The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1889-12-20
THE NMBALL GRAPHIC
mflaa Pspa It tie elJ aad County.
eY c. q. HMM

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BY c. q. 1lWaN.
On the local page of to.day's
GRAPHIC will be found an article
from the pen of Gao. W. Peck, edi-
tor OF Peck's Sun. 1t is of peculiar
interest just at this time. The edi-
torial appeared in the Sun two years
ago and struck the GRAPHIC at that
time as being worthy of reproduction
and attention by the press of Dakota
but in the hurly burly OF newspaper
making and other-at that time
more important matters it was for.
gotten for the time being. The ac-
ton of the railroads this winter in
making material reductions in freight
on coal to certain localities in the
state, or laying it down freight free,
recalled the article very forobly and
WI wrote to Mr.. Peck for a copy OF
lt-stating at the same time that the
railroads were evidently acting upon
his suggestion made two years ago.
Mr.. Peek promptly clipped the edi.
:orial from the files of the Sun and
with it came the snbio;ned letter
which we publish entire as being of
equal interest:
milwaukee,. Dec. 9th, 1880,
Yours received. Do yox know, 1 have thought
FOR a long time that the railroads wovld eventu.
,lly get sense and take ad vice from a "uine.spct."
That article which I wro.ein 1897 was Gods
ruth. but it did not, at the time, set very we'll.
had q long talk with a prominent railroad man
shortly after the article appeared but he thought
shat il railroads once began to carry coal free
hey would have to carry everything free. 1
:old him that the only way to make that country
sttractive to the kind of settlers they wanted
@as to show them that the fuel bill would not
10 30 much larger than elsewhere. or course he
vas supply an agent of the directors, aid until
they acted he couldn't. Now is the time to make
that article which l enclose you, got in its
work. 1t should bs republished in ever, paper
IN the two Dakotas, with %coinnonts, systemat-
lcaily, and every paper that publishes it should
print u hundred or more extra oopies, and send
marked copies to every railroad official, and
particularly every director, to his homo in Now
York or elsewhere, Your o. railroad commission
ar Aba BoytoE, of Lennox, on old soldier OF
any regiment, can give the newspapers the MI.
slres.e s and such things, OF hundreds of direct
ora to send papers to. If they cree get on
.othe fact that the people are looking to them
tor relief, and Tint it would be good policy to
ill the empty ears viii coal and have a coal
yard Mt every town. not run by a coal shark, but
he the station agent, who will he proud to help
his ne;ghhors to live instead of seeing them re
to the poor house. then the good thing will be
done. If this thing works, and the people of the
DAkotas are made happy, l shall feel tina. / haze
halped to do a mighty good thing, and all ask
IN return is that some of you follows will kic!,
with a frozen boot two or three Dakota farmors
shat have driven me off their farms when the,
thought they were smart. Iwant to ho.p Goals,
Ut two dollars "a ton ON their heads.
Your friend,
Geo. W. Peck.
While Mr.. Peck's idea, as set
forth in the article referred to, mai
seem too much of a good thing to be
hoped for, and may upon first
thought appear infeasiblc, it is ar
open question whether the railroads
could not act upon it with profit te
themselves both directly and indi
rectly. 1t is fair to say, however,
that the Milwaukee company, as we'll
rs other northwestern roads have no
more than paid operating expenses or
their extreme western lines for sever
al years back. And on its part, the
Milwaukee company have showed
every inclination to do their full
share toward aiding and building up
South Dakota. The freight on coal
is a big item of revenue to be dropped
from the total receipts, but isn't ii
possible that if they would adop.
some such plan as Nj. Peck outlines
modified perhaps-the greatly in
creased consumption would net the
company fully as much--to say moth
ing of the general benefits that would
accrue to the whole country with
cheap fuel-in all of which the rail
roads would reap their full share. 1t
would not be necessary to lay dow
coal absolutely free of f~reightto bring
the results, but a good big reduction
SAY a slight advance over actual COS
of transporlation-would be sufficient
1t is safe to say that three times the
amount would be consumed. Farm
ers who now burn straw, stalks ane
such trash would burn coal and nearly
everybody who uses it would burr
IN increased amount. AS is gener
ally known, the Milwaukee COMPANY
donated outright this year abou,
$500 tons of coal to the destitute il
Miner and other localities. Com
plants are numerous that the com
pany's generosity was shamefully
abused. Those who were abundantly
able to buy their fuel sneaked out j;
share of the coal while others il
urgent need of it we're compelled t,
go without. How much better i
would have been had the Milwaukee
made a reduction on all coal shippe,
to every body-dealers and all-eyel
if to no greater extent than what tn,
$500 tons represents to them in out
lay. 1t should be apparent to the
railroad companies that every induce
ment should he held out to tn,
farmer in comfortable circumstance
to remain i'll the country, as well a
the farmer who is dead broke. On,
of the former is worth a dozen of til,
latter to develop a country and max
business for the railroads. Becaus,
a farmer goes into winter quarters
with a hundred or two dollars in his
pocket does not bring with 1t a vii
lingness to expcnd a good share O
it for fuel, especially if he came from
a country where the fuel question
was an unimportant one These are
the men the railroad want to tie to
And if they can SEQ their way clear
by adopting some such plan as sug
gested by the "Bad Boys Pa" the,
will everlastingly make thomselve:
solid with the D.ikota farmers of al
classes and bring added prosperity tc
the whole Northwest.
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