The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-03-26
SETTLING A NEW COUNTRY.
Homesteadcrs Haven't Time to indulge
In Sentlmentallty.

veloped into such n commonplace af.
fair that any sentimental considera.
tions that might hover around such an
incident are scarcely brought to mind.
Most of the men and women involved
in these periods OF transformation are
largely concerned with the practical
side of the questionable making of
homes, the problem of present exist.
ence and future profit.
In spite of the commonplace view
so generally entertained an outsider
may be pardoned for indulging in just
one gasp of sentiment in connection
with the opening of Tripp county, an
event scheduled for April Ia few
days hence. Here Is an unorganzed
county, not even under state jurisdic-
ton, about forty by sixty miles in ex.
tent, unsettled at the present time
except as to a few tenants on Indian
leased lands. Within two months the
prairles of that county will be dotted
with the cabins of settlers, and more
than half dozen towns will be pushed
for metropolitan honors. In connec.
tion with this rush of settlement, and
an important part of 1t, will come the
AGITATION of county organization and
the burning questions of county seat
location and selection of county of.
ficers.
Four thousand men and women,
hailing from all sections of the United
States, will participate in the business
and settings of this grand drama,
which is now receiving its finishing
touches at the hands of government
officials.
Hundreds of these prospective set
tiers, since receiving notice of the OPP
portunities accorded to them in the
drawing last October, have been out
looking over the land, and are waiting
in eager anticipation for the day when
the bars will be thrown down for the
selection of their farms and the subse-
quent settlement and cultivation. 1t
can be stated as an absolute fact that
no matter what proportion of drop.
outs there may be among those hav-
ing numbers, there are more than
enough outsiders anxious and waiting
to take up every acre of tillable land
as soon as the number rights are eX-
hausted. So Tripp county will be set
tied, organized and cultivated just the
same.
While the new settlers coming into
Tripp county will probably meet with
their full portion of discouraging cir
cumstances, there is one condition
making the initial processes more
easy and comfortable than they might
otherwise have been. This is the in
tense and uncompromising rivalry be,
tween the towns of Gregory and Dal-
las. Dallas Is located on the borders
of Tripp county and is the terminus of
the Northwestern road extending into
this country. Gregory is four miles
east, handicap in location that has
just recently been overcome through
securing the government land office.
These two towns will do practically
all of the outftting for the settlers
going into Tripp county this spring,
and for the several new towns Qnland)
to be established there Very natural
ly each town is anxious to make the
best impression on the incoming set
tiers, and all sorts of privileges and
convenences will result. Up in this
country just now the prospective
homesteader ranks as a travelling
prince, and every possible effort is
directed at his entertainment and
satisfaction.
10 IN hn OnT
orally known, although quite patent
from a knowledge of homestead regu.
lations, is that all of the women who
have drawn Tripp county homesteads
are legitimate matrimonial prospects.
They are either real widows, grass
widows or maiden ladies above the
age of twenty-one years. There is a
total of about 500 women among those
in the first 1000. Very few of the
women get "cold feet" on their home
stead opportunities. They are either
more discerning as to the prospective
advantages or they average much bet
ter nerve than the masculine element
Following the Gregory county open
ing four years ago about 80 per cent of
the men sold relinquishments the first
year. Out of 200 women homestead
ers only one failed to hold on long
enough to secure a patent. Practical
ly all of these women still own their
farms, although many of them have
since married. Mrs. May Melser of
Kennebec, S. D., the holder of No.
in the Trip county drawing, was a
grass widow at the time of the draw.
ing, but has since secured a divorce.
She expects to come to Gregory about
March 20 and will work in one of
the offices here during the filing pc
riod. She has received hundreds of
proposals of marriage since her lucky
stroke, but rejects them all with scorn
She is very much disposed to try it
alone-for a time, at least,
The land office at Mitchell was form
ally abandoned Saturday evening and
the headquarters of this district will
in the future be located at Gregory
The contract has been let for the erec-
tiOn of a handsome tWO-StOry huilding