The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-01-17
Shelby Reed Writes.

Some time ago the editor Of The
UNION, in a letter to Shelby D. Reed,
referred to he improved conditions
in and around Rapid City. Last
Saturday we received a letter from
Reed, a portion which is given
below, and will be read with interest
by his many friends here:
Bentley, Alta, Jan. 6, 1902
EDITOR UNION:
Yours at hand. Am pleased to
know you are back in the editorial
harness again and from what you
write | have no doubt about Rapid
City becoming the m etropolis.
I have secured 2. 100 acres of land
here, mostof it being railroad land,
at So per acre, on ten year payments,
amountingto $50 per quarter per
year. Three-fourths Of u town
ship Is miles square) is already taken
up by settlers, but adjoining town
ships west and north are only
particlly surveyed, and contain the
best vacant land I know Of in north
ern Alberta province.
Thus. far 1 haye no reason to
change my first opinion Of this
country, expressed in previous let
tiers. I repeat, it is not a good
county for raising horses on the
open range, but 100 miles to the
east or south will compare favorably
with South Dakota fifteen years ago.
Horses, in summer, will wade in the
hay-sloughs to eat and drink and in
some sections these sloughs have no
outlet. Horses have a fever and
many die; also, their feet and ankles
will break out with running sores
similar to what they used to in
Pennington county during the rainy
seasons of nearly twenty years ago.
These sores leave a blemlsh on the
feet. My ranch is comparatively
free from these sink-holes, however,
and my losses are but little more
than they were in South Dakota. |
have sold 70 head of horses at an
average of $40 per head since last
April, purchasers coming to the
no ,,ob oftar than sd
I have cut and hauled $1,000 feet
of logs to the mill five miles dis
tant, and back to the ranch during
the past mouth, have $1,000 feet
more on skids ready for hauling and
, some IL, 1000 feet more cut IN the
timber. I have also cut 5000 tam
crack posts and 5000 spruce poles.
Have two four-horse teams shod ano
E feeding grain. These TO- my tim
: Der. Am using sleighs in this
! work, but there is hardly sufficient
snow for this-only about foul
;. inches, which has been on the grounc
since November 1st. The Their
mometer has only been below zert
twice thus. far this winter and
/, have worn no overcoat.
l broke 60 acres Of land in tn,
> spring and sowed so acres of it t.
wheat, which I later cut for hay
Oats, barley and potatoes are a
good crops this season; wheat onl
fair, as the land is too new for
yet. Plenty Of grass for hay. Tn
country is better for cattle than fc
horses; and Lacombe and ~vicinit
boast of more registered Durham
than all South Dakota. There al
also in that section two Herefor
herds for breeding registered stocl
Atmy D o ranch Christmas e,
$50 people were welcomed, enjoyir
themselves with a Christmas tr
and dance. One-fifth Of them we
- former residents Of Penningts
county, all seeming to be haviI
H. good health and a fair share of Pre-
perity. Five-sixths were form
IL residents of the United States.
10 big time was had.
80 We have the usual fights in for
ing school districts and locati
90 school houses characteristic of