The Mankato free press., 1915-07-23
Kato Men Gaze
Upon the West
From Thursdays Daily.

From Thursdays Daily.
George b. owen and NJ. ID. Fritz
returned yesterday afternoon from a
business trip OF week or more COW
ering about $500 miles of the grand
est, highly cultivated, rich in wheat
producing country In the great north
west, and had an opportunity TO view
the most magnificent and widespread
ing wheat, oats, corn and alfalfa fields
and other crops that has ever been
produced in this expansive territory.
The trip included a ride over the,
Great Northern from St Paul TO Dev-
IFS Lake, by way OF the northern
route of that system, thence TO Rol-
Ia, N. d., in the foothills of the rich
agricultural section OF the Turtle
Mountain lake region, where 1t Is
said no crop failure has ever occurred,
then again TO the main line OF the
Great Northern to Fort Benton; an
auto drive to Geraldine. Mont, and
later 10 Great Falls. The return trip
was made via the same route, with
the exception OF the southern way
from Minot 10 Fargo.
One can scarcely conceive the
yastness OF the wheat fields in North
Dakota. Montana and Northwestern
Minnesota, unless they see IL at this
time OF the year: just before or aft
er the wheat berry is forming. or
prior TO formation-and in some in
stances ripening into golden grain.
For hours and hours-night and day,
YOU can look out and see wheat fields
as far as the sight can reach, and
that in a prairie country sometimes
is fifty miles.
What A Revelation.
And stock-what revelation.
What a change from grain to stock
raising is continually going on! Herds
Of cattle. horses and sheep-on farms
better adapted TO stock raising than
small grain culture. Think of the vast
wealth in the millions of acres, and.
oh. what a beautiful picture is pre-
sented when all these magnificent fields
shed their green growing yerdure and
change 10 the golden, ripened glow
OF the cereal, that when milled fur
nishes the stan Of life. Picture in
your mind the millions of bushels
yielded by n soil so rich, so warm.
so productive, that il scarcely has
room TO sway with the gentle breeze
that God in his wisdom sends down 10
cool and fan the cereal that Is fairly
bursting. bulging and wriggling for
breath. Can you conceive oI the
thousands upon thousands OF hands,
the thousands of horses and engines.
and again the thousands of reapers
10 garner this grain and the hundreds
of machines necessary to thrash II.
And too, the untold thousands OF ele-
vators requisite TO store and care for
such a crop as Is soon TO be harvest
ed. All OF this means riches untold
for the farmers of this far-reaching
and expansive territory.
Brought Home Samples.
Messrs. Owen and Fritz brought
home from Montana samples of wheat
whose stalks from root TO stem meas !
ure more than five feet in height,
with heavy heads. These samples
are from a field Of $50 acres, OF the
Turkey Red variety and raised on
breaking. The government is now
predicting q wheat yield OF a billion
or more bushels this year.
is Growing City.
Devils Lake Is a growing city. with
many new substantial buildings, for
the most part built OF brick. The
Great Northern hotel is n structure
owned by the company. customarily
referred as the property OF Jim Hili''
and is indeed up 10 the standard of
the better hostelries OF the growing
northwest. The streets are OF maca-
dam and five-cluster curb lights
beautify the city at night. The Dew
lis Lake Journal. one Of the many
enterprising dailies OF that section,
has done much TO further the inter
ests of this prosperous young city
with the satanic appendage. Rollo +.
Hunt. a former Mankato attorney and
a law partner while here of City At
torney Charles Phillips. is there and
in addition to having a splendid law
practice is president of the Devils
Lake Commercial club. Sig Serum
gard a former Mankato boy, is
clerking at the Great Northern hotel.
G. NJ. Fisher. president OF the RAM
sey County National bank. has been
in Mankato many times, and ii was
his father who owned the then st.
Paul Pioneer, now, The Pioneer
Press. during the Indian hanging in
Mankato. Mr. Fisher was a personal
friend of the late Judge Daniel Buck
OF this city.
In Dry State.
North Dakota Is a dry state and
has been for some time past. In
speaking of the matter of statutory
prohibition in the state the editor or
The Devils Lake Journal made the
statement that should q vote be taken
now, II would favor a continuance of
present conditions by at least ninety
five per cent Of the voters. This
opinion. however, was not shared by
a resident at Minot, where he said
taxes are alarmingly high since the
closing OF saloons" Many are said
TO favor the saloon system rather
than the blind pigs with mo license"
fee and lack OF city improvements for
want of funds without high taxation.
Rclla, n. d., Is on a branch OF the
Great Northern from Church's Fer
ry TO Brandon, Canada. Few sections
are so admirably situated and access
sible to railroad as Is this section OF
Northern North Dakota, for there are
fourteen branches extending from the
main line of the Great Northern north
TO the Canadian line, each road av-
eraging a distance of only fifteen
miles apart. The map OF North Da-
kota shows q network OF roads In
this section. indicating that the