Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-01-17
Letter From North Dakota.
Maddox, N. d., Jan. 1912.

Letter From North Dakota.
Maddox, N. D., Jan, 1912.
Editor Willmar Tribune,
With the money for another years
subscription, I will try and let friends
in Kandiyohi read few words from
us here, way up in North Dakota.
Those from Kandiyohi county living
here are all hale and hearty, and
have all we need for soul and body.
We have a good minister in I. Hav-
neros, who is well liked by all. And
nice church, put up at cost Of
$4,000, with heating plant in the
basement. The congregation in Vik-
ing consists Of about sixty members.
We have from eight to nine months
Of parochial school with six weeks
school in each school house.
This year we had two students,
from Hamline Seminary to teach
here, and they were we'll liked. Hope
they will be back next year. The
English school term here is six
months this year, with Horace Reese
from Willmar, as teacher. This is
the third year he is teaching here,
and he is boarding with Mr.. and Mrs.
10. J. Larsen.
The crop here wasn't any extra
last year, and this fall in threshing
we had unusually much rain, which
spoiled the quality Of the grain, and
gave us poor grade. But the pric-
es Of everything is good so there is
some money coming to us anyway.
The rain we had this fall was a
blessing to the dry ground, and we
now expect to have moisture enough
to help the crop through next year,
with a few local showers.
Fodder for the stock is plentiful
this winter. Those who had corn
and millet planted, raised more than
enough to carry the stock through.
Here, like in all other new countries,
farming is done with small grain on
ly every year. But farmers CON-
mence to get their eyes open now.
That this is a poor way to improve
the farm, as pigeon seed and other
foul seed will fill up the half bushel,
and for such stuff the market is al
ways poor.
| We can now see a change going on
Every year more corn is planted and
here and there is started in with full
blood stock Of all kinds. These are
signs Of better farming. The ques-
ton generally asked before was,
"How many acres Of wheat have you
put in this spring." Now the cues
ton becomes, GLOW much corn have
you put in?" I remember the same
thing going on in Kandiyohi county
where they started in with wheat and
got thirty bushels to the acre. At
ter twenty five years robbing of the
soil in that way they at last got five
bushels Of wheat, half of it wild
oats. Then the farmers woke up
and rubbed their eyes.
i The same thing has been going on
here, as wheat raising is the easiest
way Of farming. We have markets
handy enough. First when we came
here we had Fessenden on the Soc
lime, seventeen miles south Of here
Then came Maddox on the Northern
Pacific on branch going out from
Oberon, and now for two years, the
Great Northern has been grading on
a road from Darlington to Minot
which is going eight miles south OF
here, and where already a couple of
small towns are located. One by
name Of >Heimdal has two general
stores, one hardware store, restau-
rant, blacksmith shop and a bank, OF
which c. A. Lowen is cashier, D. N
Tallman from Willmar, president and
IS. B. Qvale, vice president. The
steam shovel has been at work on
the bank on the east side of Shey-
enne River, making a dump for the
bridge, but is now on the west side.
This road according to what con-
tractor said is going to be ready next
summer, and as it is going to be the
main line to the coast, it is certainly
going to be first class road, and will
do big business. 1t runs east and
west eight miles south of US and
Heimdal will be our nearest market
lplace.
| Wishing you all a blessed, good
new year, and wish to the Dovre
correspondent to take hold of the
pen once more, I am,
Yours,
| S. KANIKKEBERG.