The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-05-22
DEVILS LAKE NAN
GIVES VIEWS
OF TEXAS
Peter Regain, Returned From
Visit There, Says it is Not
an Agricultural Country.

Peter Regain. OF Devils Lake, who
returned some time ago from Texas,
has many interesting and valuable
facts to state about that country.
The following was told to an Inter-
Ocean reporter:
when l left for Texas" said Mr..
Regain. "it was with the idea of thor
oughly investigating that state from a
farmers point OF view. as l had no
idea of purchasing land for purely
speculative purposes. Therefore,
when the division of the special
which carried ME and many others
to that region arrived at our destina-
ton. was not satisfied with only
listening to the land mems talk, but
hustled around for and by myself to
see what the country looked like and
to decide for myself whether or not
l thought it was fit for farming. This
the land men tried in every manner
to persuade ME from doing. After
they had shown me around over the
land they controlled. which was not
in the least adapted for farming, they
them to Iowa, from where another
special was soon to run. They offered
to pay all my expenses on this trip.
II was not down there. however, to
spend my time on the train or in
Iowa, and remained in Texas several
weeks, during which time drove
hundreds of miles over the country.
The land is extremely level. and
the climate was delightful, the warm
rays of the sun seeming especially
inviting to one just coming from
snow-covered state.
GAS l drove along. occasionally I
would see a huge, rugged ravine,
sometimes six to eight feet deep.
These were on the level prairie, and
denoted much to me. asked sew
eral farmers about the rainfall, and
when a definite answer was required
several of them acknowledged that
when it did rain it came all at once;
that they had seen the prairie COW
cred with water one to three inches
deep and that when this water started
to move it rushed in torrents from
the prairie. Then it wouldn't rain
again for months.
THE ground is practically barren.
excepting where clumps of Russian
thistles thrive, and 1 honestly believe
that il horse was turned loose in
the morning to pick feed on the prai-
RE that he would be very much
hungrier horse in the evening than he
was in the morning.
II asked a land man If that was a
sample of the grass(?) they grew, and
received reply that a herd of a
thousand head of cattle had grazed
there last fall, and had entirely
tramped out the grass! But he told
that to too old a cattleman. why,
my good man, I said. there is no
standing alone.
There is no hay in that country.
If you say anything about hay to
the old-time farmers they look at you
in establishment and commence tell
ing about the Kaffir corn. When the
men congregate they talk about KAT
fir corn. Well, happen to know a
thing or two about Kaffir corn. and
what they showed me there was fit
for nothing. We can beat it in North
Dakota.
THE soil is as dry as bone, and
of course. while in that condition. it
is absolutely impossible to raise any
crop. Water is very scarce. and when
asking how deep they had to dig
their wells, was told that in some
places it was only necessary to go
down about hundred or hundred
and fifty feet. but that generally it
ranged from two to six hundred feet.
Think of it! mentioned that a curb
ing of such a we'll cost quite sum
and received reply that it was not
necessary to curb, excepting down
about ten or twelve feet from the
surface.
another indication of the extreme
drouth of that country is the lack of
gardens in the rear of houses in the
small cities. Not a garden is to be
found-every one eating vegetables
which have been shipped in from Ok
lahoma.
There is no inducement whatever
for the farmer in that state; it seems
to be all right for the speculator; but
for farming, never.
Nevertheless, thousands of people
are being duped into making pur-
chases. This is how it is done:
"The land companies, which control
large areas in that state, have hun
dreds of men working for them. Even
the farmers are put up to boosting
the country, which they do when the
real estate men are around, but as
soon as you see them alone the more
discouraged ones confess that they
would gladly get out IL they could
sell, and even that If they should sell
they WOULD scarcely realize enough
to take them anywhere. As fast as
they can let loose of their Texas prop
erty they are doing so and coming
north. many of them to this state
What started to say, though. was
that attorneys. notary publics and
register of deeds had Offices in a
special car on sidetrack. and that
when you returned from the circle
over which you was driven, they
rushed you into this car and tried to
close a deal. All the business and
professional men in the town came
down to the train and told us what
great country It was. They had
men who had the gift of CAB so thor
oughly mastered that they could en-
thuse anyone into buying. That was
what they depended upon. They en-
deavored to stir up great enthsuiasm
and close the deal before one had the
chance to come to.
II advise the agriculturist to keep
away from Texas. II l could have
bettered myself l would have stayed
and II anyone doesn't believe this I
Will go with him into Texas this
summer, on the condition that IL what
l say is true that he will pay the ex-
penses, II not true will pay the ex-
penses. North Dakota looked good to
me when got back, and from my and