Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1917-03-20

lnauguratlng campaign to secure
settlers for the stump lands of the
county, considerable discussion arose
at the last meeting of the CONNER
cial club as to whether a settler
could make good on these lands.
Several of the members had seen
similar lands in Minnesota and Wis
consin converted into profitable
farms and argued that similar re-
suits would obtain here. All of
which is very true, but it is not
necessary to go to far-off Mime
sofa to secure the proof.
Several weeks ago the Herald
learned that a certain rancher in
Boundary county had made a very
pleasing record of achievement on
his stump-land ranch in the north
ern part of the county. This man
had made money from the time he
first went onto his land. He cleared
small tract for garden and for
hay and seeded clover and timothy
among the stumps for pasture and
secured a crop that stood over six
feet high. He has purchased an
additional "a acres of land since
coming here, has bought an acre
tract in Boomers Ferry, has put up
buildings and fences on his ranch,
has running water system through
out his ranch buildings and is now
planning to install an electric light
plant with power developed from a
stream that crosses his place. A
week or two ago he purchased a
carload of fence posts. This ranch
er, who has really made good on
the much discussed stump land, is
Chas. ]. Daufau and he lives a few
miles from Porthill The Herald
requested a statement from Mr..
Daufau describing the problems he
has had to meet and overcome, and
we will let him tell his own story
in his own words. He writes:
1 came to Washington with my
family about IL years ago and fol-
without success, so decided to make
a change. In November, 1911, my
wife and l were on our way to Brit
ish Columbia to look over some land
of which we had heard a great deal
and en- route we stopped at Spo-
kane and visited the apple show.
Among the exhibits there the Koo-
with us, so we decided to visit the
valley. We were more than pleased
with what we heard and saw and we
also made up our minds we would
make our future home in the Koo-
tenai Valley if there was any pos
sible chance to do so.
In the spring of 1912 l purchased
an S0-acre tract of bench land here;
then pulled up stakes in Washington
longings except the wheat land, we
started for the Kootenai Valley with
one saddle pony and a prairie
schooner 16 feet long, seven feet
wide with a 6-mule team hitched
to it. On either side of the prairie
schooner I had painted in large let
tiers the following inscriptions: "To
NA1 IA1@N
We arrived on the ranch, or in
the woods here, on May 3rd, 1912
The first thing l had to do was to
buy hay for the teams. AS there
was no fence around the place
could not turn the mules on the
range for they would have made g
break for the bunch grass which
they had left behind. Well, the next
|, step was to get some kind of {
, fence a pasture. That done the
next important step was to figure
out the quickest way to get some
land in shape for a garden as the
, spring was moving along rapidly
By the time we cleared and planted
about one acre for garden it was
, the middle of June. However, q
, had a fine garden, raised all tn,
vegetables we could use-there be
ing five in the family-and sole
! about s1OO worth of vegetables be
! sides.
The next problem to solve was t.
get hay. ] therefore began clearins
: about two and a half acres which
| Il seeded to wheat that fall an'
, which grew to the height of abou
, five feet and made excellent hay
This wheat looked as good as an,
; wheat I ever saw in the Walla Wall;
wheat belt that threshed 65 bushel
! seeded to clover and timothy tn
/ following spring and has been doini
> fine. yielding heavier each year.
\ We also had some land which wa
burned over after logging off whic
l seeded to clover and timothy a
soon as the fire was out, the ashe
making an excellent seed bed. Thi
seeding has done eXcellently. TIL
= second year after seeding we meas
e ured bunch of timothy that meas
?, ured six feet four inches in height
= Being in need of more hay | fence
: four or five acres, cut remaining
a trees and brush, removed the dow
;. and burned logs, but did not cult
., vate in any way nor remove an
stumps. Two years later we move
f by hand eight good loads from thi
4 piece of land, and last summer W
d moved by hand the crop from thi
same land and received IL loads c
Y hay. If there is any other countr
y that will produce hay with as littl
e work as this bench land will pro
duce, 1 would like to hear of j