Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1910-10-06
FROM
HILLS SPEECH
AT THE STATE UNIVERSITY
GREAT CHANGES SEEN. AG-
eA
RICuLTURAL COLLEGE
DOING GOOD WORK

At the banquet on the occasion of
the inauguration of President McVey
J. J. Hill said in part:
A couple of hours ago, passed in
an auto a town on the river where I
arrived forty years ago last March
following three dogs. All that had
and all that needed for my personal
comfort as far as might call COM
for waA on a dog sledge, and I saw
the morning star fading out at Lako-
ia. The town was then known as
Elm couley, so that have seen North
Dakota grow. I have seen it grow
from "a bald, unsettled prairie to
what it is today, and it is one Of the
most satisfying and proudest things
of, my whole life that have been able
to take part in the growth Of the
state. Now looking at the past, and
we must do that If we are to Judge
of the future, we are carried back to
the condition that applied to this
country when North Dakota was first
settled. The wonderful progress
which we have made is only the re-
suit of opportunity and applied work.
There has been a great change,
great and permanent change brought
about during the last fifteen or twen-
ty years in this entire country. In
1856, when came west, little more
than q boy, within hundred miles
of Chicago was broad and unoccu-
pied prairie. When came to St.
Paul within a day or two after my
arrival a gentleman mounted on
beautiful horse was pointed out as the
agent for an Indian reservation, ap-
pointed by President Buchanan. He
had reached Chicago in time for him
to start with a Red river cart that
came up this valley to Fort Garry,
and tie Saschewan and the Bow riv-
er country, and on south to the
Blackfoot country, and that was in
the last days of July.
From July until winter he had not
time to get to his agency. Now we
go from st. Paul to that identical
place in thirty hours. There has
been some progress and it is the pro-
gress that the conditions existing at
the time made possible. Now these
conditions no longer exist. We have
not any area of good public land on
WHICH surplus population can spread
itself, and where men and women
can make happy homes and build up
prosperous communities.
We ought not to be sending 100,-
900 American farmers year to the
Canadian northwest. We ought not
to force them to leave their own flag
and their own constitution and go to
another country to begin again, as
long as we have some room upon
which they may make use Of their
time and their opportunities for the
benefit Of us all.
Credit Changing
Now we have been exceedingly
prosperous in this country. For
many years the United States has
been crediting nation. AS late as
1898, O,O0O, For the last
fiscal year, just closed, 1t has fallen
to $1S7.O00;O00; not enough to pay
the travelling expenses Of our Euro
peon globe trotters, and for the re-
spective months since the close of the
fiscal year, the balance has been a.
gainst US.
The agricultural college Of North
Dakota is doing good work, excellent
work, and the good quality Of its
work will only be limited by the In
terest It gets from the people Of
North Dakota. Now I do not care
whether man is q professional man,
whether he is in the pulpit. wether
he is in the college, university, count
ing room, whether he is merchant
or a farmer; cultivating the lands
Lu0T0 ~ 0O OA0 4uSOAS6V ~ tA0 9AOoS'
state Of North Dakota, and there new
5er will be one single interest that
compares In importance with the In
telligent cultiva alton Of your land, and
your agricultural college will, be the
measure, and Its success will be the
measure Of the support that every
body gives It. For without the con.
3servation Of the soil. without the In
:telligent use Of the soil in preserv-5
ing It's facilities your churches and
your schools and your society and.
your towns and your commercial cen
3ters all pass away You could not
remain here8if 4 were not for the he