Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-09-25
He Believes In The State.
Gov. Mel,ette, of South Dakota,
says il is n Land OF "NlIlk
and Honey"

Governor Nlcllctte, of South Dakota, is at
the Quincy House. TO n journal Reporter
Sunday evening he spoke very Interestingly
concerning the crops, Indians, and other
topics connected with that state. lie estl-
mates the wheat crop of South Dakota TINS
year to be very large, certainly unprcccden-
ted throughout the Northwest, 1t VIII
probably he at least fort five million bush
els. Two weeks ago his estimate was con
siderably lower. The people of the East,
no said, have no idea how large wheat
crop the Northwest can produce Mr.. Will
linn Mcintyre, who accompanies the Gov
ernor is quite a statcan in his way, and
for the reporter benefit, figured the capa-
city OF the three great wheat producing
States ms follows:
There 2l0, 600 square miles in Minnesota
nud the three Dakotas. Take one-third OF
this area, so, coo square miles. there you
have more than fifty one million acres. Inc
present wheat-groWing soil ought to produce
at the rate of twelve bushels to the acre,
which would give n total Of more than six
hundred millions of bushels But, with
good farming, under ordinary conditions
the fertile soil ought to produce at the rate
Of thirty bushels to the acre. There are
good many farmers in our State who are
raising lOlty DuSn2IS OF wheat per acre. "a
The Governor also made several remarks
regarding his state which will no doubt
surprise many. In the first place it is quite
generally supposed that wheat is about the
only crop of South Dakota. But this is not
! 50. 1t is true of North Dakota, but the
other twin produced forty million bushels OF
corn this YEAR fourteen years ago, when
| Mr.. Mcintyre went to South Dakota, the
| State did not produce a bushel. Many
people think that there are many monster
farms in South Dakota. The Governor
knows of but two. Again in that respect
the state differs from North Dakota, which,
being wheat-growing State only, owing to
the climate, is state of great farms.
The divorce question attracts many con-
mutually unhappy persons to South Dakota
Governor Mellotte says that the judges Of;
the Circuit Courts construe the Divorce law
as they see fit, and Judge Aiken at Sioux
Falls, established a precedent the other day,
which, he says he Is bound TO emphasize.
heretofore, people have been in the habit OF
coming to the state staying few days and
then departing to appear at the end of a
year to claim residence. Judge Aiken de
cided that an actual and absolute residence
shall be necessary, and this decision he is
bound to enforce. 1t will probably have a
grea: effect on the immigration Of persons
secking divorces.
But the Governor is much interested in
the Indian question. lie says the whole
trouble is because the system Is wrong,
neither the dishonest of agents nor the
natural depravity of the red man being the
real root OF it. For instance, the SiSseton
Sioux, 400 in number, received SOB, OOC
from the Government. o old chief got
credit for $50 and bought hack, which
he drove over the prairie, himself sitting or
the drivers box, consp cious in a dilapida ted
silk hat But said Mr.. Mcintyre,
nj tire 1903 o. 0 bal been put into here
of cattle-the Indians making capita
stock men-they would have increased
their herds, lived we'll and made money by
3 sales" Governor Meliette earnestly advo
Gates the Indian mounted police system.
The mines OF South Dakota are very
, promising II is not too much to say tina
3 the Homestake mine is the greatest gold
9 bearer in the world. The Harvey Peak Til
Mining Company has expended five and
half millions Of dollars In developing /:
property In two years it is expected tn
! plant will yield thousand tons a day
q This company operates nineteen mines
!, Fourteen years ago there We're 81 900 DcoUl
in the State. To-day there are 400, 900
a Fourteen years ago there were %, 600 hea
OF cattle. now |, 300, 900 head. Then Their
- were no sheep. now there millions. Their
/ are % 600 Indians IN tho State; %, 900 OF
the big Sioux reservation. 1t Is worthy O
r. noto that the land is wonderfully favore
f with an under round water supply, reache
, by artesan wells. At depth of 1000 fee
water can always be reached, and it is FIRE
j. quently struck after boring 500 feet. A
inch stream of water will ascend go fee
t into the air. THIS is valuable in the Ger
tra and western portions Of the State. |
s the east drouths do not occur This
h known as the Sioux River Valley, the Ger
}. trail part being the valley of the Missouri
and the west is the celebrated Jim Rive
Valley" At present the principal croI
Of the state are wheat, corn, oats. barrie
and fax. -BoS'on JOUrHai, Sept. eth.