The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-02-15

AZ GOAA " FAsab pCA bhSAlNA = -
in town heard of it and at once be-
gan to sit up and AXE notice: out
came pencils: $4,000 from only forty
acres, why that will be $4,000 from a
quarter section. $4,000 from a section;
we must all go to farming"
The imaginary possibilities were
boundless. the gold mines of Cali
fornia are not in it with a section
farm in the Red river valley; never
mind the cold winters, one can go to
the sunny south in his w private car
on the profits from a section farm"
Such were the dreams.
A few other small farmers who rails
ed some wheat did equally as well, and
our local papers commenced running
a crop report column; eastern papers
began to copy and comment on these
reports, and in a short time the pro-
ductiveness of Red river valley soil
was well advertised. Some of the
original holders and OF the specula-
tive purchasers of the deprecated land
grant bonds commenced exchanging
them for lands, but no one had any
intention of ~cultivating.
Judging from the man letters that
we soon began to receive from bond
holders all over the country, we had
every reason to expect large sales in
the spring as soon as the weather
would permit selection of lands, n
1t was evident, that unless some in
ducements could be offered to purchas-
ers t. improve their holdings, our work
would result in nothing but an ex-
change of ownership. without any set
/ -. - 1890 W.. I'm rY-N.yop1a nfc 10
any kind, no business for the road,
would come from it all.
We needed something larger than
the small fields of the homesteader
to attract farmers with means, and to
give the road something to carry.
Capital was necessary with which to
do things on a larger scale, and late
in the winter l went to New York,
represented the situation to General
Cass. suggesting the ACCESSIBILITY of
making a reduction in the price of the
lands in proportion to the area that
each purchaser should contract to put
under cultivation within a specified
time. ranging from 90 to so per cent
off from regular list prices.
The proposition met with immediate
approval, and after some consideration,
Mr.. Cass and MIR. Cheney, one of the
directors, had me select for them, near
what is now Casselton, 1880 acres,
eighteen sections) and entered into 9
contract to have at least one-fourth OF
1t broken up each year for three sue
cessive years, and to cultivate the
same to wheat and other grain until
such time as they might sell.
This agreement by them, however
carried with it a verbal understand
ing that I should find a man to do the
breaking and backsetting the first sea
| son, and then a competent man tc
/ carry on the farm, either under a sal
airy or on some profit sharing plan
! II was no small job to break and
) backset ne~~Iy 5000 acres in n sea.
4 son, but in Peter Seims, I found the
man that couldfdo 1t; to find the right
man to carry on such a large farm
was not so easy.
, After considering the propositions Of
! a few who thought they were cap
) able. / thought OF Oliver Dalrymple
r having known him for a number Of
) years while he was carrying on
large wheat farm of some 5000 acre;
near ST. Paul. He had sold his farm
/. and was then looking for a new field
Of operation.
. It took him some days to decide
I but he finally concluded to look thu
land over. 1t had then been ploweC
e and most of the backsetting done; h
returned full Of enthusiasm as to TIL,
possibilities of profitable wheat cultur,
$ in the Red river valley, and anxious
! to demonstrate the faith that vas il
him. Carrying my letter of introduc
ton to General Cass, he returned from
New York with a contract that mad
e him q conditional partner with Cas-
= and Cheney.
BY locating some indian scrip an,
soldiers additional, they secured It'll
to three sections Of adjoining cavern
ment lands. thus giving them in
nearly solid body. q farm of 1914
acres.
\ Mr. Dalrympie at once commence
building. seeded the 5000 acres the
ready and broke UP another 200
acres that season. thus opening U,
what soon became the famous Cass
Cheney Dairymple bonanza whea
farm of North Dakota.
n The initial expenditures for build
h ings. purchase of live stock and ma
chinery. and labor bills ran into man
4 thousands Of dollars, and I was ap
= pointed "disbursing agent for Cas- an
. Cheney. holding the position owe
three years until business made it ad
8 visable to have such an office at th
Headquarters of the farm and I wa
relieved Of further responsibility an
e connection with the enterprise.
Z If my memory serves me right, tn
e partnership was continued until 1SS
Z when Mr.. Dalrymple bought the in
~terests OF Cass and Cheney and unit
z his death, about a year ago, he wa
: the sole owner.
= At the time, and under the circum
tances, the opening Of such a larg
farm Ia this new northwest was
le great undertaking, and the well know
Ii character of the hackers encourage
other capitalists to make simila
ventures. 1t no longer required Ell
10 fort on our part to sell railroad lands
'r they were taken by the hundreds an
by the thousands Of acres,
During the years of 1875 to 1878 til
rush Of buyers for railroad lands, an
OF settlers for adjacent governmer
lands, was like a tidal wave. In fs
Years after Cookies failure our sale
aggregated 1,723,500 acres. to 2,sS
% different purchasers. realizing TO th
l. company $~7.sS7,250.
Among these. including the Casf
1t Cheney farm, all bought for cultiya
lg ton, were the Dunlop purchase /
Mapleton Of 1000 acres; the Moshel
near Cassslton, OF $4,000 acres; II