The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-11-03
BUSINESS IN
SLOPE is ON
THE UPGRADE
Steady Improvement as Var
led Crops Worth Millions
Are Marketed, Is Seen
Observation-Disclosures
Western North Dakota, Pitt.
ed Few Years Ago, Now Held
Banner Spot of No. Dakota

Conditions on the Missouri Slope
and Bismarck territory. which have
been the subject Of favorable com
ment by many visitors to the city
will Improve in the future, according
to the concensus of opinion of many
men in finance and business who
have surveyed the field.
The question has been asked Of
ten in Bismarck recently: "Why does
the Missouri Slope seem the most
prosperous section Of the state
right now?"
The answer, according to one
financial man. is that western North
did cause hardship. but the lack of
three years ago, she touched the bot
tom at that time and since then she
has been on the upgrade. The Slope
had no big war crop, he added, which
was considered hard at the time and
did cause hardship but the lack of
such a crop q visitation of the sub
sequent evils of initiation which is
now bringing trouble upon many 9TH
er sections OF, the Northwest.
That business will improve stead
lily in the Slope, seems to be the be-
lief of many keen business men. The
Slopes "money crop" is just now
beginning to get fully on the mar
ket, it is pointed out. For the
Slopes money crop is not wheat or
rye-this year it is flax, corn, tur-
keys, cattle and hogs, and the daily
"money crop" Of butter and eggs.
Daily "Money Crop
An example of the daily money
crop" is contained in the annual re-
port of the Dairy Commission today
who shows butterfat sales in one
year in Burleigh county amounting
to nearly 100000, Mcintosh and
Morton counties twice that amount
and other Slope cointies showing
them to be the biggest dairy coun-
ties in the state.
The flax crop, which was excep-
tionally good, is comparatively heavy
in western North Dakota. 1t was
damaged some by the wet weather
which delayed the threshing of flax,
and also of other grains. Several
million dollars worth of flaxseed is
expected to be marketed within the
next few weeks.
The corn crop is being placed on
the market by many farmers as fast
as possible, the producers endeavor-
ing to sell their corn before there ia
any change in the present high price
of that commodity.
The annual fall marketing of live
stock is now under way, the move
ment being very heavy from Oliver,
Dunn, Bowman and other western
North Dakota counties.
The turkey crop is coming on,
and between now and Christmas,
hundreds of thousands of dollars
worth Of turkeys will be sent from
western North Dakota to the eastern
market.
Coal Mines Employ Many
The Ignite coal industry is now
getting under way for the fall and
winter mining season, which not on
ly will offer employment to hundreds
of miners but also offers employ
ment to many farmers living in the
mining sections. Prospects are for
another good year for this industry,
which has developed fast in west
ern North Dakota. Production in the
Ignite field has increased 400 per-
cent in the last 10 years, and has
brought a steady flow of money into
the western part of the state. Sew
eral of the mining companies are
making greater inroads on the coal
market in the twin cities and eastern
Minnesota than in past years..
Corn production has. increased 200
percent in the past five years, flax
production in western North Dakota
is estimated at 300 percent more this
year than for the last three years
average. The livestock industry of
the western part of the state, hit
hard Immediately after the war, has
been steadily recovering. Shipments
from Killdeer, Dickinson and Bow
man have shown big increases.
Many farmers in western North
Dakota have suffered, and suffered
keenly from general or specific con-
ditions. At the same time others
have prospered. The great body Of
farmers in the western part Of the
state, II one may believe those who
have studied conditions, believe that
the worst is past, that there is great
value ir the section, and that di-
versification is going to send this
part of the state forward by leaps
and bounds within the next few
years. 5
The progress of the city Of Bis
marck during the last few years Of
adverse conditions has awakened
comment by many visitors. With
building this year running IN excess
Of 500, 600, exclusive Of the city wa
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