The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1895-08-17
AN IOWA EDITOR VISITS us.
Charmed With Bru!e County and
Its Famous Artesian Wells.


Charmed With Bru!e County and
Its Famous Artesian Wells.
The writer took little spin uD into
South Dakota last week. over the C. B. r.
s. N. IL Sioux Falls, and from there to
Chamberlain over the G. M. 81 st. p, via
Canton and Mitchell, South Dakota is
beautiful country, as fine as we ever
saw anywhere. The soil is fertile and
wheat, corn, oats, hay and vegetables are
raised IN great abundance when the
rainfall is sufficient to furnish the neces-
sary moisture. OF late years the rain
fall seems to he gradually growing less
until this summer. Crops have accord
ingly getting lighter and lighter, and
last year they We're total failure. Many
farmers who went out there during the
past few years have grown discouraged
and land can be bought very cheap. This
spring started in dry In Brule county
there was no rainfall from the 1st to the
30tl If May. During the month Of June,
however. there was an abundance of
rain, the total rainfall for the month
exceeding ten inches. In consequence
corn is coming on nicely and promises
to produce an enormous crop. Wheat is
not so good in Brule county, for the
reason that the dry weather in May pre-
vented it from stooling properly, and
The Russian thistle which grew luxu-
riantly in spite of the dry weather, and
absorbed what little moisture there was
in the soil, sprung up thickly and in
some places completely choked the
the wheat out. Further north, south or
east, however, where there was more
rain in May, the wheat is excellent. We
noticed great deal OF barley, some rye,
many potatoes, considerable alfalfa anl
millet and little timothy and clover.
With plenty OF moisture South Dakota
will soon be great and wealthy state,
and the moisture problem is already
solved. In Brule county there are now
about twenty artesian wells in operation
They are regular "gushers" similar to
| the Belle Plaine we'll, each one six inch
es in diameter, throwing out 400 gal
Ions of pure water every minute, and
each one feeding four bitches three feet
wide, a foot deep and five miles long.
Brule county, in the driest season of the
year, has more than 800 miles Of running
streams, we'll scattered throughout the
county, and besides the Missouri river
which borders it on the west. This
| is boast which few counties in
| other states can make. One of these
wells, six inches in diameter, will fur
| nish more than enough water to irrigate
a whole section of lane, Nearly all the
the wells pat down heretofore have been
sunk by the county under recent state
law. The county pays ten per cent Of
the cost, the township in which the well
is located % per cent, and the own-
ers of the land who are directly benefited
pay the balance. IL is paid in annual
installmcnts into the county treasury
the same as other taxes. These wells
are to supply water for the use OF the
live stock. To use them for irrigating
purposes would he violation of the
state law. The rank grain and yegeta-
ton that grows along these bitches
shows what can be done with a proper
system for irrigation.
The price Of wild land varies. A
good quarter section can be bought for
$40 an acre or less. Four farmers own
ing section OF land can go in together
and put down a six inch well that will
supply more water than they can use
for their stock and for irrigation pur-
poses when necessary. This will in
crease the cost OF each quarter less than
81 an acre, and with the well completed
will stand the owner less than $li per
acre,
| We are told that there are already two
private wells put down III B.ule county
for irrigation purposes, One Of them is
a six inch we'll and supplies great deal
more water than is necessary for the
owners use. Tho other, q two inch well,
will supply Il suniciency for a quarter
section. The owner of the land put
down this well himself. 1t is $50 feet
deep, and cost him comparatively moth
ing but his labor. The other wells in
Brule county are from 1000 TO 1900 feet
deep.
There is an old saying: Everything
comes from above" Out in South Dako-
ta this order is reversed. Everything
comes from below. The water supply
for the city water works. the pressure
necessary to render it effectual; the
power to run Touring mills, electric
light plants, printing presses ard other
machinery; the pure, bright water So
necessary in sustaining animal and yege,
table life, is sufficient abundant fol
domestic, agricultural and manufactur.
ing purnoFea, I'll comes from below
The artesian well like special dispen-
sation Of Providence comes suddenly
unexpectedly, and magically to tho alt
of civilization in subduing the parched
and barren prairles and converting then
into veritable gardens. Another singu
lar thing is the fact that the increase il
number OF wells does not lessen the pres
sure OF any of them. In driving across
the country from Chamberlain to Kim
bail, we passed by little town on oul
left. The driver told us il was Pukwana
Recognizing it as the post Office addres!
of one Of our subscribers, John Griffin
a former resident of this vicinity and a
brother -ln-law Of the late john Morrisey
we concluded to hunt him up and Sc,
how he was getting along. We fount