Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-02-12
FAITH IS THE
ONE ESSENTIAL
Commissioner Flint Strong Advo.
n = cate for More Settlers.

SOLlulIbSlO1c THU VI Lu0 dSElCul
tural department is a strong advo
cate Of the idea that the best in,
ducement for immigrants is for the
people Of North Dakota to have con
fidence in their state, to work dill
gently and systematically that they
may make the most OF their opportun'
tiles and resources, and to tell Others
What a good thing they have.
In support OF this contention a case
is cited at Garrison, in Mclean coun
ty. Up to about two years ago there
was a feeling of unrest and dissat-
isfaction among farmers and business
men, but at that time they eyre for
tunate in having a newspaper man
who was pretty much of a booster
and an Optimist. He insisted that
shere was nothing wrong with the
town or the country, but with the
people themselves. They were in the
wrong mood. The farmers felt that
the merchants were not giving them
a square deal, and the merchants felt
that the farmers were against them.
This got the farmers in the way of
thinking that they were in a poor
country, and many were planning on
leaving.
But the newspaper man still boost
ed the town and country and printed
column after column Of better farm
ing matter and corn raising until the
business men decided to organize the
Garrison Industrial association and
subscribed funds sufficient to carry
out SOME work. The objects as out
lined for this association did not
show a great strength for immigra.
ton on the face of it but they have
worked out strong in that direction.
"a Promotion of better farming
work. (2) Betterment of social
welfare. 90 Stimulation of immi-
grafton. 4) Publicity Of our nat
ural resources. They put this editor
at the head of the work as manager,
and the whole organization has been
on the job ever since.
Meeting Held.
Meetings were held and farm clubs
organized. Experts we're brought
into the community, and the more
ihe fal mers and merchants met and
talked things over, the more they
began to understand each other; and
the better they understood each other
the better became the feeling toward
the general welfare of all concerned.
Mr.. Flint, who was then dairy CON-
missioner, met with them and talked
dairying, diversifying and silos. He
assisted them in putting up silos
economically and helped in many
ways toward getting them to feel
right toward the country.
First Movement.
AS one OF the first movements in
the direction of, getting the actual
new settler and betterment OF O n
dftions generally, the manager Sc
cured a list of land for sale and
with farm scenes and a pic
ture machine and he went in
TO the east where he showed the
advantages of this country. One Of
The greatest drawbacks to the work
was in trying to induce settlers to
come into a country where people had
tried it out and were dissatisfied.
Then the people Of Garrison and vi
entity decided it was necessary to
show what could actually be done n
this country. That was the course OF
work outlined after carefully talking
it over with farmers and town folks,
so a campaign for corn o nevery farm,
alfalfa in small patches, better selec-
ton of seed grain and better methods
OF tillage were slogans that were pret-
~ generally accepted by all concern
ed. General interest was aroused and
the results centered on a big corn
show where the results were a sur
prise to the people then selves. A;
the beginning of this season it was
decided to revise the list of lands anc
have owners sign up contracts of sale.
When this was tried an entirely dir
ferent sentiment was found. They
had changed their minds, and did not
want to sell, for if this land could
do what it had shown it could, they
wanted to stay here. And if it was
good for the man coming from the
east it was certainly good enough for
them. There was difficulty in getting
less than one-half of the original lanG
listed and on practically all of this
the prizes had been increased. All be-
cause everyone was working together
for a better country and was getting
it.
One event alone proves the point
of cooperation. The farmers and
business men organized a creamery,
and it was hardly we'll openedswhen
twas destroyed by fire. At once all
hands rallied and in a surprisingly
short. time. the building was rebuilt
and the creamery was running again.
Anil was also built about the same
time and the opening was celebrated
by the entire country joining in a
feast of homemade bread and butter.
This proved one of the biggest boosts
that tle community ever received.
The feclHe Was so changed now that
instead Of thu expense being borne
largely b: business men in town. the
business men Of the farm are sub
scribing cash to help the work along.
What Was Done at Garrison.
A demonstration Of what was done
at Garrison. and which can be done
In manD parts CT the state, is show
m,tie recent corn contest among the
boys in that vicinity. In this contest
one Garrison boy produced 96.3 bush
els of cora on an acre; the average
yield Of the boys in the contest was
47.6 bushels; the average yield of the
boys in the state in similar contests
was 42.1 bushels; the average yielc
of the state. was $50 bushels: while
Al ,;IlI of tln 11njtn1 Slofnc