iVlisccUonmis. 
FARGO, DAKOTA TERRITORY. 
Its Rapid Growth, Extensive Commerce 
and Present Necessities. 
MESSRS. HOLMES AND SWEETLAND. 
[Special Correspondents of the Rural New-Yorker.] 
The almost magical development of the 
great Northwest is nowhere more apparent 
than in the many cities which have risen upon 
the plains and in the fertile valleys almost 
like Aladdin’s mystical jialace, in a single 
night. 
Not one of these shows more marked progress 
than the city of Fargo. D. T., situated upon the 
Red River of the North, where it is crossed by 
those great railways, the Northern Pacific 
and the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba 
of which we gave a brief sketch in our last. 
Our first impressions of Fargo in regard to its 
life and commercial interests were rendered 
favorable by the fact that the business streets 
resembled a human beehive, while our appli¬ 
cation for rooms at the principal hotel was 
met by a discouraging nod and the informa¬ 
tion, “ Wo are quite full : don’t know whether 
we can accommodate you or not.” Inquiry- 
shows 35,000 registered arrivals at the 
three leading houses during the past year. 
Fargo's 4,000 to 5,000 population worship in 
six chure-e-s- Episcopal. Methodist-Episcopal, 
Presbyterian. Baptist, German and Norwe 
giau Lutheran, and Catholic—buildings val¬ 
ued, entire, at §30,000. Her rising generation 
are educated by competent teachers in graded 
schools of six departments. The two build¬ 
ings (one brick) now used for that purpose, 
are valued at §80,000. A handsome, new, two- 
story brick to cost 35,000, is now being built to 
supply the demand for additional school fa¬ 
cilities. Fargo is justly proud of her efficient 
press. The Argus, published mornings (Sun¬ 
day included), also has a weekly edition. We 
were surprised to find the library of the Argus 
exceptionally oomph to, containing every 
public document, since 1832. The Fargo Re¬ 
publican, an evening paper, also publishes an 
excellent weekly. The Poston is a weekly 
Scandinavian paper, The city has three 
amusement halls, but sadly needs an opera- 
house, and a good one. Bright oases of green 
in shape of Island Park, City Park, (given to 
the city by the Northern Pacific), and Har¬ 
wood Park, lend their charms to adornment 
and beauty. Fargo has the excellent Holly 
water system, built by Holly &■ Co., in 1880, 
capacity now 1,000,000 gallons per day, hav¬ 
ing been doubled since last year, it will throw 
four fine streams 100 feet high. The cost was 
§75,000. The Ore department, comprises a 
hook-mul ladder company, a good hose com¬ 
pany with forty-four fire hydrants. 
The value of permanent improvements for 
the year ending Oct. 1, is estimated to exceed 
§500,000, while the radius of trade, instead of 
contracting, is becoming more extended by 
the increase daily of the jobbing and whole 
sale business, and careful estimates made by 
five leading citizens, place the commerce of 
the year past (exclusive of wheat) at over 
§12,000,000, In wheat they received at this 
market, in 1880, 1,350,000 bushels. The price 
at the time of writing is §1.35 per bushel, 
which is remarkably high. The storage capa¬ 
city of the three large elevators aggregates 
800,000 bushels. 
The banking capital of the city is §815,000 
(four banks) and the aggregate exchange busi¬ 
ness is approximated at § 20 , 000 , 000 . It seems 
wonderful where a decade ago was nought but 
the trackless, untrod prairie. From tho post¬ 
master we learn that, the money-order business 
for the last year foots up §140,000; the sale of 
stamps. §15,000, and that the office employs 
five assistants. It has recently moved into a 
new brick, devoted exclusively to its use. 
What with its telephone connections with 
Moorhead; its Chamber of Commerce, estab¬ 
lished in 1879, now numbering 05 members 
among the leading business men; its local in¬ 
surance companies; its street railway organ¬ 
ized with the contract let to build this Fall, 
Fargo is certainly putting on metropolitan 
airs, and for our part wo know of uo city 
which has earned a better right to do so. 
Fargo owes much of its prosperity to its 
railroads; in fact, the Northern Pacific gave 
the town its first boom—as they say out here. 
No iv it has, in addition to that, the St. Paul, 
Minneapolis and Manitoba, which road has a 
branch running north. The N. P. lias a rol¬ 
ling mill and machine shops, mammoth stock¬ 
yards for Montana cattle, and numberless im¬ 
provements, w hile it is from this point that 
trains will run on the Black Ilills branch now 
graded 55 miles, and on the branch to the 
north, through Cassclton. The Fargo and 
Southern is now being graded to connect with 
a system of Chicago roads, while a charter 
has been granted to the “Fargo and North¬ 
western.” There are also river connections 
by the Red with Winnipeg, two lines operating 
during navigation. 
The manufacturing interests of the city are 
yet in embryo, and, in our judgment, it has 
nou f reached that stage of progress where 
manufacturing is of essential and vital im¬ 
portance. Norv, as a nucleus w r e note a large 
roller flouring mill of 135 barrels’ capacity, a 
a blank-book manufactory, the Argus Litho¬ 
graphing Co., two planing mills, a. hay press, 
and a 15,000-barrel brewery, all operating. 
Added interest in flax culture through the 
country will soon require an oil mill and tow 
mill. There is always room for flouring or 
oatmeal mills, while numberless other manu¬ 
facturing enterprises w ould find within rea¬ 
sonable distance the crude material and a 
ready market. Iu our “ Notes of Interest ” 
we find tho city indebtedness is only §30,000, 
§9,000 of which are bonded. * * * That it 
is considerered by many the best horse mar¬ 
ket in the Northwest, there being three exclu¬ 
sive sale stables accommodating 525 horses or 
mules. * * * That coal costs §10 to §11 
per ton (hal'd), §0.00 (soft) iu quantities, wood 
selling from §3 to §5 per cord. * * * That 
although this is considered a “no timber” 
country, the government survey gives Cass 
Couuty (of which Fargo is county seat) 55,000 
acres. * * * That the Fargo Agricultural 
Society of Dakota held its first fair Sept. 13 
to 10, which proved successful. Their grounds 
comprise 80 acres with all uecessary buildings 
and a magnificent race-course. They will 
hold annual territorial fail's. * * * That 
Fargo has six lumber yards. * * * That 
the University of Northern Dakota has pur¬ 
chased 20 acres of ground and expects to build 
soon. * * *■ That every business and pro¬ 
fessional man seems to take an individual 
and particular pride in Fargo, his home; and 
loses no opportunity of sounding its praises, 
if only a part of the laudations extended us 
were transcribed, it would fill a page, but we 
prefer to “ stick to our text ” and advise those 
wiio wish to know more to apply either in 
person or by proxy. 
Sfldftics, 
AT THE ATLANTA EXPOSITION. 
[Rural Special Report.] 
The Cattle Exhibit was much better than 1 
anticipated seeing, and as Southern breeders 
contributed a great part of it, it showed conclu¬ 
sively thut good cattle of some breeds can be 
raised fully as well in the South as in the North, 
In t his particular section by proper cultivation 
line clover can be raised and Orchard and Crab 
Grasses grown the year round. Bermuda 
Grass also offers fine grazing the whole year. 
Animals of all breeds imported from the North 
should be brought young the better to accli¬ 
matize them. The Jerseys seem to do best in 
this section, and some remarkably fine herds 
w ere exhibited. The herd of J. B. Wade, 
headed by the two-year-old Bull, John Rex 
(it1 1 ; 4579, carried off the first premium. This 
bull also cai ried off the premiums for bulls 
between one anil two years old and the 
sweepstakes premium for Jersey Bull of any 
age. He was bred by J. llatchford Starr. 
Mr. Wade showed seventeen head and among 
them were some very tine animals ; his eight- 
months calf LuckieBell is a daughter of Cham¬ 
pion of America and traces her ancestry, 
through her (lam, back to Pansy litk. His four- 
year-old heifer ' Donna Fay ;’ 0294, was tonight 
of T. H. Vail whose cattle brought such high 
prices some years ago. HLs four-year-old 
heifer Teimella, 0712, has made the remarka¬ 
ble milk record of 359 pounds three ounces in 
one week, the largest day’s registering being 
55 pounds one ounce. Mr. Richard Peters of 
Atlanta also exhibited a fine hml of Jerseys. 
In his herd were the two-year-old heifer Auta 
11,237, bred by Mr. Taylor of N. J., the one- 
year-old bull Emperor of Belmont, Sire Watts, 
2018 ; Dam, Pride of St. Mary’s, 8062, bred by 
W. T. Walters of Maryland, and three fine 
heifers, Vesperina Baron, 10,103, Willis Baron, 
10,109 and Wieflta Baron, 10,110, bred by 
Column Ayres of Pennsylvania. Mr. G. W. 
Palmer of Saltville, Vu., contributed largely 
to the success of the exhibit by bringing in a 
fine lot of Jerseys, Short-horns, Devons and 
fat cattle, and carried otf a fair number of 
premiums. In his Jersey herd he showed 
two fine old imported cows : Gem of Spring- 
wood 1965 and Rose’s Hairbull 3243—also a 
very handsome yearling bull “ Fred Emery.” 
His Short-liorns were headed by' the tbree- 
yoar-old bull “ Rosebud’s Oxford” which 
carried oil' the drat premium. He also showed 
in this herd a very tine cow Susan 6th. His 
fat cattle grade Durhams, four iu number, 
averaged 8000 pouuds each. Among bis Dev¬ 
ons he showed the fine three-y r ear-old bull 
“ Eldorado.” 
Devons followed Jerseys very closely 7 in 
number. D. J. Whitmore, Casstown, Ohio, 
oarried off the herd premium with a fine 
Northern herd headed by the 2000-pound eight- 
year-old bull “Barefoot.” Edward D. Hick’s 
of Nashville, Tenn., also had a fine herd on 
exhibition. Tho only herd of Short-horns 
that entered the arena was that of J. R. An¬ 
derson, Ohio. This excellent herd was 
headed by the six-year-old bull “Springdale 
Airdrie” 2nd, which weighed 2,600 pounds, 
and the balance of the herd weighed in pro¬ 
portion : they carried off the herd premium. 
The great question here seems to be as to 
what cattle are best fitted for the Cotton 
Belt. It is generally conceded that the Jer- 
frame with less twist than the warp, and as 
soon as that is put in the shuttle the loom is 
ready to proceed. 
The machinery shown in its department if 
anything excelled the very excellent display 
made at the Centennial Exposition at Phila¬ 
delphia. Many improvements have been 
made since that date and they were all on ex¬ 
hibition here. 
After examining the different sorts of cot¬ 
ton as they come from the field, visitors could 
see all the different processes of manufacture. 
First the cotton is sent to what is known as 
the seed cotton cleaner, which removes all the 
sand, dirt and loose trash, saving the wear of 
machinery and lessening the danger of fire. 
It detaches motes from the lint, thoroughly 
loosens up the cotton, causing the gin to inn 
fighter and cleaniug the seed more perfectly, 
thus rendering the ginning process more 
healthy anil pleasant and at times converting 
dirty, storm cotton into merchantable shape. 
Next comes the ginning. There were gins of 
all styles on exhibition shown in full opera¬ 
tion. They are divided into various classes ; 
first, the saw gin with condenser attach¬ 
ment which had the lead in ginning short- 
staple cotton ; next the roller gin which is 
more especially 7 used for long-staple or Sea 
Island cottons ; and tbeu the belt gin for long- 
staple or Sea Island. The roller and belt gins 
are rather slow for short-staple work, and 
the saw gins are more generally used ; but 
improvements are being rapidly made in the 
belt gins, and they 7 will probably soon be able 
to do fully 7 as much work as the saw. 
From the gins the cotton goes direct to the 
press. A large number of presses were on 
exhibition, hand hydraulic and perpetual. 
By the hand, or hydraulic the cotton is pressed 
into bales of from 450 to 500 pounds, weight. 
It takes about 1500 pounds of seed cotton to 
make a bale of lint cotton. The hand presses 
are generally 7 used by the smaller planters 
and the hydraulic by large planters and cotton 
presses. The “ Perpetual” is a press made by 7 
a Northern manufacturer; it puts up very 
compactly a small bundle known as a quarter 
bale, of 125 pounds. This small package 
meets with great favor among the Eastern 
manufacturers. 
After this the cotton goes to the picker, 
which brings out all the seed shells and im¬ 
perfections that have been left in by the gins, 
and here it is wound up in a long roll ready 
to go to the cards, after having lieen cleaned 
of all the dirt remaining in it. Then it goes to 
the carding machines, and several ends to¬ 
gether are then carried to what is known as 
the railway head where they 7 are united to go 
into a can for the first drawing. They are 
then doubled up at the next drawing and put 
into a can which goes to the “ slubber.” 
From there, doubled two into one, it goes to 
the fine speeder where it is prepured for the 
spinning frame. Then the warp is prepared 
many ends on a beam, and several beams on a 
slasher, where the yarn is sized for warp 
ready for weaving. The filling is roving 
taken for warp and spun on the spinning 
The Kemp & Burpee Manufacturing Co. 
of Syracuse, N. Y., with their accustomed en¬ 
terprise have upon exhibition the Kemp & 
Burpee Manure spreader in operation upon 
the grounds. To the average fanner of this 
section this is a comparatively new machine 
and attracts the attention of all visitors to 
Agricultural Hall. The machine is used for 
distributing fertilizers of all descriptions, 
and the cotton planters of this section are 
particularly 7 interested in the adaptability of 
the spreader for distributing cotton seed which 
is largely used by them for fertilizing pur¬ 
poses. It is attachable to the forward wheels of 
any farm wagon and can be used for an or¬ 
dinary cart, by simply 7 removing the toothed 
roller. It completely pulverizes all kinds of 
manure, whether wet or dry, and the rapid 
revolution of the roller prevents it from 
being clogged no matter what may be the 
condition or quality of the manure to be dis¬ 
tributed. It is pretty generally known that 
complete pulverizatiou and an even distribu¬ 
tion of manures are necessary in order that 
cereals of all kinds shall receive the benefit of 
all the fertilizer used, ivud the more perfect 
the distribution is, the more food is dissem¬ 
inated to the rootlets of the plant. All these 
points are practically applied in the distribu¬ 
tion of manure by this spreader. So com¬ 
pletely 7 does it pulverize and so evenly does it 
distribute that every rootlet receives its pi oper 
amount of food and the y 7 ield is thus increased, 
i tis claimed, fully one-third. Different sizes 
are made to meet the wants of the farmers in 
the North and the cotton seed fertilizers of the 
South, and from the many sales effected here 
I conclude that the manufacturers have again 
been wise in making an exhibition of their 
spreader at this Exposition, 
seys will do well if properly acclimated, all 
through the South. As to the suitability of 
Devons there are many different opinions; some 
claim that they are readily acclimated and 
do well, while others deny this. As for the 
fat cattle, it is claimed that pure-bred Short¬ 
horns, Herefords and Polled Angus cannot be 
raised here even if bought when young ; but 
bulls will live long enough to breed to the na¬ 
tive cattle and the grades do well. 
Atlanta, Ga., w. H. k. 
(The Sunne-ijeriJ. 
FOOD ECONOMY WITH PIGS. 
COL. F. D. CURTIS. 
We are satisfie 1 that white corn is better 
for feeding to pigs than yellow flint. The 
grain is light, containing less fat-forming 
material; consequently it is not so heating. 
It makes a more healthy 7 growth, makingbody 
(bone and muscle), together with the fat, 
whereas the harder and richer yellow flint 
corn makes a preponderance of fat. Pigs will 
not break down when fed on the former so 
soon as when fed on the latter. It digests 
more easily. There is a good deal of waste in 
feeding raiv yellow Hint corn, as pigs, espec¬ 
ially 7 when feeding, are at first apt to eat more 
than the stomach will assimilate. There is 
therefore less danger of eloying and break¬ 
ing down the digestion. We have a notion 
that white corn is not so exhaustive to the 
soil, and we are satisfied that it will yield bet¬ 
ter on poor land than the y T ellow varieties. 
It is beneficial to pigs while being fed corn 
or other heavy food to fatten them, to give 
them a change every day from stimulating 
food. They will be found to relish raw pump¬ 
kins, apples or roots. If their appetites begin 
to flag, it is best to increase the quantity of 
these lighter foods, and to reduce the amount 
of grain. Fruit and vegetables are cooling 
to the blood and help digestion. Pigs M ill fat¬ 
ten faster with less grain and a feeding of 
these than on all grain, or at least they 7 will 
make more healthful meat. We don't like for 
our table a pig which has been stuffed to the 
verge of founder on clei^r coni. The feeding 
place of such pigs may be discerned afar off. 
We are glad to see that cheek is not so 
highly estimated as formerly. Sagacious 
swine breeders are learning that body is of 
more consequence. Cheeky [figs may 7 fill the 
bill at fairs and win admiration on account, of 
roundness and plumpness and tilling lard-tubs, 
but they don't meet the requirements of the 
American stomachs. To do this we shall have 
to improve backwards. We want pigs to eat 
rather than to look at—long bodies and hams 
with less fat. Such hogs have longer heads 
and smaller chops. The markets demand 
hogs of this style, as consumers do not like 
the Waste of over-fat hams and pork. 
Economy in food is generally not much 
considered when food is cheap; but, neverthe¬ 
less, it bears the same proportion to the price 
of pork. When plenty abounds, the farmer 
is not apt to measure his bushels. He leeds 
wholesale and wastes wholesale. He throws 
his corn on the ground and the pigs run over 
it, tread it into the mud aud a considerable 
pei'eentage is lost, The fattening of animals 
does not generally allow this margin of loss. 
A tight floor should be provided on which to 
feed coni—and this should be kept clean. A 
pig will neither relish its food as well nor eat 
so much when it has to dig it out of the mud 
and eat it smeared with filth. One turns away 
from such sights with little relish. 
Experiments have demonstrated that cook¬ 
ing food adds to its value about 25 per cent, 
for fattening pigs. From this apparent gain 
must be taken the miller’s toll, one-tenth, aud 
the cost and labor of cooking. Veiy few 
farmers practice cooking, notwithstanding the 
increase of the food value. They do not con- 
l sider that it pays, or else they dislike the 
trouble. In old times, when farmers figured 
closer than they 7 do now, it was an almost 
univei'sal custom to cook all the food for pigs. 
Pigs will eat, more and digest it better when 
food is slightly fermented. This also necessi¬ 
tates grinding, and on this account it, is not 
generally practiced. It will Undoubtedly pay, 
as the extra gain would more than equal the 
tribute to the oilier. When pigs eat a large 
amount of meal in a raw state and not soured, 
it will ferment more or less in the stomach 
and this condition tends to destroy the appetite 
and to produce scours. 
