Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-02-08

way. North Dakota has, in fact
changed from a frontier country to a
fully settled country which in many
regards, is the full equal OF northern
Illinois and Iowa, in modern improve
ments.
Nearly every county in the district
l am describing contains county
seat town of more than 1000 popula.
ton upwards. The principal cities
have all been growing rapidly. Among
others may be mentioned Grand
Forks Fargo and Devils Lake, all of
which have doubled in population
within ten years. Fargo and Grand
Forks both possess fine hotels and
public buildings, equal in many re-
spects to those of ST. Paul and Min
neapolis.
The counties in this district with
which I have be'come most familiar.
are named as follows: Steele, Cass
Grand Forks. Nelson Barnes, RAM
sey, Towner Ro1ette, Botineau. Walsh
Pierce and Trail.
All of these counties possess large
tracts Of fertile land. The lands
bordering the Minnesota line are very
level and constitute the we'll known
Red River valley. West of the valley
the land is more rolling and looks
very much like the prairie land of
our own state.
There are some tracts where the
surface is covered somewhat tf1ickly
with small boulders of granite. and
there are also in some places numer-
Gus cloughy or marshy tracts. which
are desirable for hay and pasture, but
which are not at present of very high
value compared with tillable lands.
Sufficient of this inferior land ex-
lists so that purchasers are not safe
in buying land without personal in
spection or report from some relia-
bic person, whose report can be trust
ed in regard to land values. The per.
centage of inferior land in proportion
to the choice land differs but little
from the percentage as is shown by
land in our own county. There are
some townships in which nearly one
third the area is not of high grade.
The good land is now nearly all un-
der cultivation. and the yields of oats,
wheat, fax and barley in the year
1909 has been large and the prices
at which grain has been selling has
produced a very large income to the
farmers, Up to the present date it is
estimated that one hundred MILAN
in cash has been paid the farmers in
North Dakota for the crop of 1909.
At least one-third Of the crop is still
unmarketed. The great volume Of
money that has poured into the state
from this source has resulted in great
abundance Of ready cash. The bank
deposits have increased wonderfully,
and the fever to buy more land has
grown rapidly, resulting in a consider
able increase in land values. Lands
are changing hands rapidly at prices
averaging at least s. per acre higher
than a year ago. The state of North
Dakota many years ago received from
the general government grant af A
large area OF land for the purpose Of
establishing an agricultural college.
The lands were mostly located in the
counties I have described. The gov
eminent also granted sections 16 and
Sc in each township for school pur-
l'OScS. liz SLdIC uIduC III ONIolOu Ill
their constitution which fixed a price
of $40 T,er acre as the minimum price
at which the state and school lands
could be sold. They also established
regulations for the appraisal Of the
unsold lands from time to time and
provided for public sales to dispose
of them, at not less than the apprais-
ed value, at such time as the state
land commissioner should fix.
About ten years ago the price Of
land began to rise to point where
these lands could be sold at the fig
ure required by law and sales have
been held each year, with intervals
by which sales in the different coun-
ties should be taken up in turn. The
sales have now been conducted to