The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1895-07-06
THE KIMBALL GRAPHIC
CLATE r. TINAN.
Official Pauer Of the City OF Kimbal|
The sunny south.

and the Sunny South. The article will
be of unusual interest to the Dakota
stockmen who long for a place to feed
their cattle where there are no long win
ters to contend with. Mr.. Rehiield says:
Landing at Lake Charles, La, soon
made the acquaintance of several wide
awake real estate men. One of them
asked me to get into his buggy and he
would show me around. We had very
pleasant ride. When he got through
with NE, the next man was ready to show
me other new and good things. One
gentleman was especially very kind and
generous in giving free passes. He also
accompanied party of fourteen north
erners, myself included, through splen-
did looking gardens and good many
peach, plum and apple orchards, num-
her OF which were in full bloom; through
pear orchards Of five to forty acres III
size, all young trees two to SIX years
old, in which some of the trees showed
a growth Of twelve feet in the last year.
He took US through a fve-acre patch
Of sugarcane, which stood as thick as it
could grow and from ten to twelve feet
high. We tasted of the cane which tasted
very juicy and sweet. 1t would yield
twenty tons per acre, and last year he
got $3.50 ton for it. His rice would go
fifteen to twenty barrels an acre and he
had sold some for 81 per barrel. This
gentleman had considerable land for
sale that was just as good as that upon
which the cane was growing, situated
from two to five miles from town, for So
to $40 per acre, and some inside of the
city limits, in five-acre lots, for 500 per
acre. Ten years ago, he told ne, he
bought this land for twelve and one-half
cents per acre, and if l would plant it
to pear orchards ten years from now it
would be worth $1,000 per acre. A very
profitable investment. He came near
selling mea fve-acre lot, for $500, but,
as it was about supper time, we did not
close the deal that evening. After sup
per | thought about the pleasant time
had enjoyed; what grand country it
was and how good the people were The
next morning l went to another real
estate man, who was money loaner.
| asked him also If he knew about GER
tain five-acre lot. He replied 81 do"
"liow much will you give me for lt?" 81
will not give you sl5 an acre for it,
why" | enquired. Because l have all
the land want" he replied. How much
money will you loan mo on it," "Oh,
about S25." That was worse than had
expected. tried three other real estate
dealers but with about the same result.
That day | cut loose from the free pas
sage business and drove cut into the
country on my own hook. found good
roads the first three miles, then wire
fence straight across it. After while /
found gate, and there being no other
road, | opened it and drove through,
closing it behind me. 1t was level
prairie country with belt of timber
about five miles distant on each side.
After driving about two miles, | saw
about sixty head of cattle, and then dis
covered that was in a large pasture.
The cattle were small, poor looking
things weighing about seven hundred
pounds each, with horns two to three
feet long. They were feeding on thick
mat of good looking grass two to four
feet high, and wondered why they were
so poor.
Then noticed some buildings about
SIX miles away and as the sun was near
Ing the horizon, headed my team in
that direction. found quite a settle
ment of Arcadians, or native French peo-
pie there. l asked if l could stay over
night with them, and soon learned that
they could not understand me. After a
while an old man stepped forward and
said that was welcome and could stay
over night. | was interested in their
manner Of living and asked them great
many questions. found that some of the
young men and women were born and
raised in Louisiana yet could not under
stand the English language. Some of
them, however, could speak English
quite well. When asked If they did not
send their children to school, they said
no, they had no school house. They
were unable to read or write.
They used homemade wagons without
iron, not even nail in them. They
hltched two to six yoke OF poor, little
cattle on to one wagon and go to town.
They also have some hogs. They looked
like cross beteen a jack rabbit and a
kangaroo. They have few poor ponies
for riding purposes. Their ducks, geese
chickens and turkeys looked very well
because they fed principally on insects.
asked why they did not get some
northern cattle down there and improve
their stock. They replied, "Northern
cattle can not live here" "Wlly?' "Be.
cause they starye to death in less than
| Six months unless fed on northern grain
and northern hay"
could hardly believe that, but tho
condition Of their stock proved it. Then
| knew why our Western cattle kings
bought three and four-vear-old steers
i'll some parts of the South, shipped then
north to Montana and South Dakota tt
get them ready for the Omaha ann Chi
cagO markets.
"How many cows do you milk?" "No
any," "Why" Because they only give
milk enough to keep the calf aliye.'
1t was hard to believe, but / knew
that ali the merchants in that part OF tn,
country were selling Armour's or Swift
oxen-butter. and the only real butter
saw or tasted in the South was on th
t,ble Of an immigrant agent. 1t wa
made from n COW fed on northern ha
and grain.
Although the prairies were coyere
with Il thick mat good looking gras