Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-11-22

q large element of the popula tion that
is opposed to them, and they have
succeeded in Kidding the town Of
some Of the worst eatures Outside
Of it's saloons and the debauchery
they cause among the lumbermen and
others, the city Of Bemidji is as fine
Il little town as we have seen. We
believe it has a future as a business
center Of the vast undeveloped re-
gions extending in all directions but
especially to the north and west.
There are pessimists who believe that
when the two saw mills run out Of
logs the town will cease to grow and
prosper. The same was predicted Of
Minneapolis twenty years ago.
During the forenoon we attended
a sale Of state lands conducted by
State Auditor 1verson at the court
house. In an hour and a half he
sold about 5000 acres Of school and
other state lands in various parts Of
Beltrami county at prices ranging
from SIS to $18 per acre, exclusive Of
the estimated value of the timber on
the lands, which was additional to
be paid in cash. There were about
$50 people at the sale-settlers, spec
ulators, -residents-one woman
from Illinois bidding in l2O acres.
And the fall sales are not supposed
to amount to much compared with
those held in the spring.
During the morning hours we met
the Hon. J. J. Opsahl, the Bemidji end
Of the Willmar-Nebish Colonization
Company. He was to be our COM
panion in our further travels, and
fortunate indeed we were to have
such a guide. For twenty years a
cruiser in the woods, having been or
iginally employed on the government
survey, having served this immense
territory two terms in the legislature,
being acquainted with everybody, in
GLIDING the Indians, knowing practi-
cally everything about the country
and moreover being of a social tenn
permanent and bubbling over with wit
and humor, he was the right man to
make a trip like ours one of interest
land pleasure.
! Our train for the north did not
leave before in the afternoon. We
had time to make fraternal calls at
the newspaper Offices. The Pioneer
issues a daily edition, and is owned
by a stock company. The editor,
Mr.. Wilson, showed us every court
esy, and we were given opportunity to
inspect their fine plant. The Sentin-
ell is owned by young man named
Marcum, and is edited by doc" Rut-
ledge, decidedly live wire in the
community. We were talking poll
tics in less than a minute, and we
learned more about the political side
Of the development of Northern Min
nesota from our brief talk with him
than we had ever known before.
! We exchanged greetings with Judge
&c. w. Stanton, Of the District. Court,
formerly Of Appleton, over the
I'phone. We had not remembered that
he was here while on our visit to the
court house.
At three o'clock we made our way
to the southern terminal Of the great
railroad system known by the import
ant sounding name of The Minneap-
oils, Red Lake & Manitoba Railway
(Bemidji has three railway stations.
, This railroad is 33 miles long, its
northern terminal being located or
, Red lake. Essentially logging road
an accommodation train consisting
i of an old passenger coach, one of thu
very first ever built in the U. S. W.
verify believe, and a combination
smoker and baggage car which was
worthy companion Of the first men.
} toned, together with few freight
ears, all drawn by a diminutive Ell.
CINE with drivers no larger than the
ordinary car wheels, made the rounc
trip Of the system every day. W.
purchased tickets to the end of thu
line, as We wished to get view Of
Red lake in the morning. We will
never forget our ride on this train
1t was a happy-go-lucky catch-as.
catch~can gait the fussy little engine
led us to. The conductor was also
brakeman, freight hostler, switch
man, and mail messenger (the train
carried only pouch mail.) At the
stations all hands piled out of the
train and into the stores to buv a new
supply Of peanuts. No danger Of
anyone getting left on this train
There was plenty of time to view the
country. Mr.. Opsahl pointed out the
interesting features as we passed
along. Jack pines abound until about
twelve miles north of Bemidji, when
the sandy soil ceases and we get in
to clay soil country, with Norway
and white pine, hardwood and a good
deal of birch. Pretty soon we are on