The Dickinson press., 1910-10-29
nolLETS At MAPLE ISLAND
WE'RE PIONEERS OUT Mere

NJ. and Mra. I. Nollet are we'll known
to STARK and Billings county readers a.
pioneesa in the West Missouri country
and people who were eminently success
siul In amassine q fortune In the stock
business.
About ave yean 40 when the treat
inlux Of Farmers beaan. NJ. NolletI fore
saw that It would Do only . shost time
when ranchins on free land would be q
thing Of te past. Instead Of buying
land here In North Dakota b decided
to select apeemanent homo In IN older
settled community and nearer The schools
where be planned to educate his nine
children.
+ Fourteen miles from Saltwater. Min.
nesota. and some twenty-five miles from
st. Paul, on a 500 line branch, 10 the
little station and store Of Maple Island.
All about, nearly as far as the eye
q ZEE. is the farm selected by Mr..
and Mrs. Nollet as their home. while a
mile away are the farm buildings. The
place is known as the old Staples farm
and three miles beyond on Big Lake is
the Staples manor house. Isaac Staples
was a multi-millionaire lumberman of
Saltwater and it was his particular
fancy to buy ~land-always more land
and build up large farm properties.
The Maple Island farm. often employ
ing a hundred men, he planned would
be q base of supplies for the hunting
lodge on Big Lake and he designed it as
a home for M of his sons. The con
never cared for 1t and eventually it
came upon the market and was purchased
by NJ. Nollet at a decided barkain.
MI. Nollet's farm at present consists
of 1000 acres. including 800 acres pur-
chased from the grandson Of Isaac
Staples, who is now owner of Big Lake
manor. This acreage enables Mr.. .Nollet
to ranch to q considerable extent while
at the same time he is able to raise
fodder crops and hay.
The farm buildings include three
dwelling houses; five barns. two large
graneries, machine shed and granery
| combined, two wood sheds. a large hay
shed, blacksmith shop. tool house /;
creamery. poultry house and immense
silo. A store and Touring mill were
moved to the station and the mill re-
modelled into a feed mill. This burned
down last spring but was insured we'll
so that Mr.. Nollet's loss was not heavy.
The roomy dwelling which he occupies
has every modern o v%enience. includ.
ing water system. bath. hot water heat,
etc. The water is supplied from a 325
barrel tank and is also piped to all the
barns.
In the several barns there is ample
room for 48 horses. 112 cows, 3, 70(
sheep and $50 tons of hay. The silo il
the largest in the state and its capacit,
is 400 tons of ensilage. This year Mr.
Nollet had 20 acres in corn and ~ acres
in small grain. about one-tbird the nor
NAL amount. Owing to the drought. thu
tame hay crop was a failure this year.
but it is an i'll wind that blows no good
and Mr.. Nollet was able to secure 20t
tons of wild hay from a cranberry
swamp. This land he PANIED to ditch
while dry and reclaim for all time fol
hay land.
After shipping three cars of beef
steers. there were left on the farm. the
last of August. 20 dairy cows. 1 900
sheep and so horses besides q herd oil
pigs.
Much of the land is billy and from q
high hill in front of the house. the view
is superb, extending to the St. Croix
valley and the Wisconsin line. Beyond
this hill is Mr.. Nollet's private fish
pond we'll stocked with the. eamey bass.
The farm is valued at $50 per acre
but even at that price it is not for sale.
as the owner realizes that the farmer il
the independent man and that not every
day is a farm like Maple Island to be
had even for cash.
The Nollets are doing we'll for theil
children. Five of the nine attend school
at St. Benedict's Academy at St.
Joseph, Minnesota, not far from home.
One boy attends St. Johns University
and the oldest son, Frederick has eradu-
ated from the commercial department
and is now ATTENDING the MinnesOts
School of Agriculture. During the sum
mer all are busy az bees on the farm.
A PRESS representative vas royalty
entertained by MIR. and Mrs. Nollel
not long since aud most cordial greet.
ings were SEM to old friends in Western
North Dakota. compiled with an invita-.
tion to visit them at their Maple Islsnt
home when passing through the Twir
Cities