Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-19
The Free Homes of Dakota.

The Chicago JMtcrOcCm.
There is little cause for wonder at
the extent and charactero OF this springs
immigration to Dakota. The eyes of
thousands OF farmers in circumstances
more or less cramped in Iowa, Illinois,
Wisconsin. Michigan, Indiana and
Ohio are being opened to facts which
are no sooner fairly presented to the
mind than they operate much like the
match when applied to a train of pow
der.
Take for example the case Of a farm
er. say in Illinois or Ohio, who has
eighty acres 0 fland, fifty acres Of which
are under cultivation. His farm cost
him $1,000, or $50 per acre, and is mort
gagged on account of borrowed pur-
chase money in the first place, and Of
subsequent loans to help pay machin-
cry bills in the sun Of $4,000, OF $50
per acre on the whole farm,
In order to make a fair livelihood, he
must farm it SO that his fifty acres will
earn a bread-and-butter interest on the
equivalent OF an investment of $3.50,
being the cost OF the farm and the in
terest on the debt Of $4,000 at Z per
cent. The land he tills, therefore, must
earn something of an interest on over
1913 per acre, in return for the time, la
Dor, and money employed in it's cult
Walton,
The farmer who thus tills and tolls
in one Of the older States is told that
by going to Dakota he can SO far re-
, verse the order Of things in his own
experience as to put himself fairly on
the road to riches.
Has he been rightly Informed and
rightly directed? Let us see il it be
SO, and if Dakota is the farmers para
disc it is represented as being.
BY using only one Of the inestima-
bic rights given him by a generous
: government, our Illinois farmers can
t homestead 100 acres Of land by the
i payment of a mere nominal fee. and
acquire title thereto by a fiveyears' res
/ idence, or if he has the greater right OF
{ a soldier, by residing thereon for a Pc
: Rod Of one year, Or as much longer as
| it may take to complete five years by
I adding to his term of service in the
. army up to four years.
The first year in Dakota need not be
f a loss, at any rate Of more than the
/ time. Enough can be raised on the
5 sod to pay for the breaking and living
| expenses. The farmer from Illinois or
? Ohio, bringing his own stock with him
) would be able to break nearly all Of his
land the first season without mourning
perhaps any further expense than that
/ of the time.
/; But in order to stick to an average
| mans results, we will allow for some
/ thing more than time in estimating the
investment OF the Illinoisan on start
: ing his first season in Dakota at 81 500
t or $50 an acre, this to include buildings.
1 transportation OF household goods, ma
!; chinery and stock, railroad fare, etc.
y Our Illinois farmer has been used to
many OF the comforts of life and would
0 probably feel inclined to invest fully
r that much in his Dakota home. He
would be abundantly able to do so il
he desired, for he would have the ready
money to do it with.
0 He can sell his farm in Illinois fo,
about $4,000, that being the value OF
h the land and Of the Improvements on
n it. After paying off his Indebtedness,
principal and interest, he would. have
: left about $3.50. His stock, embrac-
ing Jour or five horses and a few COWS
n is not to be included in the reckoning
if brought to Dakota, as is proper, but
atthe same time, the value of a good
working horse or mich cow will be
found to increase, as a source of rey.
d enue, on being taken to Dakota.
9 With his 80 1870. the Illinois farne,
= can put @l,GC) in Improvements on his
Il homestead in Dakota, and have &2.15(
TO spare tur the rainy dav. that IS. 81
{ course liable IT, beIall one in any mar;
oi the country
Y Our lilInolsan in Dakota ought tt
break not less tian SEQ acres the first
e yea, getting 10 work in the spring. il
time to follow the frost coming out OF
Q the ground with The pillow. and to pre-
pare the soil fE cropping THE sod tol
wheat and oats The second season. I'll;
/ one hundred acres would yield hjm, il