The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1883-12-15
RESERVE THE RESERVATION.
MEssRs. EpIToRs !:


NV communication of two weeks
since, addressed to the people of the
new counties, has been excepted to in
some respects which lead me to make
further brief statement
The article referred to was written
with view of presenting some of the
leading points for the thought of the
people, and not to urge my own opin-
ions, rs believe the people Of Sully
and all the other counties interested
are capable of Judging for their own
best interests when a subject is fairly
presented.
Self preservation is not "dog in the
manger," and the editor of the Pierre
Signal errs most decidedly in so desig-
mating the action opposing the open
ing of the Reservation. Simple un,
supported assertions are not proof, and
the statement that the new counties
will boom the more il the Reservation
is opened does not make it true, but
the past shows differently.
Ii any inducem ents are needed to
bring more people from the East to
Dakota, the testimony of the hundreds
who have spent the past summer
among us and have gone east to spread
the gool news and prepare for bring
ing out all their possessions in the
spring, will have more effect than
opening a dozen Reservations like the
Sioux We are not afraid the present
attractions will prove insufficient.
What the Signal designates as the
''fevcr" of immigration is not the best
kind These who have the "fever"
are apt to get the chill next, and not
finding the gold or the coal mine on
their claim, which the boomers prom
ise, they, too, often turn back leaving
an unimproved claim with Il mortgage
on it.
"a broad view" is good thing, but
there is such a thing as a view SO
broad that blessings close by us are
UNSEEN and unappreciated. The Sig
nal is Il good friend to the Black Hills
people. So are we But while it
claims that we should open the Reser
vation for the Black Hills sake, how
would it do forPierrc To give up the
new Land Office which it is trying to
get, and which we hope it will get, and
let Deadwood have the benefit of the
new lands
The Signal also says with the Res
ervation opened and railroads across
the same, we should have cheap coal
for manufactures, Stone, marble,
minerals and timber Stone we have
already without cost; marble We need
not just ut present, nor minerals other
than we have Two or three years
more, with the Reservation closed, we
may need them We can then aiiorl
to have it opened. AS for cheap tim
Der, the Hills have not enough of n
good quality to supply themselves for
many years, and have none to spare
us. AS for coal, we probably have it
ourselves, but the difference in the
price of coal would be poor recon-
pense, indeed, for the two or three
years non-improvement OF our farms.
| cannot but think that am advo-
eating the interests of a larger section
of country and more people, in oppos-
ing the opening of the Reservation,
than are those who advocate it. There
is certainly larger area and greater
population in the country east OF the
Missouri river and west of the Jim
than in the Black Hills and in the city
of Pierre Can ii be that Pierre is
afraid our Sully town of Fairbank,
Forest City, i'll Potter county, or Lee
Beau, in Walworth, will become rival
river towns before Pierre can get its
bridge? If it will own up TO that, OF
course we cannot consistently blame
Clifton, Dec 18th j. NJ.