Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-05-10

Dakota's Junior senator:
Senator Ladd is the best recommendation
that his party has offered. He is a cultured and
refined gentleman, a student and a worker. He
has no desire for the spotlight, and prefers the
quiet of his laboratory to the platform and cam
fpaign speeches.
To those who may wonder why a Memphis
paper should develop such an interest in and ad-
rniration for Senator Laid it may be explained that
Senator Laid was a member OF the congressional
party which recently made a trip down the Missis-
sippi to see how wet the floods were. The party
stopped off at important points, including Memphis,
and. the people of Memphis feeling a lively interest
i'll having suitable appropriation made for the inn
provement of their river and the controlof its floods
the principal paper of the city felt moved to pay it's
tribute of appreciation to the members of the party.
The above selection is from it's editorial on Senator
Ladd.
The Scimitar has taken pains to inform itself
accurately on the character and achievements of
Senator Laid, and has gone for information to the
best authority on the subject, Mr.. Ladda himself.
The article quotes a story or two told by Senator
Laid, and the statements made throughout the cdi-
torial bear evidence of their distinguished source.
Doubtless the senator explained fully to the editor
his modest and retiring nature, and his dislike for
publicity. This latter trait was successfully con-
cealed by DR.. Ladd during his long residence in
North Dakota.
1t will be news to a good many North Dakotans
tndt senator Laud is the 1atner OF Q1VerSlhed farm
ing, yet that is what we are to gather from the
Memphis article. We are told how the blissful and
prosperous condition of the early settlers in North
Dakota was interrupted by rust and other pests, and
how DR.. Laid then began to preach the gospel of di-
yersihcation, and that as a result of his efforts the
state now has other industries than wheat raising
upon which to rely. DR.. Laid is given full credit
for the development of the dairy business and the
discovery Of the excellent properties of the native
elays and the value of the Ignite coal deposits of
the state. -
1t is gratifying to obtain this information con-
corning our senator from a disinterested source. Lo-
cally it would be difficult to find any evidence that
DR.. Ladd knew the difference between a dairy COW
and a mule colt. There has been a popular impress
sion that other individuals, working Independently
of DR.. Ladd, had performed valuable work in the
study OF plant diseases and how to overcome them.
Diversified farming was preached by several very
dlllgent and effective workers before most residents
OF the state became aware of the existence of DR..
Ladd. For some reason a tradition has existed that
Dean Babcock of the University of North Dakota
had collected some rather useful information on the
subject of North Dakota clays and Goals, and federal
officials in the appropriate departments have for a
generation or so accepted DR.. Babcock as an author
ity on these subjects.
Now we find that the popular belief has been all
wrong. 1t was DR.. Ladd who invented the dairy
cow, the creamery, the kitchen garden and the al
falfa field, and who discovered the possibilities of
the clay deposits and Ignite beds All this time. he
has been hiding his light under a bushel. With
innate modesty he has permitted credit for his
superb achievements to go to other people, and the
people OF his state would have gone on in ignorance
of what a treasure they had in this remarkable man
if the Memphis paper had not pried the information
loose for him.
pillar of our prosperity and the anchor Of our hope
VI ~.