The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-02-06
A NEW CITIZENS VIEWS
immigration and Irrigation Movements
South Dakota Withstands Comparison,
With Other States-Local Pat
riotism Needed.
To the Editor of The Daily Leader.

To the Editor of The Daily Leader.
MADISON, FEB. 6.-I notice by press
dispatches, that following the >immigra-
ton convention held recently at Mitch
ell, an irrigation convention Is to be
held at Redfeld. This is we'll. The
most ~extravagant stories have been told
in the least" about our state, and be-
lieved. 1t has been represented as a
dreary, sun-burned, sterile desert in
summer, and as a land Of perpetual
SHOWS and bllzzards nine months in the
year-so cold that whisky freezes solid
and is chewej like tobacco. And that
the only desire of the frozen, poverty
stricken people Is to get away from Da-
kota.
Now, Mr.. Editor, I hope that these
Immigration" and irrigation" I'VE
tions will let the country know what
South Dakota really is, and what the
possibilities are. 1 have been over
three.fourths Of the United States at all
seasonS of the year and l venture to af-
firm that few northern states have q
more delightful climate, with fewer
weeks of solid cold weather, than We
have. While almost the entire country
east Of the Mississippi has suffered al.
most incalculable losses from drought in
the past three years, Lake and other
eastern counties have had only one crop
failure, and last year Lake county pro-
duced over a million bushels Of wheat,
and other crops in proportion. At $50
per bushel our farmers received from
500 to Sill so an acre for their wheat,
and at present prices the farmer who
has been able to hold his wheat receives
from 1926 to $3.50 an acre, almost as
much as his land is actually worth. ]
venture the assertion that this record
cannot be excelled in the United States,
taking into account the present value Of
land and cost Of production. These
eastern counties do not need irrigation,
and in schools, churches, comfortable
homes, thriving towns, society and civ
~ilization are as far advanced and in as
good condition financially, and in most
OF these far better, than any OF the older
states we're at the same age. The man
who by one or two crop failures in twen-
ty years, and the effects of democratic
panic, goes around calamity bowling
and crying down his state ought to be
horse whipped, and then soak his head
until he learns some Sense. These
counties are capable OF sustaining q
dense population, and with a new ad-
ministration and returning prosperity,
il proper means are used, the people will
come. Again, the drought-stricken re-
gions west Of us are only semi-arid,
while the soil Is fertile as any part of the
state. They need not be, 10 in the far
west regions entirely dependent upon ir
rigstion. There is generally almost rain
enough to mature crops, and with artes-
ian water and Missouri river water
stored in reservoirs, many thousand
square miles will be made to smile with
golden hsrvests. Much smaller quanti-
ties Of water will be needed than in the
arid west. Where irrigation is imprac-
ticable, stock raising and dairying will
become the great industry Of the state.
Before many years. railways will connect
the great mineral wealth Of the Black
Hills with the granite and jasper quar-
ries and grain fields Of this region; other
railways will help to solve the fuel prob
lem by bringing to our doors the, great
coal felds OF the north, and with the in
fiux Of capital and people which are sure
to come, South Dakota will take her
place a. one Of the great states Of the
union, At the present, We need to thor
oughly advertise the resources and pos
sibshtiss Of our state. CITIZEN.