The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-03-13
PASS THEN By.

1t would be we'll for the people OF
this state to give wide berth to the
land agents of other states who have
come to North Dakota to feast and
fatten on the sensational newspaper
falsehoods which have been circulated
by such yellow sheets as the Mime
apolis Journal and its second edition
published in this city, concerning the
conditions which were alleged to have
existed here during the last few
weeks. 1t is true that We are COM
PEELED to do missionary work among
the citizens of other states and to
seek to induce the people of these
states to cast their lot with those of
North Dakota and to make thei,
homes within our borders. We are
thus in a measure under obligations
to the states which annually send
hundreds of people to our own. But
We have never secured immigrants by
disappearing the conditions which
have existed in the states from which
they came. We have told the naked,
unvarnished truth about our oppor-
tunities and have contrasted them
with the same facts in the other
states, but that is merely stating a
comparison fairly and We can not be
blamed if such comparison is in our
favor.
Here, however, is another PROPOSE
ton. The falsehoods published by the
papers mentioned and by others with
like disregard for the truth, are be-
ing used by the land agents of other
states to induce the people who have
become rich in this state by using
the opportunities which they have had,
to quit its borders and seek asylums
in other parts of the country. They
do not rely upon facts nor do they
tell the truth. They repeat the SEN
sational slush which was sent out to
the world through the press and seek
to keep the people who would other
wise come to North Dakota from do
ing so.
A newspaper which has been pulled
out of bankruptcy by the support
given it by the people of this state
at this time is carrying a sensational
advertisement of lands in another
state in which advertisement it is
claimed that there is no danger of
fuel famine and no drouths. 1t is
intended to answer the impressions
created by the ISLANDERS of the news
papers of this and other states.
Consider for a moment what the
conditions were and what compari-
son Of them with the actual condi-
tons in other states will show. 1t
is true that there was some cold
weather and for a time the snow
blockades on the railroads prevented
the operation of the lines. But there
were but two actual cases in the state
in which death resulted from the cold
One of these was a young woman who
was thrown out of sleigh in run
away and became panicky while ner
companion was securing control Of
his team and wandered away from
the point where she had been left so
that when he returned to take her
to safety she could not be found. The
other was that of man who was
probably insane and after disrobing
went to bed in a snow bank. More
persons have died in a day within a
territory elsewhere half the size of
North Dakota from exposure to the
heat of the sun than have died from
exposure to the cold in this state
during the winter, or for that matter
for ten years.
Some idea of the exaggerated stor-
les concerning the fuel famine can
be CLEANED from some of the CORE.
spondence on file with the railroad
commissioners which may be illus
trated by single instance. Governor
Burke, who was trying at that time
to secure some cheap .notoriety out
of the coal shortage, was asked by
the commercial club of one of the
towns of the state to secure some
fuel and after nearly half score OF
kilograms had passed between the
governor and the railroad commits.
sioners and the railroad officials II
was found that there was coal stand.
ing in cars on the sidetrack at the