The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-12-08
Indiana Man, on Visit After
II Years, Finds Amazing
Progress in Territory West
Of the Missouri River
Sees Great Future For
Section

A mental picture of the transition
o. the Missouri Slope from raw prai"
RE and land of big cattle and
sheep ranches, with no railroads, to
a farming country, with railroads,
comfortable homes and prosperity
all in period of % years or less
vas painted here by William Rolton
Dye of indianapolis, Indiana. attor-
ncy and business man, who was Il
ranchcr west of the Missouri River
II quarter of Il century ago.
Though betraying Il sigh for The
good old days Of the free range, MIR.
Dye found the onward march Of the
Missouri Slope revelation When
he returned last week for visit
after an absence OF - years. He
predicted Il great future for the
region through diversified farming,
but still found laundering for Il
cattle ranch, and said that he was
again expected to purchase one.
A personal friend Of Theodore
Roosevelt, Mr.. Dye added an enthu-
siastic urge that the North Dakota
Badlands he converted into gov
eminent game preserve or national
park as u Roosevelt memorial.
The Ranching Days
Mr.. Dye first came to North Da-
kota in 1897, as an attorney repre-
senting an Indiana man who had in
| terests. Impressed by the freedom,
Of growth of Buffalo grass, Mr. Dye
took a trip through southwest North
Dakota and was amazed at the op.
| portunites there, he said. He tried
to buy land and found it was not
surveyed He leased until he coulC
buy, and then bought two townships
in the Wolfe Butte country north.
west of where Hettinger now is, and
in the northwest corner of the
Standing Rock Indian reservation
He leased other land and begar
ranchine, spending the summers
here. and usually January ant
March. He recalled among the
ranchers of the day, most Of then
now gone, Guy Clark of the lit
ranch, Wallace Heidekoper, now il
Montana; Fry, James Phelan, nov
of Bowman, and others. He recall
ed the purchase Of Fred Pabst, Mil
waukee brewer, of the horse ranch
Of Il Heidekoper. Pabst Dough
$500 horess, but when they were
rounded up for the first time il
years found he had $500 horses
Land on the lower Cannon Ball
where Mr.. Dye ranched, sold 70
l$l.25 an acre. There was, he said
one house between his ranch an,
Dickinson, and that was at BlacI
Butte.
When the Milwaukee railroad wa
spushed through, Mr.. Dye sold
Subsidiary of the road several town
ships belonging to him and friends
land the subsidiary resold to settlers
Mr.. DYE also had ranch near Mile
City.
Mr.. Dye continued ranching for
few years, until other business in
terests made it impossible to con
tinue trips here.
"Now, west Of the river, l fin
settlement almost as thick as the
were in Illinois when | was boy,
said Mr.. Dye. "PeOple without an
means can come into Southwestern
North Dakota and with less effor
make more money and acquire as at
tractive farms as can be had in In
diana and Illinois. Their childre
look healthier, and they are just a
vel educated and as good citizen
as in the Middle West. With di
versified farming, owning Of chick
ems, sheep, cattle, dairy cows an
gardens, they can make good liv
ing, and wheat is profitable a
, times, although one should not coun
on it.
Can Make Money
"a man can go into Southwestern
North Dakota with no money eXcer
enough to carry him through on
winter, and with one team OF horse:
build himself home and make mon
ey. The climate is wonderful. Tn