The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1889-12-20
Bully fer the "Bad Boy's Pa"

Bully for the "Bed Boys Pa"
He Solves the Cheap Fuel problem
What He would DO ar Ho Owned the
Rail Nonsense But Horse
scRsc.
Geo. w. Peck, in Peek's Sun, Sept.
Sept. 10. 1SS7:-For the past two weeks
l have been having a monkey and par
rot time, away out west, in Minnesota
and Dakota. %ostensibly for the purpose
of shooting chickens, but really to get
exercise chasing the untamed Jack Pot
by night, and walking over scenery by
day, using disguised profanity at the
expense of spike-tailed dogs that pointed
gophers instead of prairie chickens, lar
ripping the aforesaid dogs with buggy
Whips and developing muscle and appe-
lite such as man never had before unless
training for a prize fight. 1t is not my
intention to publish an elaborate essay
on the subject OF shooting innocent birds
that never did any harm, or training
pups. have put in two weeks getting
ideas about a country that is destined to
be the grandest in the union, if it has
half a show, and if any idea that l have
secured can benefit that country, l shall
feel it q pleasure to advocate it and in
some measure repay the people living
on those prairics. who have shown un-
usual kindness to me, and to those with
whom l was travelling.
Weetern Minnesota and the two
Dakotas are at the present time be-
twixt and between. They are net unset
tied prairie aud are not settled enough to
be crowded. Those who are there have
the hardshiRs to undergo incident to
pioneers In every new country. Many
of them have had enough and want to
get away and that fact keeps many
others from settling there. There is q
screw loose and it shall be my object and
pleasure to tighten that screw and l am
going TO do it if don't Ivy UP a cent.
| am going to abuse the railroads of the
West just q little for luck. Fortwenty
years l have believed in railroads and
have supposed they knew their business
better than l did, but this trip has con-
yinced me that they can learn something
even from me. Take any little town
west of Albert Lea, for an example, and
tits the same story with rare exceptions
A street runs east or west from the rail
road a block or two, with Il few stores,
a wretehed hotel, q few shops and that
is all. The town is plated an after lots
enough are sold for the purpose men
toned the rest are wild land. There is
a bank or a capitalist who lends money
on any security from a mortgage en- a
farm to a chattle mortgage on a COW, a
reaper, growing crops. ANYTHING in sight
at n rate OF interest that would brighten
an eastern man to death. Everything is
liable to be mortgaged, except q mans
shirt. The farms are mostly large and
only a few acres cultivated. A farmer
finds that it is easy TO get land. He
can enter a homestead Of 100 acres, get
another 100 on a tree claim, md another
on some other scheme which l have for.
gotten the process of. Anyway, this
poorest man in the world can become
possessed of 4S0 acres of land by stick,
ing to it. He comes there without 6
dollar. comparatively. and before he
knows 1t, hs is land poor, in debt clcal
to his eyes. aud the high rate of Interest
chews on his vitals night and day. II.
looks at his broad acres of rich land anc
imagines himself rich, but the taxes anc
interest knocks him out. If he had 4t
acres paid for and owed nothing hi
would be rich. With 400 acres he i.
poor. He raises wheat, aax, corr ant
cattle, and sells the wheat for fifty cents
q bushel to pay claims of stores that hav,
advanced him stuff to live on, he SELL
flax and corn to pay two per cent.
month interest, les the COW GO on a chat
tel mortgage and sits around a stove TO
seven months in the year twisting hay tt
hurn to. keep his wife aud family iron
freezing. These stories go east, ant
farmers who have money, aud who wan
to GO west, are frightened at the pros
pect of having hay for fuel and sta,
away from there. Those who sell Goa
are unable, owing to high rates. to pu
it down to put it down to Il price tina
farmers a afford to pay it, or in som
Instances they would not if they could
because they are on the make, and TT
to get every dollar that is going, 4
one business man said who had charge,
12 ceats for 4 cent calico: I'm not her
for fan They, seem, railroads, grain
buyers, lumber dealers, bankers and Goa
men, to be killing the goose that lay
the golden egg. Once a year the rail
road directors ride over the lines Of ros,
they are interested in. ostensibly to loo
after their property and post themselye
on the needs of the country. and specu
late on the profitable dividends. The
go through he county in palace cars. II
forty miles an hour, night and day, pla,
poker and drink wine, look out of tn
windows at the farms and appear anx
ious to get back to New York. They d
not learn a single thing while they az
away, except, possibly, the value of
Jackpot" II is a good deal as if MI
Chapman. the great dry goods man @
Milwaukee, should leave his entire bus
ness to LIED help, and go through III