Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-05-13
LETTER FROM NORTH DAKOTA.
Democratic Candidate for Legislature Writes
Interesting Letter Describing North
Dakota.


ness with pleasure and made trip to
my son Willett.
AS number of readers are interest
ed in North Dakota / will briefly state
my observations during my trip. l
left home Thursday, April 30th from
Mabel via Isinours to Minneapolis.
Farmers were busy sowing as far as
Mortified. / saw but few from
Northfield to Minneapolis as it was
too wet and some snow on the fields.
/ arrived at Minneapolis at 6 AS p m.
Before left home l thought this
would be an easy trip as it was out of
travelling season. Trains would not
be crowded and 1t would be an easy
matter to get room and berths. AS
came to the Union depot / saw
reckoned without the host. In my fif-
teen trips to North Dakota / never
saw as many people wishing to take
the 10 :45 p. m. North Pacific Coast
train as did that night. There was
no room or berth to be had.
The train gate was jammed worse
than the jam I have seen at the Bailey
or Ringing circus ticket wagon. l
took the IL 100 p. m. train and came
to my destination at 80 p. M. May
LIST. 1t is not alone the cheaper rates
but homeseekers that causes this stir
among the people.
Seeding is practically done except
ing fax. There is a smaller area of
wheat but a greater amount of barley
and oats sown than last year. There
is not much wheat left in the hands of
the farmer of the 1907 crop.
This is healthy country am TAX
ing in Gods pure air by driving over
the country where President Roose-
Welt passed over years ago. think it
was here in the northwest where his
mental and physical powers were de-
veloped.
North Dakota is coming fast to the
front as an agricultural state, the soil
seems to be inexhaustible. / see fields
that have been cropped for twenty
years in wheat and seem to be al
right yet. Most land agents for North
Dakota will say that one can sow fax
four and five years in succession on
the same ground and get good crop
this is not so, the fax blight is here as
we'll as in Iowa. North Dakota is not
so much of an Eldorado for a poor
man as it has been. There are not
many good homesteads left In the
state. Wild lands here in La Moure
county will sell around $25 an acre.
improved from $25 to $40 according to
| improvements. Most of the land is
sold on crop payments. one-half crop
until paid, then warranty deed is
given. Land is rented at one-half
crop if owner has buildings. furnishes
seed and pays one-half threshing bill /;
if renter furnishes seed the owner re-
ceives one-quarter crop.
Money is loaned at and 10 per
cent interest. A man who comes here
must have some means to begin with ;
horses and machinery areihigh.
Grain and produce are bringing a
good price. Fife wheat SO cents per
bushel, durmin rs cents, barley so
cents, oats 50 cents, fax $1.1O. pota-
toes 80 cents, butter 20 cents. and
eggs IL cents. Hired men receive
from $50 to 1872 per month. 1t is only
in harvest and threshing that labor
commands good wages. 100 acres of
land is considered garden patch here
on account of the large machinery
that is used.
Millions of acres of virgin soil will
be turned over again by horse and
steam power. In few years there
will be but little buffalo grass seen as
| with the buffaloes that nourished
upon it. 1t has been ideal weather
this week, clear sunshine, calm and
warm during the day and frosty at
night, late seeding needs rain. The
cold weather did not hurt the fruit
trees any as there are none to speak
of, but farmers have begun setting out
some trees now. Fruit is what we
Iowans will miss here. Plums, rasp-
berries. currants, goose berries and
Strawberries are doing we'll here.
AS l observe business is not very
good throughout the northwest
Store keepers order about one-third
the amount of goods they ordered last
year especially in the shoe line as the
raw material of the farmers and
butchers declined to less than one-half
price. while shoes and leather remains
near the same. How is this? A word
of five letters tells the story-it is
TRUST. If you want to insult a
farmer, now, talk politics to him
while he is busy. Here it is Taft and
Johnson for president.
| will be at home before long, as 7
must be looking after my fences.
Yours truly.
Geo. A. Pfster