The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-03-31
BOON N PRICE G LAND
LY BECOMING MORE AND
MORE VALUABLE
DIVERSIFIED FARMING HELPS
Cooperative 'CrenMeries and Cheese
Factories Have Done Much To-
ward Present Prevail
ing Prosperity.

ARMOUR, S. D., March 3O.-The surest
sign of the prosperity of any community
is the condition of land prices. Lands
are on the rise in every part of South
Dakota, and conditions which existed
few years ago, when a man of many
acres was spoken of as Land poor" have
given way to brighter prospects and reali-
ties. South Dakota is large state and
it has some of the best farming land to
be found anywhere, and it is land that is
plentifuliy supplied with moisture from
the natural rainfall; it also has thousands
of acres that are only good for grazing
purposes. Then there are many more
thousands of acres, the larger portion or
the state, which will become valuable for
diversified farming just as fast as the in
habtarts provide irrigation, as it has the
richest kind of soil, lying level and with
few or no stones, and only needs the
water to make it the most productive
land that can be found anywhere This
water is being supplied much more rap
idly than the average person supposes by
the tapping of the great arteSian basin.
The cheap grazing lands are fast dis
appearing In these sections Of the state,
and it will not be long before the profits
from stock raising alone, because OF the
increased cost of providing range and Sc
curing hay land, will be confined to that
great area popularity known by Dakotans
as across the river, meaning the Mis-
souri,, and all the land on the east side
will be devoted to diversified farming.
The past five years has witnessed a
great change in this respect. This is evil
denced by the recent rental of school
lands These lands are rented for cattle
raising only. Some of the sections rent
ed at $500; two years ago they brought
only about $50. few years ago one
man leased a certain section at S45
year for three years: this year it was
leased at $i45 for a single years rent. A
few years ago land owned by private per-
sons was frequently cut over, unmoIested,
by lawmakers; when paid for at all 50
was the usual price, and once in a great
While $40 was given for an unusually
productive quarter that was wanted be-
cause of its location by half dozen peo-
pie. Now $40 and $25 is the rule. and there
is sharp scrimmage after 1t at that, ana
often for land that lies several miles from
the place where the hay is to be used.
One of the most potent influences that
have been at work bringing prosperity
to the state is the creamery industry.
Many farmer who used to buy his
groceries ION tick now pays his bills
with cash or bank cheeks Formerly a
COW was valuable in so far as she proved
her ability to raise steers now there
is another factor, and she must also be
able to place a creamery check into her
owners hands. Five years ago there was
hardly creamery in the state; today
they are planted in nearly every com
munity. When a man can get $50 in
come from SIS cow he must make
little money in the deal and that is just
what many of them are doing now Every
new settler makes the old ones, who have
been spreading out over the whole area,
draw in and practice that concentration
which is the law of the present age 1t Is
going to. be the best thing that could
happen to them and their state though
the exclusive cattle raiserS are inclined
to resent the necessity of moving on, as
10. the poor Indian" was forced to do
when these same eattiemen took possess
sion, and the same arguments that hold
good in the case of the former are equally
applicable to the latter-thev are making
way for the onward march of civilization.
Another influence is the building of rail-
roads and bringing the market point
twenty to forty miles nearer to the FRO
ucer In Charles Mix county, where
there were young people who had never
seen train until last s1;ymer, when the
first one was run on the newly built road
there has been d great influx of settlers
both to the new towns and on the farms
This county has never known a conpIete
crop failure, as have some of the ad-
Joining counties and it has only needed
the railroad to make it one of the most
desirable places for a man to settle RMS
Is one of the largest counties in the state
and has river frontage of nearly
hundred miles. There is every prospect
that there will be more road building in
the near future in South Dakota These
things, with other influences that are
slowly but surely at work, make US feel
that Dakota people have seen their hard
est times, and Dakota lands their lowest
prices.