Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-10-27

good substantial farming county with
many thriving villages. For instance
on the road from Pine City east to
the st. Croix, the road from Hinck-
ley to Danbury, the road from Sand
stone to Markville and the road from
Askov to Cloverton (the latter is be-
ing proposed as state aid road as
the others are, and it is needed, all
of it is finished but two or three
miles in Fleming township, and that
is being worked now. On those east
and west roads there is an average
of but one or two settlers on each
mile. And there could just as well
be from four to eight settlers on each
mile. And then think of all the va
cant spaces on roads leading to those
main roads. And the east and west
main roads are as a whole good. New
settlers along there will not necessi-
tate more road building and, if any
thing, will help lessen the taxes of
present settlers. We also have a
number of communities in the county
where there is room for a consider
able number of more children in the
present school buildings-such COM
munities as Willow River, Bruno
Kerrick, Duquette, and Cloverton
might be entioned-likely there are
Others, From % to SO additional pu-
pills and perhaps even 100 can be
accommodated in most of those
schools without any more building,
except that a spare room or two
might have to be finished. 1t would
necessitate additional teachers but
would not cause additional taxes to
present settlers, but might help lower
them with so many more to help pay
the expenses.
But then the question is: What
shall we do to get the new settlers.
Here is where we must put our heads
together. The little Sc page booklet
on Pine county that was gotten out
last year and distributed at the State
Fair-5,000 copies-I believe has
done some good. If specific results
can be pointed to by any of the real
estate men advertising therein Or any
of the bankers, it would be interest
ing to hear it. Our aggressive county
agent, Mr.. Hammargren, did a big
work alongside of his many other du-
ties in gathering and preparing the
copy for that booklet and he is due
much credit for it. l should think
it would be well to get out another
booklet next year, but different, and
with entirely new copy. 1t is the per-
sistent advertiser who gets ahead.
The real estate men might list GER
tain tracts of land that they have
for sale. And then instead of print
ing up 5000 copies, it might be we'll
to print 10000. $4,000, or perhaps even
more; 5000 copies can be used at the
State Fair; 1 understand they went
like hot cakes this year. And the
real estate men and bankers can send
many copies direct to renters and
others of Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, the
Dakotas, and southern Minnesota. l
believe also that many individuals
in the county, when they know the
Importance of getting more settlers,
and know that it benefits all of us,
will be glad to send copies to relatives
and friends in other states and even
in other countries. Many of Pine
county's present tillers of the soil are
from foreign countries and they seem
to do we'll and we are glad to have
them with us. In fact, they are the
kind, generally speaking, that will
go ahead and do something. The
farmers are the salt of the nation.
And then there is one thing that
we must be careful about, and that
is not to try and sell a prospective
settler too much land. The immedi-
ate commission to the real estate
man may be greater on a bigger sale
but by selling only as much land as
the settlers can handle the real estate
man will be the gamer in the long
run. For instance, if a man has just
money enough to buy $50 acres, it is
far better that he get only 80 acres
and then has some working capital.
If he has just money enough to pur-
chase 80 acres, it is better that he
get 60 or 40 acres and then has some
working capital to go ahead on. If
it is a bank that made the sale, the
settler likely also will be a customer
there and if he and his family sue
coed because they have not been over
loaded with land, and debt and they
are happy and contented, which is
very essential, chances are that such
farmer will continue to be GUS
toner of that bank for the rest of his
days and wish the bank well and con-
tinued success before he leaves this
world. A real estate man will profit
by the good reputation he gains and
will sell more land.
Then there is that big thing of
working in unison. Whether we are
farmers, bankers, professional men,
or business men of Pine county our
interests are the same. If the daugh-
ters of some of us business men mar
ry farmer boys and they decide to
take up farming it is only natural
that we are interested in their doing