Bemidji Daily Pioneer Newspaper, March 27, 1909, Page 11

e ] BEMIDJI, BELTRAMI COUNTY AND NORTHERN MINNESOTA. o Readers of this number of The Pioneer: Do you desire an ideal city in which to live? Do you desire to live in a land of milk and honey? Do you desire to live in a county which has never known a crop failure? Do you desire to live in a county where each and every man is virtually sworn to loyalty to the county’s best interests? Do you desire to live in a community where congeniality, generosity, patriotism and public spiritedness abound? Do you desire to divert the minds of your sons to mechanical pursuits and trades? Do you anticipate speculating in real es- tate which is bound to increase ten fold within the next five years? Do you desire to take up your residence in a city surrounded by farm land which is incalculable in value, the which the owners thereof know not the real value? Do you desire to be one of the yeomen who will reap the golden harvest which is offered by the fertile and prolific fields of Beltrami County? 2 Do you desire to increase your holdings and annual increment in the way of farm lands? Do you desire to provide your children with a homestead of an eighty, or a hun- dred and sixty-acre tract of land? Would you enjoy -the possibilities of own- ing a greater area of productive land than you now ‘own, and would you rather expand and extend the confines of your present farm? If so, come to Beltrami County. ] At present your farm (if in one of the older states) is worth from $100.00 to $250.00 per acre. Perhaps it is worth from $75.00 to $150.00 per acre. In any -case, | you can better yourself by purchasing land in Beltrami County, because, whereas, you are holding your lands above the stipu- lated figures, you can secure land in Bel- trami County at from $5.00 to $60.00 per acre—land as rich or richer than you now ° own, a land which is destined to double and treble in price within a comparatively *few years. } Minnesota lands are famous for their [ productiveness. The official report of the commissioner of immigration of the State of Minnesota, proves beyond a doubt, that Hi] Minnesota farmers and stock and grain growers have fully realized on all outlay they have made. Beltrami County fortunately is situated ' in the most fruitful portion of the state. »’, It is also one of the most generally moist- ened counties in the state. It will give | a big yield for any seed planted. Moisture i is imperative to the creation of good crops, and Beltrami County has plenty of it at all seasong of the year, conferred, as it were, by the all wise hand of a generous Deity. - In the midst of all this bounteousness, and in the midst of all the incomprehensible fertility of the soil of this county, Be- midji, the county seat, serves as guide for all the county’s population. Bemidji is a town of approximately 6,000 people. She ranks second to none in the | 9] United States with cities of her size, | \4 whether it be in the way of public im- provements, public utilities, schools, 3 ioccisei .-_,!'_;:a.'.;':b-u CLEGE —mmmTM»mm‘“ R T SR AT BEMID]JI - The Biggest Little City in The Great Northwest churches, hotels, public buildings or en- thusiastic endeavor. Bemidji is a marvel of activity and pros- perity. All the merchants are prosperous. T'he major portion of the residents own their own homes. The city owns its own water plant—information of which is given bzlow—and miles of sanitary sewer. It maintains a superb fire department, and the citizenship of the town is of that sturdy, independent and law abiding element which makes things hum. BEMIDJI IS THOROUGHLY LIGHTED. In the matter of lighting, Bemidji ranks second to none with other cities her size in the universe. In fact, the city council, re- alizing the importance of well lighted streets, and the safety which illumination, during untoward evenings affords, have been lavish in their appropriations in this direction. There is not a dark street in Bemidji within its corporate limits. A glaring elec- tric light of high power can be discerned both to the right and to the left. Visitors to the city as well as transients, mnever fail to commend this city for its excellent illumination, and the com- pany which furnishes the same, mention of which is made elsewhere, is to be con- gratulated upon its faithfulness in carrying out every provision of the franchise under which it was established. Bemidji is unusually fortunate in having enlisted the efforts of the well known gen- tlemen who superintend the workings of the lighting plant, as they have, by ocular demonstration, proved their worthiness of the trust imposed in them. THE WATER SUPPLY. With this necessary commodity Bemidji is more than abundantly supplied. The Father of Waters, the Mississippi, flows through and practically forms Bemidji lake and is <capable wof furnishing water in a volume wholly inconceivable in its supply and utility. This fact, as a mat- ter of course, summarized, means fire pro- tection and a low rate of insurance, ele- ments whnich enter largely in the question of settlement in a new country. Bemidji is not only coursed by the Mississippi, but is surrounded on the south by Irving Lake and on the east by Lake Bemidji, and while Be- midji is not an island, by any means, it can, by a show of its perennial water sure- ty, convince the most apathetic and skep- tical of its lasting existence and inexhaus- tibility. The city water works is city property, and that means much to every resident. The water mains have been extended to every part of the city, and the city council has recently placed $50,000.00 worth of bonds on the market in order to construct a water works system in keeping with the needs of the city and for the -supply of the rapidly increasing population. With the acquisition of this modern water sys- tem Bemidji can place herself in the front rank of her sister cities so far as perfect and adequate water supply goes, and this fact should not be lost upon the thinking man. SEWERAGE. On this important matter the wisdom of Bemidji’'s city council is also shown. In- stead of proceeding, like so many cities do, to put in a small, inadequate sewer, they wisely expended enough money to con- struct a Twentieth century sanitary sewer —one capable of meeting the exigencies of a city of 25,000 population. While the sewerage convenience has not as yet been extended to all parts of the city, it should be remembered that Bemidji is, compara- tively speaking, an infant in the city class, even though she is active and prosperous. The sewer of which Bemidji boasts serves as another illustration of Bemidji’s ginger and get-there-ness, and it must be conceded that a city which has recently voted $35,000.00 for a new high school building, $50,000.00 for a modern water works system, and has installed a sewer with a capacily for accommodating a town of 25,000 people, is one which is composed of men who do things and do them right. TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES. There is perhaps no city in the TUnited States of 6,000 population—the size of Be- midji—which can exploit either in number or availibility the number of railroads and branches which we have to offer. Both the Great Northern and Northern Pacific trav- erse the city’s limits, as does the Minne- apolis, Red Lake & Manitoba. The former named road has two branches entering the city, in addition to its main line, while the M. R. L. & M. is now busying itself with an extension to connect with the Soo Line. Bemidji has also been created a terminal point on all lines reaching the city by the State Railroad and Warehouse Commis- sion, thus equalizing rates and hauls to a legal status, a fact most impressive and beneficial. AS AN INDUSTRIAL FIELD. Nowhere can be found a city which can offer more enticing inducements to the manufacturer and capitalist. Bemidji, ly- ing as it does on the west side of the Miss- issippi river, offers an ocean of water; being situated in the pine timber district, fuel is plentiful; being a northwestern city, there is no reason why she should not be- come a key city and an industrial whole- sale and distributing point of vast volume. With her many railroads, Bemidji offers unparalleled transportation facilities. Lo- cated on the Great Northern and Northern Pacific railroads, both transcontinental systems, besides on six other railroad in- lets, mention of which is made elsewhere, there can be no justifiable reason why the capitalist should not establish his pro- posed industrial plant here. Land is cheap, labor conditions are peaceable, the city has a growing future before it, and manufactur- ing undertakings would undoubtedly yield a commensurate dividend. Especially will this fact occur to the makers of boxes and crates, sash doors and blinds, staves and headings, turpentine, boats, pickles, sugar and starch. F;