Year: 1879

Il Large French COlonv to Locate IN Its


Ficinity-Ihe Country and Its Needs.
To the Editor of the Globe.


CRooKsToN, Feb. 6, 1879.-It has been rumor-
ed on our streets for some days past that a
colony of French families numbering two to
three hundred, from the Province of Ontario.
Canada, is soon to be located at Maele lake in
our county; and your correspondent tO-day in
conversation with Pierre Bottineau. ESQ.,.
who now resides in this county, learned that
such rumors are well founded. The COLONY is
now represented by several gentlemen who are
acquainted with the country, among whom
Mr.. Bottineau is prominent leader
and his intimate acquaintance with the whole
valley renders his services in locating large
bodies of land very valuable. The colony will
be located in four or five townships around
Maple lake. the nucleus of the colony being at
the great bend of the Clearwater about four
miles east OF the north end of the lake, where
Messrs. Lemay q Vincent are soon to erect
mills to supply the colony with lumber. Flour
ing mills will also be erected as soon as de-
manded.


Maple lake is twelve miles long and half a
mile wide, and lies in towns 14S and l49, range
43; Portions of the west and north
sides wet and brushy. hut
on the east and south there is belt of hard
wood timber three to four miles wide and quite
as long as the lake, covering nearly all the
space between the lake and Clearwater river.
and is represented by Mr.. Bottineau as one of
the most desirable localities for settlement in
the State. The lake abounds in fish. such as
pike, pickerel and bass, and the water of the
region is unsurpassed in the State. The soil is
of rich black loan, Of great depth, living
upon tough clay subsoil. which contains an
enormous quantity of carbonate and sulphate
of lime, together with a large per cent. Of the
alkalles to insure the growth of cereals for all
time.


The pioneers of the colony will be here in a
few days to make locations, and the colonists
with their families and all the necessary out
lit for new country, will start from their Cam
adian homes early in March. This settlement
Will be not Tar from twenty-five miles from
Crookston, three to five townships east and one
township south, and will be . valuable factor
IN the problem of the settlement of our coun-
try. If the older States and the Canadian
provinces pour In their surplus population as
the signs OF the times now indicate, and that
too, without any inducement from our board
of immigration, Red river valley, and especially
its northern portion, will not long be consid-
ered howllng wilderness, and the State will
have no occasion to spend any time or money
in advertising it.


But we need some wagon roads and bridges.
Polk county has been organized since 1878 and
the State has never appropriated or spent a
dollar in roads or bridges within its limta
Luere never mas peen any wagon road down the
valley, and to-day the only means of gett;no
from the North Pacific to St. Vincert cr Penn,
bina is by the old Pembina trail fording The
streams, or by the st. Paul & Pacific railroad
Hundreds of settlers intending t. come to
Polk county have been forced to cross Red
river at Fargo and follow the stage road down
the river, and have found homes in Dakota
not more valuable or fertile than we could
have furnished them, and all this comes he
cause we have no great thoroughfare into this
county from the South, and not having the
means to open them we must bide our time.
1t the lands of our county were taxable we could
build roads, but nearly one-half are tied up by
the railroad and nine-tenths of all the rest are
held as homesteads and tree claims not taxable.
we want roads and must have them to help
develop this marvellous valley, and in five wears
we will show you what can be made out of a
country said to be frozen nine months in the
year.