The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1893-02-11
THE SOUTH LAND

AS seen by a
"A Few Thoughts On the Negro
Question.
How'd you like to live down south?"
is a question more frequently asked Of
the writer since his return from the
southern trip than any other.
That's as may be. It's an old saying
that when Paradise is found on earth
there's going to be acrowd, and the fact
that people Of the same likes and dis
likes, dispositions and temperament. are
found in almost every state in tho union
is the best possible evidence that tile
place has not yet been discovered. A
great deal depends upon adyocatioD one
wishes to pursue aud whether likes
city life, town life or the country; and if
the latter, which branch OF agriculture
suits HIM best. To our mind life in a
city is much the same tho world over,
and in the United States it matters little
whether n lives in New York city, Chi
cago, San Francisco, New Orleans or
Savannah, 80 far as concerns the com-
Va ak AN CuJOftuC,tGs IA Ouc 1lNC0
in a northern city mi can And upon the
markets at u nominal price all the pro-
ducts Of the tropical and scmi-tropical
chimes and tho rigors Of u short winter
are little felt in these days Of improved
heating apparatuses. II one lives in a
Southern city money can purchase every
comfort during the days when Old Sol
sends Its %scorching rays down upon suf-
fering humanity.
1t is q mistaken idea that the people
Of the South are any different than those
Of tho North. Outside of the colored
population and the poor white trash the
body of the people who compose tue
population Of the more progressive towns
and cities-particularly those OF Florida
are as Intelligent. w,de-awake and
energetic as those of the rustling towns
of the busy Northwest. We vifited sew
eral towns and cities in the South that
are far ahead Of any eastern towns Of
the same size and age that we know of.
and excelled by none in the West. We
OF the Northwest are a little conceited
in this respect end can point with COM
mendable pride TO the growth Of q
towns and cities and improvements and
are justified in laughing at the effste
East. But there Is nothing slow about
many sections of the South. Northern
capital, though" did you say? Well. 1t
was Eastern capital that developed the
West, wasn't it2
II given the choice between living in
a small town in the South OF in the
North, everything else being equal. we
would. personally, prefer the North.
That the great majority Of people hold
10 the same opinion is evidenced by the
dense population OF the northern states
as compared with those farther south.
The most intelligent and progressive
people and the greatest wealth 10 found
the world over in the temperate Yati-
tudes, and the time will never conle in
the history OF these United States when
the states Of New York. Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Iowa will not
be the leading states in the union. This
will be- go because they are adapted by
soil and climate aud Location to the sup.
port ola dense population. As rapidly
as the West and South improves in popu-
lation and commercial Importance these
states will keep place to The march Of
progress. But unfortunately for the
great bulk Of humanity which must end
subsistence upon this por, ron Of the
world all cannot live in q few states, aid
in the great struggle for the almighty
dollar new fields are constantly opened
for those who have the courage to push
onward and out Of the beaten and we'll
worn ruts Of over crowded communities.
That the South offers many Inducements
for the business man. capitalist and
Spectator is unquestioDed in the Mid
of the writer and that fortunes will be
made in developing Its splendid re-
sources is as certain as fate. We Of the
North have became inbued with the
idea that the United States must depend
upon Pennsylvania for its coal, Michi.
gan for its pine, iron and copper aud 50
forth and so on through the list. while
the fact is the South contains millions
o. acres Of tho finest timber land IN the
world and practically inexhsustlble
fields of coal, iron and other valuable
minerals.
So we conclude that the business man
seeking a location may 60 elsewhere
than to the South and fare worse, pro-
viding, Of course, that a progressive COM
munity is chosen in the South.
But with the agricultural we think it
diferent-although much depends upon
the disposition and natural tastes Of the
individual. A northwestern farmer.
bred and raised upon these breezy
p~rairies and used to the care Of stock and
the cultivation Of large fields Of grain,
would never DO happy and contentsd lin
the South. Farming operations are car
ried on there entirely different. A farm
or with impaired health aud some means
and a taste for fruit growing and truck
farming will find in the SouthSa haven
from the rigorous climate OF q north
western winter; and il be main.ains in
bred northern energy, success. But the
chances are that in d veal. OF two. at
most be will lose what snap he ever pos
sessed and do like all the rest-hire q
q niger. Nine-tenths OF all the manual
labor perf3rmedin the South ;iss done ~
the darkies and they Of the South freely
admit that they could not get along;
without them.
The colored laborers in the South re-
Fceiye on an average as high wages q the
laboreis on tho, same kind of work North
with the added advantage 'of being able
to work every month iii the year. The
section hands on the railroads receive
S1.b0 a day, Which is 25 to 40 cents high
er than the northern roads pay. for the