Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1892-10-06
AND THIS Is ~CALAMITYs
Prosperous South Dakota Points to the
Records for Her Answer.


Records for Her Answer.
John Mcdonald, claim agent for
the Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul
lines in this section, has but recently
returned from a trip that took him
over nearly all the lines of the COM
pany in South Dakota, which means
that he visited all that part of the
state east of the river, says the Sioux
City Journal. 1t was a business trip,
and gave him an excellent opportun-
ity to observe the condition Of the
country.
In talking OF it to a reporter, he
said: Il do not think that so many
people have gone into South Dakota
in neyear before as havegone in this
year, since the big boom several years
ago. Every train is carrying crowds in
the state who are in search of homes.
Most Of them go into the state to
become farmers. OF course there are
some spectators among them who go
10 purchase farm lands and hold
them for an advance, bnt the proper
ton is small. Lands have gone too
high for the spectators during the
past gear. Those who bought a year
or two years ago for speculation are
now reaping their harvest and many
of them have turned 100 per cent.
profits in the last year on money in
vested from year Oeighteen months
ago. l should say that the average
price of good wild land throughout
that portion of the state east of the
Missouri is now $40 per acre. From
a year to a year and a half ago quarter
sections could be purchased in nearly
all parts of the state, save the SOUTH
east counties, for from 5000 to $500
each, that are now selling readily at
from 81, 200 to 81, 900. 1 think that
there has been a uniform increase in
the value of farm lands throughout
the entir statey and that so per cent.
is a fair estimate Of that increase in
the past year. Fortunes of consider
able magnitude have been made in
the past few months by spectators
who purchased two years ago or even
a year ago.
"'The l~and-seekers who are o go~
ing into the state are of a desirable
character, and are men who will set
tie down to work their purchases.
The majority of them were from
eastern Iowa and Illinois, and are
old farmers. They ar& men who
took up the lands back there wien
they were cheap and who have held
them and made money ost of farming
until their holdings have become Sats
liable, worth probably from $50 to sl25
per acre. They are 10 selling their
farms there at a great profit and COM
ing west to take up cheaper lands.
They are unlike the first settlers who
went into Dakota without money and
had to mortgages their property to
put on improvements. They are go
ing into the state with money raised
from the sale of their old homes, with
which to pay spot cash for their new
homes. After doing this nearly al
of them have enough left TO put or
good Improvements and start banl
accounts. They will do d great worl
in bringing South Dakota TO thu
front as a leading agricultural state
1.-THE crop in South Dakota thi
year will be as good as the crop II
Iowa. This, with the big crop of
year ago, is putting the South Dakot'
farmer firmly on his feet. Bad crop
during previous seasons kept hin
from taking up the mortgages put o.
his property to raise money to max
improvements. Then he had to as
for extensions on his mortgages an
was contented If he could pay the il
terest. Two big crops have place
him in an entirely different position
By inquiries made wherever | went
learned that all over the state I'll
farmers are either lifting the NOR
cages entirely, or are making iars
payments on the principal, in add
ton to paying upthe interest. The
will be hundreds of thousands of dc
lars worth OF mortgages lifted
South Dakota this year, and We
ture to say that after the crop is ma
keted the mortgage Indebtedness
South Dakota farmers will be almo
wiped out"