur
Il % eighty million bushels. I'll add ditto
II there is the usual amount Of barle,
II oats millet and other grasses. and
III vast area Of cor
a I Perhaps the mos profitable Gro
II in the state IS flax and, IL; the risk Z
II being chased - All optimist It 4
II who'll Within the 5ffor me I
II say that from twenty To thirty dollar
4 per acre have been realized III man
HI year crop off flax an amount, indeed
u II II sufficient to the ent ire cost Il
II the the land and onefhing III spare.