The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-11-02
INDUSTRIAL PERIOD
IN STATE IS coming,
GOVERNOR PREDICTS
Shafer Appraises Elements OF
Future Development in
Empire OF Farming
OUT OF THE PIONEER ERA
With a Great People, a Vast
Domain Of Agriculture, and
Coal, Sees New Day Near
OUT or THE PIONEER ERA
COY. Z Z. SuAEEH

On November 2. 1889. forty years
ago this month. North Dakota was
admitted into the Union. along with
South Dakota. Montana and Wash
ington. under q proclamation issued
by President Harrison. III this short
period OF time, Which lies well within
tho lifetime Of a young man. our state
has passed from infancy to maturity.
and 1t now occupies "A status as A
commonwealth in this great republic
Of which its citizens may well be
proud. Let us note briefly some Of
North Dakota's outstanding CHARGE
teristics as a state, and a few of the
high-water marks to be found along
its pathway CT progress.
Ours is a big state. large III geo.
graphical scope and rich in aSricul-
tural resources. It has 10000 square
miles of land, more than the COM
bincd acreage Of New York. New Jer-
say and Massachusetts,. which states
have Il population OF over 1900. 900.
III has $4,000. 900 acres Of arabic land.
Of which 10000. 900 acres are under
cultivation-more acres under the
pillow than the great states Of Wash
ington, Oregon and California, and
enough to make a farm OF 160 acres
for 26S 900 home Wner Tho vast II
unlimited production capacity OF this
area has not been approached. II
millions of acres Of rich. fertile lands
still await the hands OF productive
labor.
A Cosmopolitan People
Our population has grown slowly
but steadily through the years. IN
1880 it was l3a. 600: ii 1925. the date
Of the last official census. II was
slightly over GAO, 600. During the last
decade. however. the increase III popu-
lation has been almost entirely native
born, there being virtually no immi-
grafton as in the earlier years.
The character OF our people is very
cosmopolitan in both origin and ma
tionality. and perhaps III other ways.
The earliest inhabitants were. OF
course the native Indians. CT which
iona Is. 900 have survived the ravages
-Df civilization. Our earliest white set
tiers cana largely Of old American
stock and from eastern states, while
the cowboys and ranchers came
mostly from the south and west. To
this line there WIS later added a con-
siderable number OF cmigrants from
northern European countries, includ-
ing q large contingent from Norway,
Sweden. Germany. and Russia. These
hardy and thrifty cmlgrants were at
tracted to our Dakota psalries by the
Inducements OF the United States
homestead law. Thus. the first gem
Grafton of North Dakota settlers was
made up of a sturdy. adventurous
and ambitious people who came here
from many states and many lands,
seeking free. virgin lands and the OPP
portunitics afforded to new settlers in
every new country. This first genera
ton Is slowly but surely being sue
cccded by their children, born. reared
and educated in the new common
wealth builded for them by their plO-
neer parents. So a distinctly native
Dakota people has come into being
to carry on the lamp of achievement
handed to them by the emigrants OF
yesterday.
Developing Agriculture
The settlement and development OF
North Dakota was from east to weS..