Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1890-02-06
AID FOR SOUTH DAKOTA
MINNEAPOLIS WILL SEND $4,000 TO
THE DESTITUTE.

MINNEAPOLIS WILL SEND $4,000 TO
THE DESTITUTE.
Governor Mellette Meets tho Board of
Trade and Tells of the Condition and
Suffering Of the People-A Big Fund to
BE Raised,
The st. Panl Pioneer Press has the
following
The session Of the board Of trade yester-
day proved to be an enthusiastic one on
the subject of Dakota relief. There were
distinguished visitors present in the person
of Gov. Mellette, Senator Hunter, Repre-
sentative Smith and Judge Briggs of South
Dakota. These gentlemen presented the
needs of their state SO eloquently that the
board lost no time in seeing that COM
mittee was appointed to endeavor to raise
the omount of money requested. Gov.
Mellette said his purpose was to collect q
fund Of $4,000 with which to purchase
seed wheat for use in the spring. OF that
amount South Dakota proposed to raise
one half itself, and for the remaining one
half the citizens of Minneapolis, st.
Paul, Winona, Sioux City and Omaha
would be importnned. He said that
the assistance Of neighboring states
would enable his people to get through the
winter comfortably, but in the spring it
would be necessary to furnish them seed
wheat. If he succeeded in raising the en-
tire amount he proposed to have a written
report compiled of the way In which the
money was distributed. In this connection
Gov. Mellette suggested. that North Dakota
ought to be treated in an equally generous
manner. Minneapolis would never regret
it. Every dollar contributed meant an
acre and quarter of wheat sown. He felt
confident thbti he DEVELOPMENT OF Dakota
had developed both Minneapolis and St.
Paul. The prospects of good crop forthe
cothing year he regarded as favorable.
Here the governor took occasion to
refer to the exaggerated reports OF the cli-
mate and other alleged disadvantages OF
Dakota, which eastern newspapers have
printed in order to prevent immigration.
That was one Of the many burdens under
which the two new states had suffered for q
long time. The great mistake OF his coun-
try, Gov. Mellette confessed, had been the
lack of diversified crops. In reply to ques-
tions be said there was little seed wheat on
hand In the state, large number OF peo-
pie having been already Obliged to use the
Wucdt tnhh tpSy Lou Pue " ~ o@sSs wv
garding the relief that was needed other
than seed wheat in some of the counties,
he replied that it was difficult to answer.
Sometimes where the clamor is the loudest
the needs are the smallest.
Following the governor, Judge Briggs, OF
Ipswich, addressed the meeting. 1t seems
that he is in the city on separate mission,
that Of securing relief for his own county,
Edmunds He referred to the fact that his
people had suffered from poor crops since
1885. Last years failure in particular
wiped them out of nearly all their possess
sions, SO that they were unable to pay the
interest on heavy mortgages to both real and
personal property. At present the smaller
farmers have absolutely nothing to begin
on again. To emphasize the poverty of
the country Judge Briggs stated that the
gross collection made by him last year
would not amount to as much as his per
cent. of the year before. Nevertheless, in
the face of all this he still had firm faith IN
the future. Representative Smith also
wished the board to understand that his
constituents were possessed of nerve" to
hold out. Senator Hunter emphasized the
difference between the pleas made by Coy.