Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-04-14
Vote for division on the 18th.

Vote for division on the 18th.
THB White Lake Times tells the following,
which illustrates of what great value are the
services of the mucle abused land agents to
those desirous of obtaining land in the terri
tory: "a smart Aleck came into the country
from the east few days since, and his smart
ness has brought him to grief. He had heard
about the land sharks who inkabit these parts,
and resolved to give them wide berth. In
stead OF consulting them in the manner of fill
ing on homestead, he concluded that it was
best to do his business independent of any
agent, and thus evade any possibility of being
swindled He went to the land Office and put
his filing on quarter section which he discov-
cred was unclaimed. After securing the land
he is pcrplexed to know how to cultivate it,
its location being at the bottom Of White Lake,
which is not likely to go dry before corn plant
ing time. When this tenderfoot wants another
claim he will be willing to pay responsible
agent small sum to lecate him.
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LAST weeks Lctcher Blade contained an ar
| ticle from VIM. A. Morrell relative to the divi-
sion of Aurora county,. He tells why in s'his
opinion the county should not be divided,
but gives no reason worthy of consideration.
His argument is very week, and shows that
those opposed to division should place the pen
Of defense in the hand of one capable of writ
ing at least manly and truthful article. In
his letter Mr.. Morrell says:
Gas for division as now proposed by
small part Of the people Of, the north half it is
my opinion, and in the opinion Of all calm
thinking men one of the most block headed
and idiotic movements that ever was made by
any set of white men this side of Posey county
Arkansas. Now you gentlemen just think for
one moment, the simple idea of giving away
and receiving in their place the Washington
Hills. Why gentlemen it will be the same as
trading good level land for the Allegheny
Mountains, only worse; for on these noun
tains, only worse, for on these mountains there
is some timber, but these hills that we are to
receive in the place of the best land in Aurora
county, wild goat would starve to death on
and if caught on the top of them in the hot
month of August he would freeze to DEATH"
Mr.. Morrill, may be capable Of passing judg-
ment upon the ability Of the large majority Of
citizens Of Aurora county who favor division,
but we don't think he is. The desire for divi-
sion is held by many of the best and leading
men in the county, and while there are, many
thinking and reliable men opposed to. division
Mr.. Morrell has shown himself not one of
them. The only ''idiotic movement that we
have seen in connection with this matter is the
action of Mr.. Morrill,, and he has done well. ed
Aurora county will be divided by the vote of
the people on the 18th inst, and such course
as pursued by this gentleman will only make
division more certain.-Aurora County Stan
dard.
Perhaps the above may need little
further explanation to some of onr
readers. When "a small part of the
people of the north half" of the coun-
ty first had scheme" to work out py
attaching "the best tier Of townships
in the north half" to the sand hills of
Miner county it was in the estimation
of this same writer most commenda-
bic, praiseworthy and statesmanlike
consummation deyoutly to be wished.
When, however, the sand hills of Mi
ner county are ignored and three of
the best townships Of land in the ter
ritory are attached to "the best tier of
townships in the north half" the
movement becomes "blockheaded and
idiotic"-whyp Because it destroys
the scheme for townsite on the east
ern side of the county.
AS to the quality of the lands to be
given to the county of Jerauld, Mr.. NJ.
forgets that as Aurora county now is
it comprises all the "Alleghany noun
tam" land that it will have under the
new order of things. He also forgets
that the soil he was so anxious to at
tach to "the best tier of townships in
the north half" is so thin that if plow-
ed and dried a good wind from the
Hills would blow it all into the jim
river.
But that Mr.. Morrill, was so excited
when the article was written that he
is not responsible for all he says We
quote his closing paragraph showing
that it was simply the boy going
through the woods and saying boo"
TO keep from being frightened:
"In case the county is divided in this
way, then l claim that the Washington
Springs is the proper place to locate
the county seat of the north half and
l advise that we all work for that end"
And the people of the county to this
advice all say "amen."