The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1913-01-30
MERRICOURT VALLEY.
A Few Jots Of One OF Our Best
Farming Communities.

Farming Communities.
The Merricourt Valley is great
farming country. The splendid farm
buildings and the well-tiled farms show
evidences of prosperity on all sides. A
visit to Merricourt always implies that
the village is wrongly named. When
we associate with it the names of the
pioneers who settled there and have
prospered, there is suggestion that
the names of Webb and Glenn should
be Incorporated in the valleys name.
The big farm of w. J. Webb adjoins
the townsite to the west. This farm
had in 2, 400 acres to crop last season,
1000 of this being to wheat that yielded
an average of 81 bushels to the acre
for durum and 26 for hard wheat. The
barley on the place yielded 81 bushels
to the acre on an average, and the fax
10 bushels. 100 acres were seeded to
corn, but on account of poor seed last
spring had to reseed part of this to
millet, and together the crop furnished
lots of feed.
The w. j. Webb holdings in the Mer-
ricourt Valley are now looked after by
his son, Geo. T. Webb. In connection
with the large farming interests is con:
Quoted the Farmers State Bank,
80, 600 brick elevator, hotel, and from
reports there is likely to be further
merging of interests in Merricourt to
the Webb holding company. The
Webbs have recently Incorporated,
have sold some of the stock, but will
hold controlling interest. The farm
is superintended by Mark Lampson,
scholarly, gentlemanly young man,
possessed of more than the ordinary
amount of hustle.
The Richard Webb farm, a mile to
the north of the village, is too being
run by a scion of the clan, Arthur w.
Webb beng in charge. Arthur is a
believer in improved farming and is
handling his fathers big farm in nice
shape.
The visitor to Merricourt can't help
but notice the well-kept farm of C. M.
Glenn, just north of the railroad as
you enter from the east. Mr. Glenn
takes special pains in the looks of his
place, and such places are the best ad-
vertising that any country can get.
The fine looking residence, the big
barns, the elevator all catch the eye
of those interested in investing in this
valley.
There are four elevators in this small
town. And they have shipped this
year in round numbers 100000 bushels
of grain, besides what they yet have
in their bins.
Cashier Crabtree of the First State
Bank is kept very busy. Besides being
good grain-shipping point, Merricourt
also enjoys large cattle shipping
trade, the hills to the west being just
the place to pasture cattle. Mr.. Crab
tree stated that business had been
splendid this last fall, and this year
promised much for the Merricourt
Valley.
While in Merricourt the first of the
week The Times man had the privilege
of attending silo and dairy meeting
that was scheduled there by the state
dairy department at Bismarck. The
lodge hall was we'll filled to listen to
addresses by E. H. Pierce, assistant
dairy commissioner, John Christensen,
a creamery man of New Salem. and
E. A. Greenwood, who is also as
sociated with the state department
The farmers take much interest in
meetings of this kind. 1t helps to
bring them together for an exchange
of ideas. The splendid luncheon that
was served free to the visitors was ap-
preciated and showed a good spirit on
the part of Merricourt citizens.
1t was noticeable that large per
cent of the audience was of German
people. The German Russians are
fast working into the valley and that
country almost to Monango is being
taken by them.