East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1908-10-24
ONE MAN EARNED 10000 ACRES


But one man in the United States
ever had 500 men and 500 horses
working on his farm, using $50 gang
plows that turn from three to IS fur
rows at time, 70 gang drills, $50
binding harvesters and u steam
threshing outfits, and shipping two
trainloads of wheat every day in the
threshing season, says a Fargo, n. D.,
special to the New York sun. That
man died the other day at Casselton,
20 miles west of Fargo. He was Oil
yer Dalrymple and his wonderful farm
which for many years contained SO,-
1000 acres and at the time Of his death
1900. was celebrated abroad as well
as in this country
Dalrpmple was the original bonan-
"a farmer and he demonstrated the
value of dollars and cents Of the COM
bination of the science of agriculture
and modern business methods. Know
ing how to get the very best seed, how
1t should be planted under various
conditions. how the crop should be
cultivated and how to market it to
the best advantage, he sat in his late
years in his central office and by tele-
phone received reports daily from
each Of the six divisions into which
his farm was cut up for administra-
tive purposes and gave directions to
the division superintendent and their
foremen.
Even when he left the central office
in Casselton and went to his beautiful
home on Summit avenue, ST. Paul he
kept in close touch with all parts Of
his wide domain and more than once
gave from there such directions to his
superintendents on the farm as the
small farmer gives 10 his hired hand
at the barn door or beneath the wind
mill. To those who know how wise
an agriculturist Oliver Dalrymple was
and how carefully he watched the cul-
tivation Of his great farm, it is easy
to understand his success as a bonan-
"a farmer.
There were two Dalrymples Of the
same sort, oliver and W. F. They
were brothers and came west from
Pennsylvania in 1855. They were Of.
Scotch parentage and most canny
farmers.
Oliver. who was y when he died
settled in Faribault Mimi when he
was -. and practiced Jaw and engag-
cd in laW and land business. lie
became convinced tnat there was
more money to be made out Of the
soil than anything else, and in 1855
took up agriculture in Washington
county Mimi. and seeded $500 acres.
Nine years later he turned his at
tention TO Dakota, then vast unpeo-
pied plain. The Northern Pacific
railroad was extended to Bismarck
in that year. 1875, and between Bis
marck and Fargo there wasn't mile
Of railroad track or a dwelling.
Dalrymple. with the instinct Of the
true pioneer. scented rich future for
the western pralr.es and induced his
friend + f. Grandin, 70 go out and
spy out the land GOOdin looked over
some sections Of Dakota carefully and
sent back word for Dllrymple to come
on
Ir 1873 and 1876 Dalrynlple bought
from the Northern Pacific railroad
and from the United states govern
ment 5000 acres Of land in the Red
river valley. Part Of this land he ac-
quired for himself and Of the rest he
was half owner. the other propretors
being Gen. G. W. Cass, then president
Of the Northern Pacific road; b. F.
Cheney Of Boston. and ]. l.. and E.
b. Grandin Of Pennsylvania.
the lands were paid for IN Indian
ecrlp and railroad stock at par, and
in that way cost from 40 cents 10 50
an acre. The same lands are worth
on an average $25 an acre now. but
this rise of price could only be guess
ed al in the day when DalrymDle made
his first big deal
Few people then believed that the
Red river valley land had any partic-
ular agricultural value. Mr.. Dairy
mple had said that in the spring o.
1876 large portion Of his farmini
property was under water, and on
windy day the whitecaps rolled oveI