Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-10-02
South Dakota Letter.
ALpENA, S. D., Sept. 90 |, 1890

Dear Editor Of Mineral Point
Iri5une..-We are glad to receive
the weekly visits of your paper, to
read the news from places and per-
sons we are acquainted with. 1t
helps wonderfully in reviewing
pleasant scenes and ass ociations Of
the past. And now, since it is some
time since | wrote last, | feel drawn
out somewhat to write you briefly
again. 1t gives me pleasure to
notice the noble stand taken in Wis
consin by the G. o. =. on the school
question. | hope you will have a
grand triumph.
Also it is refreshing to hear that
your grass IS 50 green and pasturage
so good. 1t must be great con
trast to our surroundings. Our
grass has been long dried up, except
in damp and low places. Except
for the fine weather and some green
trees and a few hardy vegetables
and flowers, it looks like winter.
We had good rains in spring and
early summer, but they stopped all
at once and have not been renewed
to do any good. At the same time
we had in July and August some
terribly hot south winds. All
growth seemed to be arrested. Early
sown wheat was so far matured that
it did tolerably well, but corn was
injured considerably. A good deal
of wheat, even, was hardly worth
cutting, but some areas around here
were not so bad. Six, eight, ten or
fifteen bushels to an acre are geIer-
ally the yields here. Mr.. Teasdale's
and ours went about eight and ten.
Late potatoes are very poor crop,
but early ones are much better.
Some kinds of our garden stuff have
failed, but others have done tolera-
bly,, so that we have enough for
home use.
There is a great migration from
South Dakota this season. The
causes generally are dry seasons and
poor crops. Calculations were based
on too great an average of crops.
So, as soon as final proof of resi-
dence and cultivation of land was
made according to law, money was
borrowed, new houses built or i'm
provements made in the old ones,
horses bought and expensive ma
chinery in some cases. The money
was soon all spent. Crops were
short, interest and taxes neglected,
and soon came along close of
mortgage and bankruptcy. This is
in brief the history Of the many
failures bere. If they had been
willing to make the old house do,
and the oxen, and not borrowed any
money, and been willing to appear
poor oS Meg aoere, many might have
finally come out all right. Now |
suppose money loaners will not loan
any more, as the land is thrown on
their hands with few to rent and
taxes TO pay.
Irrigation is the great hope of
South Dakota at present, especially
in the James river valley, which is
from 40 TO so miles wide and from
about Yankton south to the state
line north. 1t has been tried at
Huron and Hitchcock on small
scale and has been eminently Sue
cessful. The land here in the jim
valley is rich and strong for pro-
duction. All it wants is plenty of
water. From 20 TO 80 bushels of
wheat can be raised on irrigated
land of the best quality, and other
things in like proportion. Well, we
are not going TO leave yet. We
have got along so far without bor-
rowing. We proved up quite easily
and the climate being very healthy
we are grateful to a kind providence
for the many blessings we enjoy.
&. DAWSON.
2AAREIED-