Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 July 1908 — ANOTHER LETTER FROM DAKOTA. [ARTICLE]

ANOTHER LETTER FROM DAKOTA.

Lisbon, N. D., June 29, 1908. » F. E. Babcock, editor Democrat: I am a constant reader of the good old Jasper County Democrat also, and will say that I can hardly wait till it is time to get the paper. The mail is rather slow in this part of the country. We do not get the Saturday paper until Monday evening here as we only have one train a day each way from and to Fargo. I see by the weather reports from Jasper county that there has been an unusual amount of rain there this spring, so much so that the growing crops have been greatly retarded by the same. Now comes the true and correct statement of the record of Ransom county, No. Dakota. We have had a sufficiency of rain here, but have only been kept from work of any kind that is to be done on a farm three or four days since the 15th Of March. Crops of all kinds are simply great in this part of the Northwest. Wheat, oats and barley have begun to head already. Flax is looking fine, millet also is good, and does good in the northwest. Corn does well here also, that is, the Northwestern variety, which is not quite so large as is raised in the east, and farther south than here. Timothy hay does well here also, and I will say that the last named crop has only been raised in the last five years around here. Here are some of the kinds of grains and garden truck that is raised here: Both hard and soft spring wheat, early and late oats, barley, corn and timothy hay. Garden truck is sweet corn, cabbage, lettuce, beans and tomatoes. Potatoes do better here than in Indiana. Land is of an excellent quality here, producing a better quality of grain than the east can do. Water is generally good and is of the “soft” variety. Well, a person can have what he wants to eat here, and not have his stomach lined with gold either. To be sure, freight is higher here than in the east, but it is not so very much higher in price for eatables but what everybody can have all they want Clothing, ready-made, isn’t any higher here than in the east. Fuel of course is away up to what it is back there. We do not have any gravel roads here. We have the gravel but do not make any roads with it as yet, for they are in a good condition for public use as it is. Land is of a black sandy loam, and ranges in price from S3O to $45 per acre. A poor man and one that is honest and upright can do better here than anywhere. I have one man in mind who came here from Rensselaer two years ago this fall, who had a good credit here inside of three months. He then went in debt $2,000, and after his first crop he owed $3,000, when he sold his grain he paid SI,BOO of his $3,000 and had plenty to eat and feed * besides. Now if any of the Indiana people are contemplating going anywhere to better themselves I wouiq, advise them to try Southeastern No. Dakota. To be sure if they have money they can do better than if they do not have the wherewith to begin on. For instance, note the one who I have mentioned, who is Mr. Henry Snow of Lisbon, No. Dakota. Yours with respect,

ALVIN FISHER.