Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1908-05-29

TIC Story OF North Dakota IS the story OF
state new, yet wealthy both in develop
ed and undeveloped resource. 1t is story
of state wrested from the unbroken
prairie barely more than third of a
century ago, and yet leading the world in
its production of hard wheat, flax, beef and
the products that come from the soil.
ltwould require far more than the space
of single article to describe the state, or
dwell at any length upon its soil, its CHM
ate, productiveness or its offerings to the
tomesteader. 1t is state in which disease
and i'll health are reduced to minimum
1t has no large cities or congested centers.
Its climate isinvigorating and health giving.
Its air is crisp and exhilrating. Its sum-
mers are cool and tempered with the mild
climate of its zone. Its growing season is
ample for the production of the finest of
grain, the most succulent and firm of vege-
tables and the fattening of a superior grade
OF cattle and sheep. Its autumns are long
and afford ample time for the gathering of
the harvest and the preparing of the soil,
by fall blowing. for the harvest of another
year. Its winters are characterized by a
dry, crisp atmosphere that is far less OBJ
jectional than the damp, chilling climate
OF the eastern states. In the past year the
autumn season was one long Indian sum-
mer, from September until December,
when the weather is warm and clear, al
together delightful, when the wheat and
grain has been threshed and stored, the
soil prepared for the, coming spring and
the peculiar haze of Indian summer hangs
over the landscape and lends every scene
its own particular charm.
North Dakota affords opportunity for
variety of occupations along the agricult-
ural line.
In the summer season the green of the
wheat fields is delightful, refreshing
view, and as the grain turns to gold in the
fall there is material for the lines of the
poet or the pencil of the artist beyond the
power of prose description. Later the
hum of the harvesters in the fields
the shocks covering thousands of
miles and the music Of the
thresher with chaff flying from thousand
spouts and grain flowing down and ready
for the bread of the world.
The centeral and western part of the
, state is higher, little more rolling and the
yields of grain have been gratifying
Towns by the dozen boast their five and
six and ten elevators, with capacities that
vary from 10000 to 10000 bushels, and
the grain market at some towns of only n
few people aggregate Il million or more
bushels At the price of wheat last year.
about !. dollar a bushel at the elevators,
this means another golden stream of
wealth pouring into the channels Of trade
and opportunity everywhere for the bust
ness man to reap profit from his wares
Trains half a mile in length bearing
wheat to terminals to I've transported 10 all
parts of the world, and to he exchanged
for wares and merchandise, means con-
tnuous hustle and industry.
After all, real wealth is in the land.
There are times of short crops and times
of long crops, but the average is sure, and
the return certain. 1t is a life of indie
pendence, of sturdy endeavor. of ultimate
competence and success
>hoc hos Ia1,k
inconsiderable. Its obligations are paid
in cash. Its tax rate is low. Its legisla-
ton is broad, calculated to afford right
protection to the farmer and the laborer
and at the same time to encourage the
operations of the business man and builder.
1t is threaded with railroads, having three
Pacific, the Great Northern and the 500
line, with the Milwaukee cutting across
the southwest corner with its new trans
continental line. The valley of the Mis-
souri, river affords splendid opportunities
for crop raising, and corn fields are every
where in evidence, producing splendid
variety of corn and meaning ultimately
the development of new resource, the
fattening of cattle. sheep and hogs from
gram and fodder raised at home and the
placing of them on the market in the shape
OF prime beef.
West of the Missouri river there are
rolling acres, fertile and productive.
There are cattle ranges. upon which
thousands of cattle find sustenance and
grow fat and wealth producing. There
are new counties being created and peopl-