Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1912-02-29
:. l.. Potter Writes

eugene, oregon, rep. u, lJlZ.
Reporter and Farmer:
see that you have been publishing
parts of different letters we have been
writing home TO the children and as |
did not write them for publication. was
not as particular in going into details
as otherwise would. see our friend
Geo. Naessig has taken exceptions to
n in regard to the wheat crop in
Montana. | know that parts of Mon
tana raises big crops of wheat and lots
of it. In my letter in regard to this
meant that part of Montana we passed
through and for respect of that part
that does raise wheat, will say that in
our western trip we did not come over
the Milwaukee road.
Your readers may wish to know
more of the country we have been
over
We came through North Dakota,
Montana, Northern Idaho, Southern
Washington, Western Oregon and the
Sacramento Valley in California. We
have only been on the train one night
since leahing home, travelling day
time and putting UP nights. We
started out to see the country and have
a good time, and so far have found
what we went after. We have stopped
from n day to a week at different
places along our route in order that we
could go out in the country and talk
with land owners and see more for
ourselves.
In California we had the pleasure of
visiting our old Webster friends, Mr..
and Mrs. VIM. Douglas, at Ornand.
Will state, that our own folks could
not have done more for us than they
did to make us have a good time.
They wished us to say to all Webster
friends that if any of them eve came
their way, to be sure and stop off and
see them, and we will assure you that
they will be entertained to their hearts
content. They are in the heart of the
government irrigation project and seem
to have a bright prospect before them.
The settlers are paying more attention
to the raising of alfalfa, almonds and
olives than anything else, as they
require less care and are mere sure of
a crop, yet oranges, Lemons, grapes
and other vine crops do we'll there.
We liked that part of California better
than any other part we visited.
The western part of Washington and
Oregon have lots of rain during the
winter months, consequently there is
quite a bit of mud. California has
much less rain, therefore has better
roads. This part of Oregon and Wash
ington raises grain, crops and fruit
without irrigation, while California
needs it. We have not seer any frost
since We struck the coast, yet they do
have quite hard frosts at times earlier
in the season, but generally of a very
few days duration.
Well how do you like It anyway?
That would take too long to tell, if |
went Into details, as / should,
in order to make myself plain, and
again, if | talked too much, / might
make somebody mad, but will say,
that many things have been badly
exaggerated, and many of them done
more harm than good, if one stops to
investigate. My advice to all is not to
pull up stakes and move to any place
where conditions are so different,
without thoroughly investigating for
yourself. for what might suit one
might not suit another. Every country
has its advantages, is well as its dis
advantages.
We leave here today for Newport,
Oregon, a winter resort, on the very
bank of the ocean. and from there we
go down into central Oregon. then we
point our toes toward home. Will say
in conclusion that you can find places
that are a whole lot worse than South
Dakota.
With kindest regards to our Day
county friends.