The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1913-07-26
PROMINENT men
ADDRESS MEETING
Sherman, Mackenzie, Willard, Nc
Guire, Gile and Stewart. On
Program
MAY EFFECT ORGANIZATION
Suggests Building And Loan Associa-
tion For Farmers Be First
Of Its Kind

4 - AAA ~ . - SV
Of Its Kind
Farmers and Townspeople attend
ed the meeting held at the city. hall
this afternoon for the purpose of
organizing a land clearing and loan
association among the farmers where
by money could be raised to help the
farmers buy cattle and clear their
lands. .-...e
The men on the program were I'M
commissioner Fred Sher-
man, w. R. Mackenzie, A. J. Mcclure
of Grand Rapids, E. A. Willard of st.
Paul, W. B. Stewart and Bueford
Gile of Bemidji. Their talks were in
teresting from start to finish, each
having new ideas and all of which
proved beneficial to the farmers.
Mr.. Sherman said in part:
Il am very glad to meet with the
Bemidji Commercial Club today, 1
have listened with interest to the re-
marks that have been made and a ap-
preciate very much the opportunity
of taking small part in this import
ant discussion. l always like to come
to Bemidji and l find that many
others feel the same for so many
people, tell me that they like to visit
Bemidji. Just few days ago over
heard two men talking about this
city and one said to the other 81 have
never been in Bemidji but it must
be pretty good place for that town,
gets its name in the paper more than
any; other town of it's size in Minneso-
ta," and then the other replied, "Well
Bemidji is not the largest city in
the state, but it. is one of, the best in
the state and comes; pretty near be-.
ing the metropolis Of northern Min
So you see Northern Minnesota
makes a favorable impression upon
people, even If they are from Boston.
! want to compliment, not only the
citizens of Bemidji and Beltrami
County, but all the citizens of Nor
thern Minnesota upon their splendid
and persistant boosting qualities, for
wherever one goes in this great north
country, one meets everywhere live
wires who, are ever ready to say a
good word for the present condition
and future prospects of Northern
Minnesota, and that is what counts.
Show me county where large ma
jority of it's people are boosters and
will show up a county that is get
ting new settlers and lands are going
up in value every year: show me a
city or village where a large ma
jority of it's inhabitants are boosters
and I will show you town that is
growing and it's people are happy and
prosperous. OF course you have the
II will not say knockers-but you
have the pessimist, and it is right you
should for if Northern Minnesota
people were all such optimists as are
my friends. ]. Opsahl, w. R. Mac
kensize and many others, they would
run up the price of lands to $1,000
per acre in thirty days.
There is plenty of room for develop
ment in Beltrami County, which is
true of all counties in Northern Min
nesota You have in Beltrami Coun-
ty land area of 1,S69,724.OS acres,
and population of 1887 people. If
we should eliminate the people living
in the cities and villages of your
County we would discover that you
have rural population of 9,794 or
only one rural inhabitant to every
191 acres of land. OF course Baltrami
County is the second largest
county in the state, but If
you consider the five counties of Lin
coin, Lyon, Murry Pipestone and
Rock in southern Minnesota,
which have approximately the
same average you would find they
have combined population Of 57,126
people and the rural population
amounted to 1866 persons. or one
for each AZ acres of land.
Perhaps to you it may seem that
the development of this county is
slow, but maintain that Beltrami
County is making good progress.
arrive at this conclusion from the fol-
lowing figures: In 1895 the popula-
tion of Beltrami County amounted to
11,364; in 1900 11,O30 population;
|19O5-14,312 and in 1910-19,337,
{These figures alone prove that Bel
Itrami County is being developed, and
although do not have the facts al
hand, venture to say, much faster
than some of the counties did in
Southern Minnesota when that part
Iof the state was experiencing pioneer
days.
Now my friends / am representing
the State Board Of Immi grafton; I am
interested In the development Of Min.
lContinueo On last pese).
gss s