The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1922-07-21
FRIDAY. JULY 81, 1922
On the Way.


watershed of the three great North
American river systems, the tributaries
to the st. Lawrence, the Mississippi
and the Red River of the North. At
Fergus Falls the Ottertail river runs
north into the Red river, and the near
by lakes empty into the Minnesota
river. To the west of the city the Red
River valley opens its broad expenses
of rich level prairie westward across
North Dakota into the meandering flats
of Canada. Before the settlers came
to claim these vast fields of fertile land
there was nothing to rest the eye. To-
day groves dot the prairie on every
quarter section, and the then roadless
steppe is now checked by splendid
roads. The King Trail from Fargo
south along the border line of Mime
sofa and North Dakota is equal to the
best in gravel roads anywhere in the
country. At Ortonville the trail splits,
one branch running on the Minnesota
side and the other on the Dakota side.
North Dakota seemed so calm and
peaceful, basking in the glittering sum
shine of the northern day, that the
traveller would have no inkling that the
state is a political storm center in the
American Northwest. The farmers OF
North Dakota are politically awake and
are putting on an experiment in eco
nomic management that is claiming at
tention far beyond the borders of the
state. After some years the expert
ment suffered by the cupldity, not to
say stupidity, of some of the prominent
leaders, costing the state large sum
of money. However, the North Da-
kota farmer, while conceding the mis-
takes made, has not let go of the idea.
The recent primary seems on present
returns to be victory for the farmers
idea. McCumber, leader in the U. S.
senate and conservative chieftain in
his state, has failed of denomination, and
former Governor Frazier, the farmers
candidate, will in all likelihood join Mr..
Ladd, who won out against the late
Senator Gronna in the last election.
Congressman Nestos, middle of the
road candidate for the gubernatorial
nomination, has comfortable lead over
his opponent.
North and South Dakota are sister
states, though in climate, soil and pop
ulation as different as sisters sometimes
are. South Dakota is no longer 8
wheat state. Like Iowa and Nebraska
it is a corn state.
At Milbank the dirt roads of South
Dakota begin. In places they are as
good as dirt roads can be, in other
places as bad as possible-and in rainy
weather forbidding. The roads are
fairly we'll blazed, but poorly marked,
except the Meridian road running across
the state through Sisseton, Watertown,
Madison and on.
Twenty-Five years ago the writer was
offered land in Miner county for $1,000
per acre, and he did not have faith
enough in the future of that part of
the state to invest. The same land
sold two years ago for $500. 90 an acre.
Those values were, of course, inflated
by the war speculation, but even though
judged by normal values, the produc-
tivity of the soil would warrant invest
ment at price not much below the
figure mentioned. Like southern Min
nesota and Iowa large portion of
eastern and southern South Dakota is
destined to become the most livable of
the northwest states west of the Mis-
sissippi.
The spring wheat is losing out in
South Dakota and the. corn is as char
acteristic of this state as it is of Iowa,
corn and oats with considerable acreage
of barley and some of rye and spelts.
The prairie hay is no longer the buffalo
grass, but alfalfa and sweet clover and
in some cases Soudan grass. Diversi-
fled farming with a steady increase in
the number of hogs and cattle, both
dairy and beef types, is making the
South Dakota farmer able to maintain
the fertility of the soil and keep his
bank account on an even keel. The
towns look prosperous and indicate that
the trade zone is able to build them.
From Madison, S. D., to Sioux Falls
a splendid gravel road is maintained.
A heavy rain had fallen the day before
we hit this highway. We had Is miles
of dirt road to negotiate before we
made Madison. 1t took little longer
to make these Is miles than to cover
the next 81 miles of gravel. But even
in mud roads the WHY'S Knight purrs
through without getting winded or
overheated. In fact it makes no diff
ference to the W.-K. car what the
roads are If only the driver has grit