The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-05-18
DOUBLE POPULATION
IN FIVE YEARS
bitches, 738 Miles In Length, Bene-
fitting s54,516 Acres Of Swamp
Lands, Aid County Settlement.
RED LAKE LAND NOW VALUABLE
Demonstrated That Soil Drained is
Well Adapted to Growth of All
Grains Small Reclaiming Cost.

With 738 miles of drainage bitches
established under contract in Bel
trami county, benefting 854.516
acres of swamp lands to the extent
of $2,083,759, as estimated by the
viewers, and costing $1,126,190, to
build, the tax sales of 1913 and 1914
have proved very satisfactory and
pleasing to the officials under whose
supervision the bitches have been es-
tablished, and the work of construc-
ton has gone forward.
These bitches have not all been
completed, but the work is so far
along, that the results can be fore
seen, and it is plainly shown that
the country north of Red Lake is
being made habitable, and that five
years more will see hardly a tract of
vacant land in the so-called big
swamp.
Last years tax sale resulted in
homestead fling on nearly 10000
acres of this land, which has this
year been placed on the tax lists,
and will aid in paying the expenses
of the county from now on.
Amounts to $4,000.
This years sale was more largely
attended, owing to the fact that it
had received more advertising, and
the general public began to- discover
that there is an opportunity to Sc
cure homes at reasonable prices. And
as the amount of open or vacant gov
eminent lands was considerably less
than was offered a year ago, the bid
ding resulted in quite a large sum
of bonus over and above the amount
of the delinquent interest for which
the sale was made Auditor George
has not yet completed his records suf-
fciently to show the exact amount
of bonus collected, but says it is in
the neighborhood of $4,000.
This bonus is first applied to the
payment of the ditch lien against the
land and any excess above that is de-
livered to the proper government Of
hcials for their disposal In most
cases the bonus does not amount to-
quite the total of the lien and in such
cases there will be nothing coming
to the government But some of the
bids exceeded the lien, and there will
be quite snug sum to pay the gov
eminent for the benefit of the Indian
Department.
When one considers the original
area of wet and overflowed lands in
this county he must realize the Won
derful work undertaken by the Off
Gals. Compiling from the official
records, and other sources, Beltrami
county had 1,451,52O acres of wet
lands, which has been reduced more
than one-half by the various drain
age Q1CcneS unQer way.
Give Passable Roads.
These bitches not only drain the
land, but for almost every mile of
ditch the county receives a mile of
good passable roadway. These dit
ches have been so laid out and des-
ignated that when the various pro-
jects are completed it will give the
settlers road to market which will
be passable at all times.
A few years ago these lands were
without any material value and state
ments were often made by lumber
companies that the drainage of these
lands would kill the tamarack and
spruce, but with these extensive
drainage bitches, the rainfall which
is approximately thirty inches an
nually, will be sufficient for the
growth of all right timber. These
vast wet lands, which are at this
time almost void of timber, and those
that carry small amount Of timber
can when drained be replanted with
trees that will grow to a marketable
value. -~s. -. .s.-~ 49,.
Dairying Causes Wealth.
One travelling through this section