Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-11-22
CONCERNS OF SOUTH DAKOTA.
a r,iru1 Territorial, Showing.

Gov. Meilo!te, in his annual and final TO-
port for the late territory of Dakota, says
the growth OF population has boon rapid and
stable. and now reaches GJ0,00D, as against
sl5,GI0 in 1885. The totalarea of public land
liled on during the year was 2,0oG.O3o acres,
against i,S3S. 142 the proceeding year. The
bull, OF the present vacant land area, about
1857 ,1137 acres, lies in tho Bismarck and
Devils Lake districts in North Dakota, and
the Rapid City district in South Dakota. the
amount still open for settlement in the Bis
marck district being nearly 100000 acres.
The area Of land sold by the Northern Pa
rife railway from its grants and by private
owners is estimated TO equal about % per
cent. of the lands entered during the wear.
The report says there has been during the
past year practical cessation of railroad
building as compared with the remarkable
ncuivty of 1881.
Upon the subject of agriculture the re-
port says; in part:
Almost tine entire area OF Dakota is uuscep-
tiblc OF cultivation. and those portions not
Edapted arg nvai1ni,'" fs'" "''"'''" In n" "eH .
country OF tho world there larger areas of
fertile iG,.d, level as floor, easily worked, and
us fruitful rs the valley O! tho Nile.
In the older sections mixed farming. the
report states, is yearly becoming mere gen
cra. Stock raising, for which Dakota pos
scsscs peculiar adaptations. is a rapidly
growing industry The increase in the
Naluc of live stock during the last year is
stated TO have been 6.G3 per cent. Dairying
is becoming an important industry. and
during the last lwo years a large number OF
crcamcYics We're established.
: The Tin mines in the Black Hills are at
tracing Il great deal Of interest. Within
thc last year a company of foreign capital
list, has been organized with heavy capt.
tai TO develop What arc known as the Har-
ney Peal; properties, located in Pennington
and Custer counties. it is the opinion of
experts, The governor says, that these mines
contain the largest and most valuable ag-
gregation Of tin veins ever brought to the
attention o. the world
One cf thc problems which confronts the
people OF Dakota is cheap fuel. Tho supply
of timber in the Black Hills is We'll nigh cx-
aaustcd. For this reason q good deal of
prospecting ior coal has been done during
the year. Outcr0ppings indicating deposits
OF coal Ncro discovered III inc southern
hills near Red Canyon last summer and q
shalt sunk in the vicinity of Rapid City
passed through coal formations. North of
the hills extensive Goa! fields arc known to
exist in the vicinity of Hay crock, in Butte
county, and some valuable mines have been
opened near the Wyoming line during the
year. butas yet lacl, of railroad facilities has
operated against the development ofthc coal
industry.
Concerning the Indians the governor
Gays:
There is nothing to fear from the Indian pop
nlation. a few farmers and the rest arc
more or less accustomed to white mans labor,
for which large majority, however, have as
yet sovereign contempt. They IRE peaceably
disposed toward their white neighbors