Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1908-05-15

the most good, and was enough to ma
ture 1t. 1t seems beyond question that
there is more precipitation in that
country since the soil was broken and
titled.
Mayor E. I. Walton of Darlington.
who came into that region west of the
Jim river in 1882, believes that Cen
trail and Western North Dakota have
a great future, and have only begun to
come into their birthright. He pre-
diets that land values in all the newer
sections of the state will advance
considerably within few years, and
what is most interesting, he AYERS that
the climate of that section has
changed materially since he first came
in.
1--WE have three times as much rain
here as we had twenty years ago."
said Mr.. Walton, while on his way to
his big farm over in Wells county,
near Lemert. "The difference is due
to the cultivation of the land. When
1t was wild prairie there was very lit
| tie evaporation, so we got little rain
fall. After cold winter and a fair
amount of snow we don't need rain
until late in the spring, because the
frost works out slowly, and as the
ground thaws the moisture works up
to the roots of the grain. 1t doesn't
escape much because the top of the
ground has been worked, and there
are no cracks to help evaporation. We
had it dry for quite while this
spring, but that just suited us, because
it gave us a good chance to work the
ground and seed early.
1--WE had our ups and downs here
for long while. We had few bad
years then, and we had mighty little
money to work with The east was
afraid to loan it to us. They are will
ing to loan us money now. but around
here we don't need it. We can take
care CT ourselves. We are on our fee;
in good shape. Land around here will
sell for $50 an acre, and is worth
more. 1t will be higher before long,
because it will raise just as much as
land farther east that sells for two
or three times as much
Empty Spaces Filled.
This was said of locality that has
been farmed to some extent for TWEEN
ty years. The same condition exists
farther west Land values are not
quite as high, but the land is good and
the crops satisfactory. The great new
agricultural empire of North Dakota
to- or,l NV
held only handful of people. Now
it's population is estimated at over So
600. 1t has $4,000 taxpayers in the
county auditors rolls, and about 5000
voters. 1t is not only the largest
county in the state in area, but in
population. It covers 172 congress
sional townships. and practically every
quarter section is homestead claim.
The gateway to this country, the
city of Minot, has sprung up in half
dozen years from mere railroad
junction point to city of $500 people,
a commercial and political center out
of all proportion to it's size, and with
a splendid future assured It has be-
come a wholesale and jobbing center
two hundred travelling men make their
headquarters in the town. Several
large concerns of Chicago and the
Twin Cities maintain branch houses
or warehouses at Minot. New indus
tries and new business houses are be.
ing established daily, and all the while
the town is attaining substantial
growth, putting on all the airs and as
Stunning all the burdens that come with
greatness. 1t is easily the third city
in North Dakota to-day, and before
long will give Fargo a chase for first
honors.
Fuel Wealth Enormous.
The resources of this country are
not all agricultural. Veins of Ignite
coal underiie most Of it, it is believed,
though it is being worked in only
few places as yet. In time thousands
Of farmers will be mining their own
coal. At Minot they claim that coal
underlies 100000 acres of land in
! Ward county alone, and there are lig-
mite deposits in nearly every county
in the western half of the state.
Where the rivers have cut down
! veins of coal often ten or twelve feet
in thickness.
But the wheat and the fax, the oats
and the barley are the main wealth of
the "slope country" and the kind of
wealth that is never exhausted. The
Industrious homesteaders who have
been on their land five years or so
have gotten nicely on their feet. They
are building good homes and farm
hull hll1ziner Sf0olk and inanr0N.