The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1885-04-02

the line seem to feel that Arthurs procla-
nation will be upheld and that the plats
will arrive at the Mitchell land offie from
Washington some time this week. In
case the plats should really appear the
rush will be tremendous.
Perhaps the people of Canton will
some day come to realization of the folly
attendant upon the contenional differences
tolerated the past five years. When that
time does arrive, when the millennium of
peace shall have spread its mantle round
our little city, we may look tor some good
results developing from the natural re-
sources and excellent location of this Sioux
valley embryo city. Were committee
of South Dakota people to be appointed
to- day, whose duty it was to select some
loca tion for growing town where the
natural advantages were the very best,
Canton would be the place selected. 1t
would not be necessary to travel all over
the southern section of this territory to
establish that fact A five-cent map of
Dakota would be all that is necessary.
Situated just far enough north from the
southern line and directly on the eastern
boundary, with direct trunk lines connect
ing US with the east and south, and con-
tinuous lines of railway to the moth and
west, the natural advantages could not
have been bettered had they been con-
structed tor the special benefit and con-
venience of Canton. But all this will do
us no good so long as these very features
are not taken advantage of.
We will take, for instance, a story of
the two starving trontiersmen who had
wandered for days and days in search of
food. Becoming estranged in quarrel,
they separated. Coming up over the brow
af a hill one beautiful morning they stimuli
tancously espied deer browsing gently
but few yards distant 1t meant life
and hope for both, because food they
must have. Coming from opposite d.
rections they both killed the deer But
with the mania that controlled the two
persons it resulted in death to both. But
few feet from the dead animal they
knelt with their guns loaded, and watched
that neither might taste the food.
The result was they both starved to death.
Had they been savages they would have
fought over the fallen deer and killed each
other at once. Is there any moral differ
ence between the two deaths?
Now, although the people of Canton
are not starving to death, nor are they
anything but fairly prosperous, there is
certain degree of comparison to the story
related in the preceding paragraph
Through pure lack of cohesion at times
when it is absolutely essential that all
should be unanimous, we allow many
things to pass that might be Of benefit to
the city. All the well-flled tables on
earth cannot help Canton SO long as her
people refuse to make a proper effort to
partake of the offering. There are many
features now ripe for agitation, wherein
this city might take step forward that
would insure constant ascendancy. The
development of the water power on the
Sioux would be an undertaking although
somewhat magnificent, yet feasible, be-
cause it can be done. The location of
the Milwaukee division and machine
shops can be effected The location OF
mammoth pork house can be secured.
The above are undertakings, of course,
that cost money, but the results certainly
return sufficient equality to justify the
means. With the development Of the
water power would come the location of
paper, fax and wooden mills. We have
the raw material right here in South Da-
kota to operate every one Of these mills,
and the trunk lines of railroad connections
to make it profitable. We have a climate
that staggers them all, in point of gilt
edged elegance, and republican govern
ment that manages to keep the balance
in the treasury large enough to buy the
earth, if we like it. In fact this country
is good enough for any outsider, and now
we want to make it good enough for our
selves. We can do it, and might just as
we'll make up our minds at once. Let us
move for some one addition, and that
completed, continue the campaign. Let
the Improvement season of 1885 be an ac-
cumulative one, one that can be referred
to as a progressive precedent, and we
want to commence right away on that
era. Quit quarreling and 60 to fighting,
but let that fighting be of unanimous
kind-one that represents q united army
fighting for big principle. Like Napol-
con, fight for the earth, and get what you
can.