The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-05-03
lOWA--SOUTH DAKOTA
ONE AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT
THE OTHER Is TO BE.
interesting Addresses at Huron ON 1.-THE
Economic Possibilities of Irrigation"-
The Growth of ~fOwa-SOuth Dakota Co
ing Through Similar Experiences.
j. NJ. Shannon on Irrigation.

Inc Economic Possibilities of Irri-
CATION was the subject of an address
delivered before a convention OF rep
resentative men of this state, held az
Huron a few days since, by j. w.
shannon, a former resident Of Iowa.
He compared South Dakota and Iowa.
saying: South Dakota is a great
state: Iowa Is a great state. These
great states are much alike in many
ways. They are prairie states. Their
timber mount to but little.
Both are natural born agricultural
states with a touch of mining. Both
within the next half century are GER
AIN to be great manufacturing states.
Agriculture must be q f%Orerunner of
all manufacturing. TO successful aC-
rlculture these natural elements are
absolutely indispensable soil, sun
shine, water. OF the two states named
South Dakota has the best soil. AIn Il
still more striking degree the better
sunshine. AS they appear to-day, Iowa
has the advantage in surface water. |
spent my early manhood in Iowa, al
ways directly interested in farming.
| spent my last thirteen years in South
Dakota where no man pretends to live
without being deeply interested in the
SAOP5' i I'LL 10y ihS uO"h lilCNO PiopO"
sitiOns of comparison with care, after
having made them the subject of
thought.
Soil, sun, water, intelligence. in
dustry, economy. An interesting fam
lily of six who must all work together
if the best success is achieved. Much
as | honor my people, | fear that Iowa
has to-day a large advantage Over he
in the three last named elements. The
exceptions are notable and many, but
the average South Dakota farmer is
not a match for the average Iowa
farmer. There are abundant reasons
for this not at all nncomplimentary to
Il own people.
II have not the least doubt but that
if all the natural conditions were left
just as they are-l mean just as they
have stood in Iowa for the last forty
years-that South Dakota would sur-
pass during the next thirty years what
Iowa has accomplished in hat time.
Take two men of equal skill. strength.
industry and economic instincts. Put
one of them on a farm Of leo acres in
any part of Iowa yOu can select. Put
the other on any average l6O acres
from Aberdeen to Hankton, in the
James Valley. Start the farms equal
in equipment. Let the Iowa farmer
have his creek running through the
center. Give the DakOtan his windmill
and pump with capacity of 200 barrels
"a day. In five years your South Dako-
tn man will be ahead.
''In 1851 Iowa's years in the union
We're about equal TO those OF south Da-
Ota TODAY. She had about half the
population Of present South Dakota.
But these people were 30 very poor
that they did not possess One-tenth OF
the actual wealth of South Dakota.
We talk about the hard year of 1899,
but in actual values South Dakota adj
ded more to her net wealth, as the STA
~ti.tics demonstrate. in that bad year
than the entire possessions of the peo-
pie of Iowa in 1850. During the ten
wears following iOwa's population
reached double hat of the present
south Dakota. and her wealth in
creased more than tenfOld. Since
1850 her population had grown from
t15.uOO to about 1000, 600. and her
wealth. true values, from S241 ,32s, S65
TO nearly 3d. O0. 900. 600. Her 100000
people viii. in all human probability,
with their capital and skill and indus
,rr. draw out of the elements-ou. OF
the soil and sun ana ~water-an III.
through immigration Inc inflow OF
c%apital. more than $4OO, 600. 900 during
this blessed 1891. They will consume
the greater share OF it. to he sure, but
more than 800, 600, coo will be left TO
add to the wealth OF the state. and
this will 90 on continually. SO that at
the end of the census decade you will
find. in truc values. that Iowa is worth
more than $I.G0J. OU0.O 900 more than at
its beginning.
What is to hinder South Dakota
from making like strides during the
next thirty years: Nothing on earth
EXCEPT faith and the application of like
skill, industry and economy to our OPP
portunities. III Iowa during the past
thirty years could have been spared
one-third of her average rainfall. ana
have had instead abundance OF reach
able water below the surface. she
might have been Il good deal richer.
and her people Il good deal healthier.
If she could have had our Immunity
from floods and washOuts and wet sea-
sons, she could well have afforded to
put the cost of the loss through water
spoiled lands, water spoiled crops,
wafer soaked buildings and machinery,
ram soaked men anu Which anu CIlll-
dren. rain ruined roads, flood destroyed
bridges, dams, mills and other prop
er, to lifting the water from below and
placing it when and where 1t is
wanted. They would have had all the
advantage of a perfectly manageable
water supply for clear profit.
.'If across Iowa there were u region
seventy five miles wide and POO miles
lonp-l5,O0O square miles upon every
section of which could be developed u
lOO-horse water power BY sinking
three or four holes in the ground and
casing them up-a power, all told, am
ple to manufacture more flour every
three days than Minneapolis turns out
in q year-I can conceive OF a develop
ment which would make all her past
achievements look small.
alCouth Daknta will ulaut