The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-08-28
WHAT GIFT FROM jim HILL DID
FOR WILLIAMS COUNTY,
N. D., FARMERS.

doing newspaper work at Willistor
when Evan w. Hall came to Williams
county as its first county agent.
Previous to his coming, county
agents, the Farm Bureau and farm
community clubs had not entered the
field of agricultural action there.
Mr.. Hall, from the beginning of his
work proved he was the right mar
for the place and possessed all the
qualities essential to success. He
gained and held the confidence of
the farmers. In many ways he re-
sembled Roosevelt county's present
agent, Dan Noble.
1t was a pleasure to work with Mr..
Hall and watch the growth of inter
est and constructive work toward or
ganization and diversified and thor
ough methods. Mr.. Hall was and is
a wonderful man, small in stature
but mighty in will to do the work
he had undertaken. His life and en-
vironment brought him heart and
soul in sympathy with the early set
tiers and their problems. Born at
Fort Berthold, N. D., the son of a
Congregational minister who was a
pioneer in Indian mission work, he
grew up with the agricultural devel-
opment of North Dakota. He has
since occupied other positions in ag-
ricultural extension work, always
with marked success, and is now
county agricultural agent of Law
renee county, South Dakota, with
headquarters at Spearfish.
All this is brought back to mind by
a piece of copy sent by the agricul-
tural extension department of the
Great Northern railway under the
caption, "a True Story Of Real
Progress" 1t has to do with the re-
suits the years have brought out of
the good work of Mr.. Hall iii Will
Hams county in cooperation with the
Great Northern, or perhaps it was
in reality James j. Hill, who had
strong faith in the benefits to be
derived by the farmers of the North
west from pure bred live stock, cat
tie in particular. 1t is a pleasure to
be able to pass this bit of farm his
tory along to readers of The Herald.
The story as told by Mr.. Hall and
Mr.. M~atteson, follows:
Back in 1915.
In 1915 when the county agricul-
tural agent for Lawrence county
was occupying the same position in
Williams county, N. D., the Great
Northern railroad through James j..
Hill, imported two car loads of milk
.ng Shorthorn and Ayrshire bulls
from England to be distributed to
he farmers along its lines. Most of
he bulls were Shorthorns and Will
Jams county by showing much inter
est and giving support to the prof.
sct received three bulls, two Short
and one Ayrshire. The farm
rs to receive them and the plan for
handling them were left to the coun-
agent. The bulls were not to be-
.ome the property of the farmers
'eceiving them until they had kept
hem to the complete satisfaction of
he county agent and the Great
Northern railroad for two years. At
he end of two years the three farm
rs received title to the bulls. These
yere excellent bulls of real dual pur-
ose type. One Of the farmers, Au-
ust Mattson, Hofflund, Williams
ounty. North Dakota, has made
larked progress in breeding up a
God herd of grade Shorthorns by
ne start given him with the Great
Torthern bull. After two years he
Exchanged bulls with the farmer :
no received the other S%horthorn. :
his was agreed upon in the begin !
ing when the bulls were placed in !
915. The heifers from the Short s
orn bulls have proved to be good /
IiIkers. This summer, the county '
gent wrote to Mr.. Mattson for in f
1rmation as to his progress with @
IS dual purpose Shorthorn and the 2
blowing is his letter which will be
!, interest to all farmers: 6
The Farmers Story. o
Gam glad you are still interested +
us. Yes, | still hold to the roam :
northorn and not only my bunch =
low good breeding but you can see i
me of the stock nearly all yer the 0
stern part of Williams county. d
eve have now just about n
inbred head besides the calves. We
raised sixteen skim milk calves =
is year and have as many more :
tn the COWS. Our sales last year {
IRE nineteen head shipped from !.
~ and we were told by men who Z
W them that no nicer cattle had Z
gone out of Ray. The prices I
ere low, of course, so that we only -
t $50 for four year old steers as Y
impaired with a three year old Y
ifer that we shipped a few years IT
O that brought $4,000. l traded =
e first Shorthorn bull received q,
)m the Great Northern railroad to Ii
eeman Crook for his Shorthorn
IL received from the same source w
d sold him after l was through
tn him at Williston to a farmer w
Montana. To follow the Great TT
rthern bull, | purchased a white r.
orthorn, a mighty good bull, and w
.ded him a couple of weeks ago '"
I. a fine roam Shorthorn. 1t is al
hit years ago this fall that I re-
we'd the Great Northern bull and w
owned about fifteen ows. The
year there was six heifers, we w
now milking them, and the sec OF
/ year, eight heifers. -Four years 70
, I shipped eleven head which top TN
the market in South st. Paul.
are milking fifteen now and will D.
k fo1r more three wear Odds be- De