Evening star., 1936-08-06
This is the sepenth OF series OF
articles on drought conditions in
the DdkotaS.
BY THOMAS r.. HENRY,
STAFF CORRESPONDENT Of The Star.

BY THOMAS r.. HENRY,
Staff Correspondent Of The Star.
DICKINSON, N. Oak, August O.
Helpless bewilderment in the face Of
unsolvable problems hangs heavier
than the great drought itself over the
blasted, dust-clouded cow ranges Of
Western North Dakota.
The tiny villages are about 10 miles
apart. Before the general store in
each of them groups of unshaven
farmers sit docilely on piles of milk
cans, waiting for whatever fate or the
Government intends to do about It.
They have no suggestions. Blow after
blow, year after year for the past five
years have left them at their wits
ends.
Throughout most Of the area trav-
ersed during an so mile tour
through the western area from the
South Dakota border to the Saskatch-
evan border there Is no pasturage and
no wheat. Only in the northern and
northeastern parts Of this region is
there any prospect Of getting back
even the seed planted this year. Some
of the more energetic Of the farmers
and ranchers are moving out-hitting
the Oregon trail to the hop fields with
all their worldly possessions piled on
the running boards Of the dilapidated
cars. In one or two cases they moved
out leaving their cattle on the range
to shift for themselves. But the ma
jority haven't the courage to run any
more, unless somebody helps them.
Many Types Of Despair.
But within this general pattern Of
despair there are all sorts Of reactions
varying with the personalities Of these
German Russians - descendants Of
Germans who settled in Russia about
200 years ago and who retain their
German ways of life and German
language interspersed with Russian
adioms.
Here are a few sidelights Of the
drought reactions:
st. Anthony is 10 unpainted little
houses, church and beer joint hud-
died together in the bleak, baked prai-
xie. There shirtless Jack Leingang.
who has Just moved in from a log
house in the barren buttes 8 miles
from the nearest neighbor, laments
his sorry fate and chafes at the re-
straints of metropolitan life.
Two years ago Jack Leingang was
married-his bride, as he explained,
being "a Swede or an Irishman or
something like that" He himself is
O "German-Roosian," of the class
which constitutes the dominant ele-
ment Of the baked lands. She brought,
as her dowry, four cows. The newly
weds moved further out into-th prai-
rie, built themselves q two-room log
house, and waited for the natural in
crease Of their stock to bring them
o competence.
There was good grazing last year.
Jack Leingang's herd increased to
eight. Then the great drought fell
upon their two quarter sections. The
eight cattle could find nothing to eat
and neither could the bride and
groom. So he had to take the cattle
to his father and his brother-in-law,
both Of whom have a little feed, and
seek relief working on State road
being built by the Works Progress
Administration.
Work Hard, Hot and Dirty.
He doesn't like it. The work is hard,
hot and dusty, in striking contrast to
the easy life Of the range country.
But Jack Leingang objects most to
"city life" He and his bride must
pay the outrageous rent Of SIS month.
They feel awkward and out Of place
In st. Anthony, where sometimes as
many as 20 persons congregate on the
street of an evening.
II warn't born to be city feller,"
Jack Leingang says. still It's better
than Bismarck. They tell me-now I
don't know whether it's true or not
that you pay as much as SIS month
Just for rent there"
Jack Leingang and his bride are
both agreed that they will stick it
out, however disagreeable, so long as
the drought continues and the Gov
eminent provides work. If they move
out they lose their home 8 miles
from the nearest neighbor on the
prairie. If they stay they will be
able to move back there in a year
or 50, and it is that sort of life around
which all their dreams have been
built.
He knows, Jack Leingang says, that
there will be other droughts, that only
once in about every five years can
he hope to have any surplus, but
life on the prairie will be his COM
pensation. He has only contempt for
the farmers who can't take 1t and
are moving out permanently-into the
1ntolerable discomforts Of "cities" like
this crowded, hurly-burly st. Anthony.
Abandoned Store.
"A couple Of hundred miles further
on, In the depths of Western North
Dakotais worst drought area ~. HUFF
A1>.0 - III