THE BONANZA FARMS. 43 



The failure of Jay Cooke & Co., in 1873, had the 

 effect of throwing large bodies of the lands belonging 

 to the Northern Pacific road into the hands of the 

 holders of its securities ; among them were the owners 

 of some of the farms hereafter described. 



Oliver Dalrymple, of St. Paul, the pioneer in the 

 great farm development in this country in the North- 

 west, began his first operation seventeen years ago, in 

 Minnesota, near St. Paul, where, for a number of 

 years, he successfully cultivated a farm of 2,500 acres. 

 At the time he commenced his work near St. Paul, in 

 1866, he paid $2 00 a bushel for his seed wheat, 

 and sold his crop for $1 83 ; from his first crop pay- 

 ing for the whole investment and leaving a large sur- 

 plus. After the Northern Pacific lands had passed 

 into individual hands, as above referred to, Mr. Dal- 

 rymple entered into an arrangement with some of the 

 holders, by which he was to undertake the manage- 

 ment of their lands in the growing of wheat and other 

 products. The proprietors of the lands to furnish 

 land, stock, tools, and the capital required for seed, 

 labor, and improvements, upon condition that when 

 the products of the farms had paid all expenditures, 

 with an agreed interest, he was to receive a clear title 

 of one half of each farm with its stock and improve- 

 ments. 



In the spring of 1876 he commenced his operations 

 near Castleton, upon what are now known as the 'Cass 

 farm, of 6,355 acres ; and the Cheney farm, of 5,200 

 acres. The following year work was begun on what 

 is known as the Grandin farm, at Grandin, of 40,000 

 acres. Subsequently Mr. Dalrymple obtained, in his 



