The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-05-16
N. D. COMING
into ITS own
PART or THE STATE
RAPIDLY APPROACHING THAT
STATE or DEVELOPMENT AND
PROGRESS OF WHICH 1T is DE-
SERVING.

The progress of the western part of
North Dakota this year will be re-
markable, and the rush for land ex-
ceeds anything since the state was adj
United, says The Bismarck Tribune.
nor. In territorial days was there ever
such substantial growth and rush of
settlers as there is this year. The west
ern part of North Dakota is being
gridironed by railroads, each of the
new branches adding to the value Of
the land and opening up new territory.
The government land in the western
part OF the state is practically all gone.
Not many years ago there were 5,000,-
600 acres of vacant government land in
this land district Today there remains
only small amount, in scattered To-
calities. The arabic land is homestead
cd, and the free government land has
oeen taken off the market, as a COM
pet1tor with land in private ownership
The result of this will be the i'm
mediate increase of the value of all
the land held in private ownership,
and that this increase in value is ap-
preciated is evident from the eagerness
of land dealers, settlers, clerks, pro-
fessional men and all classes of people
to invest surplus funds in land. In the
last ten years the land in the western
part of the state has increased in value
by leaps and bounds. Not MANY years
ago large tracts of land were purchas-
able from the railroad company at
prices ranging from 81 an acre upward.
Large tracts of this land were purchas-
ed and sold into private ownership. to
farmers and settlers, and with every
sale or a quarter section the value Of
the remaining land has increased.
The other day was reported the sale
OF nine sections of land in Dunn county
to a number of real estate buyers who
will sell the land in small tracts and
put settlers on 1t. The big Phelan
ranch was sold the other day and will
be converted into farming land. The
day of ranching on large scale has
passed. Mercer and Oliver counties,
which have been without railroad faciI-
tiles since the first settlement of that
section, will have railroad branches
this year in time to haul out the crop.
In Mclean county, the Northern Pa
c1fic and the 500 are rushing new
branches, to reach the Fort Berthold
reservation, and open up that territory
as soon as it is available 90 settlers.
Through Stutsman, Kidder and north
ern Burleigh county, the Pingree-
Wilton line will give railroad facilities
to settlers. One of the land dealers in
Kidder county, has sold about 100000
acres of land to actual settlers in the
past year or year and a half, and that
the sales will result in the settlement
or the country was evident from the
fact that in the territor yin which he
operated he saw a score Of steam and
gasoline blowing rigs at work when he
passed through on recent trip.
The power blowing rig has SUPER
ceded the horse to a large extent in the
past year. Out along the western part
OF the state the sod is being turned
over by thousands of acres, to be sowed
to wheat and flax for a first crop. 1t
would be interesting and without doubt
to learn the. total number of
g ores of virgin soil that will be put
into crop for the first time this wear.
From the Stutsman county line west
ward, land is selling at. $40 to $50 an
acre, and in some cases higher This
was considered a comparatively few
years ago as a fair price for the select
ed lands of the Red River valley. And
the lands in thar section are selling
at greatly increased values, transac-
lions being made at $50 and even high
err per acre. 1t is safe prediction that
land in the eastern part of the state
will be sold as high as 500 an acre
within few years, and that good ara
BILE land in the western part of the state
will steadily increase.
In the early days of the territory
and the state the cities were developed
beyond the agricultural territory sur
rounding them. New the country has
caught UP to the cities. and as a result
the cities are enjoying a substantial
and healthy growth. Architects report
demand for plans for
new buildings. School houses, bust |
ness blocks, commercial institutions |
all lines of industry the |
state is enjoying phenomenal advance.
This year something more than 1000
miles of additional railroad lines will |
be built This is an addition of So
100000 TO 100000 900 to the assessed
valuation of the state alone.
The state of North Dakota is coming
into it's own