Arizona republican., 1899-12-05
SOUTH DAKOTA ouTLANDERs

south Dakota has a 'No-Ma Land." Down in the southeastern mart of the state, in Clay county, on what IS known locally as the Island" there are 100 or more people who really live nowhere. Their part of the world was made by the peculiar freak that the Missouri river takes occasionally. when It eats up one mans farm on one side or the river and carries it across and deposits 1t to the credit of a more for tunate neighbor on the other side of the stream.
 In 1881 the Missouri river valley was visited by a very destructive flood. caused by the sudden melting of the heaVy snows all over the state. Sev- eral million dollars worth of property ana live stock were destroyed and the little town of Vermillion was practi- cally wiped out of existence. One of the many freaks of the Big Muddy was to cut through some of the best farms in the northern part of Nebras- ka, for distance of about two miles thus shortening the old channel by seventeen miles. The island of land thus left has been in the courts of the state ever since. People living there are wondering where they are at" There is nearly an entire township and the land is very valuable for timber and agricultural purposes.
 The last state legislature annexed the island to South Dakota for judicial and taxable purposes, which action was good as far as the state and county were concerned.
 There is provision in the state con- stitution which says that land cannot be added to nor taken from a county without submitting the question to the people of the county for a majority vote. This constitutional amendment was made to prevent counties in the state from being divided up without the consent of a majority of the peo- pie.
 In order to get this island into such a shape that the inhabitants can vote it is necessary to have it annexed to Clay county. It was hoped that this election could be held this month with the judicial election, but the secretary of state decided that it would take a general election, which will not be held until the fall of 1900. At that time the people all over the county will vote on the question whether or not-the island shall be annexed. It is eX- tremely doubtful if such an election will ever carry.
 The people in the northern part of the county are for the most part farm CTS These farmers are most decidedly against expansion in the southern part of the domain, for the reason that 1t would give the citizens of the little town of Vermillion control of about twenty-three votes to have the island annexed.
 The inhabitants of the island are the "outlanders" of Clay county. They were very graciously given the privi- lege of paying taxes into the county treasury and they can also be brought before the county court to have jus tice meted out to them, but vote they cannot The rich farmers in the northern part of the county will keep on rolling up their wealth and any and every pet scheme that they want to become a law they can vote through, the outIanders of the island notwith- standing It will do the downtrodden islanders but little good to revolt, for they are outnumbered ten to one. Sub init they must or else abandon their Missouri claims and move back across the dead line"
 A majority will never be secured, 1t is said on the question of annexation and it is highly probable that Clay county will always have "No-Man S. Record.