The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1910-10-20

diu gums w ~ duu oIASh ~ OuI'
for l will have but two years more
of it. My sons want to leave now,
and l don't Know whether I can in
duce them to remain or not. l have
invested about $4,000 In my horse
ranch already and have not nearly
started yet. have 20 mares and
want to increase the number to fifty.
was told that the land around
me was all filed on, though in that
| whole neighborhood l can count but
a dozen families. When l went to-
Canada, intended starting In the
merchandise business, but the pick
ing looked too slim. 4
A good many Russians from south
of Minot fled in q settlement near me
but have not located there yet. The
crops were so poor this year that the
government has given them a leave
of absence till next April. 8
The land appears to be pretty good
to a man who is sailing across the
| country in an automobile. The grass
perhaps is of several years growth
and the green grass coming up thru
it, makes it look fine. The grafters
know just where to stop their autos,
and will shovel up a spade of nice
black dirt. Perhaps there are but
fifteen acres of such on half section,
and the rest is paved with small stone
and gravel.
in the "Happyland" district north
of Maple Creek, the settlers are haul
ing water twenty miles, for them
selves and stock. The government has
taken a nand and is putting down
well in each township.
The feed question is very SER
ious one, and the country Is fast be-
ing depopulated on this account.
Little or no crops were raised this
year, the yields being figured at so
many acres to the bushel. Hay is
selling for 500 a ton. From Swift
Current, west, the country is all
dried out The only thing that the
farmers can ever hope to raise, Is
winter wheat.
! The poor settlers are going TO
suffer this winter. A. man should not
thing of going there with less than
$4,000, and he's liable to lose it too.
Everything is high. You can't get a
meal anywhere for less than SO cents.
and 80. cents. for q. bed, and no
accommodations There is little work
to:be had; a few days now and then.
/ There was only one month this
year that it did not freeze. We had
snow the latter part Of August. On
Oct. 49, and 10, three years ago, II
storm near US, a rancher lost 5000
head OF sheep and 20 lives were lost.
i The Hudson Bay company is selling
this land speak OF. at so y acre and
people seem to be buying some of it,
I but l would not give my Lynch
quarter for a section of that land.
i The government rents certain land
for four cents an acre a year, but
there is so much red tape about It,
that it does not pay to bother with
it. II you do, you get 1t for only a
year and must vacate the land and
! take off all your improvements with.
7 in 80 days after notification.
The government tells you the sett
lers can have all the fish and game
they want. I have Been there almost
a year and have not seen fish yet
You see an antelope occasionally, but
| can kill but two year and must pay
$500 license One is allowed to kill
but ten birds a day and total OF
I 100 in the entire year.
III you want to rent grass land
you must swear that there is no grass
on your land. The government then
fixes the time for you to cut it, be-
tween july Is and Oct. 1.
III the settler wants to prove up,
he invariably finds the land office
too busy. One Of my neighbors has
!. been trying four months to prove up.
(He's Reformer).
A contest in Canada is called a
Cancellation. II one brings a cancella-
ton, and wins out, he must file with
in 60 days or he loses his right No
one can bring a cancellation, but who
is eligible to file, and can bring but
!, one cancellation at time.
Here Is an instance of what in
Justice is done the settlers. McClurg
filed on land near me and one
Barrett brought a cancellation Nc
Clurg's wife was so Ill the man could
not leave his Old North Dakota home
in time to file. Barrett later wanted
to withdraw the cancellation, but the