Grand Rapids Herald-Review Newspaper, November 5, 1913, Page 1

p> Grand Rapids Herald- VoL, XXIV. No. 17 GRAND Rapibs, Irasca County, MINN., WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 5, 1913 CLEARING SECSION [5 GREAT allbtéoo Many Attend Better Farming Dem- onstrations at Northeast Ex- periment Farm Last Week. STUMP PULLING BY ALL METHODS Many Speakers From Surrounding Counties Present--Dean Woods and Prof. Boss Among the Educators Attending. The first meeting of a series contemplated by the state having for their object the development of | better farming methods in North- ern Minnesota, came to a close at the Northeast Experiment farm on ‘Friday evening, afler a session lasting five days. The attendance throughout was very good con- sidering that this was the first meeting of its kind to be held and that the knowledge of its aims and | dbijects| was of necessity not as twidely known as will be the case should gatherings of a similar na- ture be held in the future. Besides the instructors hereto- fore mentioned in these columns, a number of county agricultural agents were present during the course. These were A. J. Gaske of cow Wing county; H. A. Plaug- hoeft' of Carltom county; D. B. Jewel of Koochiching county; Fred Ward St. Louis county, and A. B. Hostetter of Duluth. All took part in the discussions and demon- strations and greatly aided Supt. McGuire and the specialists from the university in making the meet- ingas é Thursday morning the session was opened by an address by Mark ularly devoted to the dairying | feature of the discussion. In the evening Dean A. F. Woods of the agricultural college. was the speaker. His address was listened ‘to by all who had been present during the course, and in addition many from town and the surround ing country drove out to the farm to hear the dean. His remarks dealt mostly with the subject of types of farming as these were adapted to different stages of population development. He said that the particular type of agriculture employed should tbhear the proper relation_tq the number of people per square mile in the territory farmed as well as to other conditions. In a section such as Itasca county, where the population was scattered—about six and one-half persons to the square mile—a general system of farming should be followed, speei- alization becoming the rule as the population increased and the de- mand for particular products be- came great enough to warrant a} farmer’s devoting his entire time jto their. production. In sections | such as Iowa, Illinois and Indiana where the population is from 25 to 150 per square mile, a different system of cultivation might be fol- lowed from that obtaining in Min- nesota, and where the population is particularly congested as is the case in Japan, China and India, the} } most advanced processes of inten- sive cultivation are necessary. At present, however, and for a long time to come, general diversified farming is the only thing for this country. Dean Woods also spoke of the importance of the social growth of a farming community, and emphasized the necessity of having the best of feeling existing between country and city. In _uilding up a district, said the speaker, it is the collective or community efforts that count. and | not the individual attempt, no | mater how well-directed the latter may be. : The session closed with a most enjoyable dance given at the new | library hall in the evening. Much j ; of the success of the meeting is | due to the excellent arrangements Thompson of the Duluth Experi- oe on ehigeei aera 5 ment station on “The Prepara- |” ae os Mrs. MeGuire.. Dinner} tion of Land For Crops.” Mr. | vee Served at ihe tami every: ay, Thompson has charge of the new- oe the course and every ciel est of the state demonstration ; Possible arrangement made that | farms, and as the conditions ex- | isting at his station are those to be | {met with in most sections in | Northern Minnesota, his remarks were accorded the closest atten- tion. Prof. Andrew Boss was the next speaker, his subject being “A Crop- ping System for Timberland Farms.” . Prof. Boss said that thru a study of conditions as they pre- sented themselves to the farmer and taking advantage of the nat-+ ural tendency of each particular | farm, a man in this section should | be able to secure a return of from $1800 to$2000 from am 80 acre farm whereon there was a clearing of 60 acres. As to the rotation, Prof. Boss said that conditions in eachi fadividual instance would to great, extent have to govern, al- though these would be found near enough alike throughout Northern Minnesota to make a_ general system applicable. He that the system of cropping em- ployed by Supt. McGuire could not be improved as a general rule and advised his hearers to follow along the same lines, at least until such time as a different course proved the more certain to bring results. In the afternoon there was a session of practice work with machines for breaking and tilling new land and a review of the work with explosives and stump pullers. The work for the day closed with an address on the construction of farm buildings by Supt. McGuire. Friday was live stock day. Supt. a | believed | might add to the comfort and con- venience of students, instructors | and guests. (COUNTY TAKES UP OUTSTANDING BONDS Court House and Funding Bonds Aggregating $36,000, Due in 1915, are Called in. County Treasurer J. E. McMahon | returned Thursday from Duluth, where he delivered to the Duluth! Securities Co., $36,000 in cash with which to take up certaim bonds outstanding against the county. ‘fhe bonds consisted of Nos. 1 to |6 inclusive, and Nos, 8 and 9 of the' court house bonds of 1895, amount} ing to $8,000 and Nos. 61 tl 88 in- ;¢lusive of the funding bonds, also ; (fssued in 1895, and totaling $28,- | | 000. The total of principal and in- terest on the two issues was $39,- 320. The loan was not called in at this time because doing so ' would prove any particular saving jot interest, but in order to get ; them out of the way. The parties holding these securities were also the purchasers of the $300,000 road bond issue recently authorized and they preferred that the for- | mer securities be liquidated before the new ones were taken over. Visiting Hunters. A half dozen big game hunters who have made this section their McGuire addressed the gathering on the subject of “Dairying and objective point for years during the deer season, arrived yesterday and SCHOOL REPORT 10 FOUND CORRECT Examiner Compliments Board Mem- bers Highly Upon Condition of Records. DISTRICT 1S IN GOOD CONDITION Has $133,000in Bonds Outstanding, Not Including $40,000 Issue Re- cently Authorized for Enlarg- ing High School. J. O. Cedarberg, assistant in the office of Public Examiner Andrew £. Fritz, has rendered his report on the bocks and accounts of School District No. 1. He finds that the records of the board are in excellent condition and compli- ments Treasurer Dickinson and Clerk Doran on the thoroughness with which their reports are pre- sented. In his remarks accom4 panying the report Mr. Cedarberg says: “The business transactions sm this large school district are conducted conscientiously and with marked ability. As a rule, with very few exceptions, all bills on file are itemized and sworn to be- fore approval by the board. No ‘warrants are issued unless the claims are approved by the board and the approval entered on the minutes, with the exception of sal- ary warrants. I made a few sug- gestions to the clerk and treasurer about filing bills and warrants and also about pay rolls and inventory of supplies, which suggestions wer well received.” : The report.shows the district to” be in excellent condition financial- ly at the beginning of the present term.. The receipts during the past year were $138,705.43, in which sum is ineluded a balance of $47,- 648.44 in the treasury at the close of the school year of 1912. The sources of greatest income were: Taxes, $69,014.53; state aid, $15,- 347.71; state apportionment, $5,414.- 33. Expenditures during the year were $111,340.77, of which the larg- er items were: Teaching fund, $52,845.04; building fund, $6,466.75; transportation fund, $6,255.54. From the time of the treasurer's report, July 16, up to and including the date of the examiner's report, Sept. 24 the receipts were $38,709 making the total $66,074.27. Dis- bursements during the same period were $12,279.58, leaving a balance at that time of $53,776.69. This, with the warrants then outstanding against the distpiet brought the totak in the treasurer’s hands up, to $56,839.56. There are outstanding against ‘the district $133,000 in bonds, as follows: $18,000, issued October 14, 1906; $80,000 issued Augmst 1, 1909, and $35,000 issued May 1, 1911. This does not include the issue of $40.- 000 recently made for the purpose jf building an addition to the Grand Rapids high school. STATE'S AIGHT 10 UD QUESTIONED Officers of Northern Minnesota Development Association Ask That Terms be Observed EIGHT MILLION ACRES ARE INVOLVED Claim is Made That State Has Not Lived Up to Agreement to Re- claimLands Made at the Time of Grant. President C. M. King and Sec- retary W. R. Mackenzie of the Northern Minnesota Development association have addressed a letter to Secretary of the Interior Frank- lim K, Lane, setting forth that the state of Minnesota has not lived ‘up to its agreement with the when the commonwealth received a grant of all the swamp lands | within its borders. For this rea- son, the communication sets forth, ihe 500,000 acres still to be awardec should be withheld until such time as the state lives up to its part of the agreement. The facts of the situation are as follows, according to the association officials: Congress in 1860 granted all the gwamp lands to the state on con~ dition that the proceeds derived from their sale be used to reclaim them. Instead of doing this the early legislatures of ihe state made large grants of these lands to rail- roads and tock no steps to drain or :peerone them. © people in 1884 adopted ‘an amendment to the state constitu- tion; directing that “the principal of all funds derived from sales of ‘swamp lands, as aforesaid, shall forever be preserved inviolate and undiminished.” The income from this principal was devoted, one- half to the school fund, and one4 half to the state institutions. It is because the money received for the sale of the lands was not used for their reclamation that the | association officials are attempting | to get the federal government to act. They say in their letter: “The entire 8,000,000 acres so far given, to the state are still practi- cally in the same undeveloped con- dition they were when first patented. We believe that) these lands serve both as a menace tq health and the development of the entire northern section of our state. In speaking of their action to a, Twin City newspaper, Mr. King anc Mr. Mackenzie said that they did jnot want the state to lose these Jands, Fut to keep faith with the government and provide for their reclamation. In some quarters it fis stated that the state -constitu- tion stands in the «way, but those having the matter of. forcing action ‘in hand claim that the state had no business enacting a provision that would violate the conditions of the grant. POTATO GROWERS TO FORM ORGANIZATION Steps May be Taken by Producers to Secure Greater Share of An article in Mon'day’s issue of the Duluth Evening Herald, under a Grand Rapids date line says that a potato growers’ association is among the probabilities for this section in the near future. The Hog Raising,” claiming that these will go into camp near Split Hand. | necessity for an organization of two pursuits could be handled to-! Yhey are: Dr. G. P. Dolan, Dr.) this kind is becoming so apparent gether to very good advantage. The | bffiil Dieckhoff and R. L. More- that several of the large growers feed for dairy animals and hogs | land of Worthington; Rey. Father | of the county are interesting them- ean be raised cheaply and in abundance in this section, and the farmer who devoted his time and energy to this class of husbandry is sure to be amply rewarded. F. B. McLaren also spoke on this subject, his remarks being partic- | Gossman, Al Nitschka and C. A! Wagner of New Richland. Minn.) Mr. Wagner has been making an- \‘nual hunting trips into this sec- tion for eighteén years, while this jis Dr. Dolan’s twelfth excursion to Itasca county. selves in the scheme. They claim that there is too much of a dis- ‘crepancy between the prices re- ceived by the grower and that paid operating and doing their selling federal government, entered into | ‘heir doors. Blackberry Builds Roads. _ The township of Blackberry is doing considerable work on the highways within its borders this season. Beside much repairing on roads already constructed, a con- necting link of a half mile is be- ing built between what is known as the Warba road and the Black- berry road about a mile north of Blackberry station. Another piece, a mile in length, is being built from the home of Town Clerk Bert Stacey and con- necting at the Mississippi river bridge with the road running to Grand Rapids. This thoroughfare ‘will give a number of settlers in that section an outlet im both di- ; rections. M. W. Pogue is the con- tractor. ‘RANGE TOWNS WANT Local Growers Furnishing Hibbing and Virginia With Important Staple—Prices Fair. Potato growers in the vicinity of Grand Rapids are finding a ready market for their surplus right at The mining towns of St. Louis county are taking all that the local growers have to of- fer and are receiving a very good price for this time of year. It seems that the growers in the neighborhood of the iron centers are holding their erop in the hope of receiving a little higher price later on, and this increases the demand for the Itasca county crop. In speaking of the situation. John (Curren of the Merchants’ Ware- , house company of Hibbing, said last week: “We are getting most of our potatoes at present from Grand Rapids. The country thereabout produces a good potato and lots of them were grown there this year. Loca] producers do not. seem -will- ing to sell at the prices for which the Grand Rapids potatoes can be ‘obtained.” { MINING CONCERNS PAY HEAVY TAX Oliver Mining Company and Great Northern Pay Two-Thirds of October Installment. The last days of October brought in to the office of County Treas- urer McMahon a large amount of money in payment of the last in- stallment of the 1912 taxes. The ‘votal amount due at this time is about $400,000 and of this amount two concerns paid a total of $252,137.70. Of this sum the Oliver Iron Mining company paid $131,- 337.32 and the Great Northern Mines company $120,800.38. Of the SYSTENAT, EFFORT T0GOLONZE WORTH Minneapolis Paper Outlines Plans Now Being Perfected to Settle St -te’s Unoccupied Acres ‘GOOD WORK OF DEVELOPMENT ASSN. |Land Clearing Meeting Here Last Week One Step in Program of Practical Demonstration to be Followed Out W. P. Kirkwood, a writer on the staff of the Minneapolis Journal, furnishes his paper with the most thorough and comprehensive data of the work being done through public, quasi-public and individual effort tq. secure settlers for the vast area of agricultural land lying idle in the northern section of the state that has as yet appeared. It is a review of the work done since the inception of the Northern Min~ nesota Development association to the present time, as well as a re~ sume of the efforts now being made and a program of the work i contemplation. After speaking of the work done {by the association in the way of securing reapportionment. agricul~ tural schools and experiment sta- tions, a revolving fund to aid im the work of road-building, and qmany other things of which the Section stood im need, the article goes on to state: “It was made possible for coun- ties to obtain state funds—om honds—for internal improvements. [A 4-mill tax for the building of roads was put through, and under the law providing for this and other laws, the counties of the north are developing) good roads plans rapidly. Clearwater county just recently submitted its scheme of road improvement to the state highway commission for approval Itasca and Koochiching counties recently voted $300,000 in bonds: each for road improvement, and the bonds have already been sold at a good price. “To acquaint settlers already in the northern woods with the best practices in clearing, and in farms ing cleared lands, at the request of the Northern Minnesota associa~ tion the north central agricultural experiment station at Grand Rapids last week held a short-course for farmers. At this “stump-pulling school,” as it has been called, suck remaining $150,000 by far the great- Subjects as explosives. logging and er portion was due from smaller brushing, use and value of timber, mining concerns and timber com- ¢rops for newly-cleared lands,farm panies. BEMIDJI'S FOOTBALL TEAM DISAPPOINTS | Fails to Show Up for Saturday’s Game After All Preparations for Reception Are Made There was considerable disap- pointment evinced here Saturday over the failure of the Bemidji One instance last year is quoted high school football team to put as an example. Blackberry refused to sell his crop at the low price prevailing here ang decided to ship a carloa@ to his old home in, Nebraska where potatoes were scarce. The staple was at that time bringing about 20 cents a bushel at the warehouse here. The potatoes shipped to Ne- braska brought 90 cents a bushel in the market when sold at retail, but of this sum the shipper only received 30 cents, transportation chargds taking up, 30 cents and the retailer 30 cents. It is occur- rences such as these that has brought about an inquiry into the present methods and profits of handling potatoes, and it is likely: that a meeting of growers will be by the consumer, and many believe| °@Hled in the near future to discuss that the only way to cure the|the perfecting of an or~inization ‘diffi’ Hy is by the farmers co-|for handling the crop ect. A farmer near {in an appearance. The grounds had been scraped and rolled and were in excellent condition. while the team had been practicing hard for the anticipated tussle. The young lady students in the domestic science class at the high school had prepared a most sump- tious spread for the members of the two teams in the evening after the game, and all these prepara- tions were wasted as far as any visitors were concerned. The local drainage, dairying and hog-raising, and rural organization, were dis- cussed. Field demonstrations were also made. : The Northern Minnesota Devel- opment association has had a large amount of preliminary work to do. Its problems have been of a triple nature. It has had to con- sider far-reaching reclamation schemes, the settler already on the land, and the settler prospective. But it has made a good beginning, and it has before it a splendid op-. portunity to show what a develop- ment association can do to pro- mote the interests of a new country by intensive pioneering. The present officers of the asso~ ciation are: Cyrus M. King, Deer River, president; C. A. Allbright, Brainerd, vice president; A. G, Wedge, Jr. Bemidji, treasurer, and W. R. MacKinzie, Bemidji, secre- tary. Kenneth Palon, the young son of bunch, however not to be done out Ar. and Mrs. Abe Palon of Swan of their share of the good things | River: who was run over by a provided, appeared and did enthus iastic justice to the edibles. F. G. Bradley, in charge of the freight train last week is recover- ing at St. Benedict's hospital. Both legs were amputated below the knee, but. in spite of the seri- surveying crew onthe Wawina-Ballousness of his case the lad ig club road, was in this week and cheerful and as full of hope as. states that they expect to complete/ever, displaying more fortitude than many full grown men would in, like ciremstances. the survey about Christmas. The ew line is 52 miles in length.