The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-12-11
REAL BACK TO
FARM MOVEMENT
BARNES COUNTY ONE HUNDRED
DOLLAR AN ACRE CLUB
PROVES TO BE POTENT
FACTOR.

Valley City, N. D., Dec. 11.-A real
back to the farm movement has set
in in Barnes county, and as a result Of
plans made by the One Hundred Doll
lar an Acre club, bids fair to become
a tremendous factor in the rapid set
tlement Of the county.
G. ]. Lee, retired farmer, capitalist,
and for fifteen years intimately assoc
ciated with the growth Of Valley City,
is the originator Of the plan which, 1t
is believed, will double the population
of Barnes county in five years. Mr..
Lee is the owner of several large farms
in the vicinity of Valley City, and like
other North Dakota farmers, has
found difficulty in securing farm help
upon which he could depend, not only
through the harvest season, but
through haying and for the winter
work on his farms.
Free Homes for ToiIers.
AS one of the leading opponents of
diversified farming in North Dakota,
he has endeavored for years to secure
the right kind of help which would en-
able him to handle grain crops in sum-
mer and in the winter turn to dairying
and stock feeding. Finding it impos-
sible to do this without more farm
help, the idea occurred to him of Offer
ing to city men with small families an
opportunity to secure house, free land
enough to raise a garden crop to in
sure their living, free use Of COW, and
the promise of steady work on his
farms for the entire year
He found that for a comparatively
small investment it would be possible
to erect a house which would accom-
modate the average family, and, hay-
ing laid his plans, inserted a small ad-
vertisement in a twin city newspaper.
A flood of answers was received in the
course of week. His needs for sew
eral farms cared for, he faced the prob
lem Of caring for the other applicants
whom he could not use.
Bureau Is Organized.
Many of the letters were pathetic.
Wives with growing families and dis
sipated husbands wrote begging for an
opportunity to take their husbands to
some place where they could regain
their manhood. Men who had worked
in factories and city shops all their
lives pleaded for an opportunity to get
back to the soil, and the promises to
make good if they were only given
chance, were unanimous.
He finally decided to refer the mat
ter to the One Hundred Dollar an Acre
club of Barnes county, the original
club of this name. and at a meeting
held here it was decided to begin an
active campaign to secure contracts
from farmers Of the county who need
help, and will make the same propo-
sition to settlers as has Mr.. Lee. 1t
has been decided to form an auxiliary
to the club, calling it the Free Farm
Home Bureau of the One Hundred
Dollar an Acre club. Mr.. Lee will at
once start campaign to secure con-
tracts from farmers of the county to
agree to take a certain number of FAM
lilies and provide homes for them.
Count on 400 Families.
1t is believed by e. S. Delaney.
president of the club. that at least 800
or 400 contracts can be secured before
spring, by putting an active solicitor
in the field, and that. in this way the
population of the county can be rapid
ly increased, and at the same time an
opportunity given to hundreds to make
a home and fortune in the west who
would otherwise be cooped up in city
flats and factories.