The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-04-11
STATE IS HELD .
GREAT EMPIRE
by DR.. COULTER
Marvellous Potential Sources
of Wealth in North Dakota
Y Are Cited BY Him
AN AMERICAN STATE
Finds That Percentage of
American Born Is High;
Reaffirms His Faith

Fargo, N. D., April 1O.-A \gr,at
empire Of undeveloped resources
agriculture, coal, clay and other
sources of wealth-with a total land
/area of 45 million acres, being larg-
err than the great state of Missouri,
, almost 10 million acres larger than
Iowa, greater than Michigan, Illinois
and Wisconsin, and nearly as large
as Ohio and Indiana or New York
and Pennsylvania combined-such is
the state of North Dakota.
The state has greater land area
than all Of the New England states
put together, and if it had been one
of the eastern group of states might
have been carved up into group of
two, three, four or five states instead
Of being the one great empire that
N is today.
"But land area Is not the best
measure of North Dakota's great
ness" declares Dr.. John Lee Coul-
ter, president Of the North Dakota
Agricultural college, in an article in
the current number of College and
State published at the college.
"Land in farms is better mea-
kpre,' says DR.. Coulter. Here we
find that North Dakota excels in
greater measure than in mere scope
of territory, excelling most of the
great agricultural states Of the ma
ton. In improved land in farms a
still greater leadership is establish
Improved Much Land
"In 1920 the farmers of North Da-
ota had reduced to an improved con-
ition practically twenty-five million
cres Of land, which is more than
our times the acreage of improved
Ind in farms Of the six New England
sates.
"The improved land in farms in
orth Dakota is equal to all of the
approved land utilized by the farm
RS of New York and Pennsylvania
,,mbined and is greater than the i'm
roved land area of three such states
California, Washington and Ore
ron. This last statement will sur
rise many because living as far
st as we do we think of the states
nf California, Washington and Ore
IN as being great empires in them
lives. 1t must therefore be sur2ris-
:rg to those who have not made a
SAudy Of North Dakota and her re-
s lurces to find that here farmers
lave more improved land in their
rms than the three great Pacific
states combined.
"The farms on the Pacific coast
"e small, thus while we in North
1akota have only little more than
1000 farms, the three Pacific states
I'VE 2S4,000 farms or approximately
lr aree times as many as we have in
'''ais great empire of ours.
"Our own state has less than 700,-
30 people, whereas the three Pacific
,oast states have five and one half
niflion people and New York and
ennsylvania combined, because of
'neir great cities and industrial ac-
,vities. have population Of 19 mill
on. Ours is great empire of un-
(cveloped resources,-agricult
"oal, clay and other great sources of
''ealth. We must patiently look for
yard toward the greater utilization
~ these resources as fast as our
: over and strength permits. No one
,an gainsay the statement that the
wealth is there. but as yet only de-
ycloped to very limited extent.
"Not uncommonly the statement is
made that North Dakota is state
r.ade up largely of foreign born cit
lens. This is far from the truth.
n examination of the latest Federal
report. that of 1920, shows that 515,-
% of the people in North Dakota
,Jere born within the confines of the
nited States, while only 1917 1868
7 we're born in other countries.
ST. An American State
"Of those who are listed as for
ign born, more than $4,000 reported
heir birthplace as Canada. Thus it
must appear that very rapidly this
wonderful state of ours has become
;trictlycan American state with four
'isths of her people born in this. our
otln country.
another contrast might be made
concerning the people of North Da-
kota with other parts of the United
States, and that is that North Dako-
ia is a state almost exclusively made
up of white people, there being less
than 1000 Indians, Chinese, Japanese
and Negroes, of whom the great ma
jority are Indians and therefore may
truly be included as real natives of
the great northwest.
"The population of North Dakota
is rapidly increasing when comparI-
son is made of North Dakota with
the United States as a whole. While
there has been during the last five
years q period of difficulty, Of de-
preston in agriculture, none-the- less
cur state is holding it's own with
most parts of the country, and, with,
. .resSganized type of farming, there
can be no question but that it will
go forward by leaps and boun6s--
both in population and in the devel-