The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1902-01-09

structures are in course OF erection. The
Masonic bodies under tho auspices of the
conslstory are building splendid temple
at Yankton, and the order OF Elks navs
built a club house 1t Sioux Falls Other
structures of more than local interest ara \
the Cataract hotel and the extensive |
mailing works at Sioux Falls. Touring
mills at WATERFOWL. Nolga. Vienna and
De Smet and hotels Of more than Urdi-
nary interest ut Lead and Geddes ana |
ono under construction at Canton.
The replacing of primitive wooden bust
ness places with substantial tlcCks 81
brick and stone has been quite general in /
all OF the towns. 80
An Improvement which has added very
much To the appearance and stability Of 4
very many towns this year has been the.
construction of uniform cement sidewalks,
crossings and cutters. This has not been
confined to the larger places, though
much has been done in the cities of tho
first class like Sioux Falls, Aberdeen,
WATERFOWL and Mitchell, but the Villages
have zone much more, as In Elkton. Vol
ga. Egan. Lake Preston and ParkstDn,
where the entire business portion has
been thus cemented.
Comprehensive systems Of water works
have been built this season at Br"ukings.
Centervillc, l2lk Point and Sissetou and
WATERFOWL has put in sewerage system.
High school DullllnCS nave btth DUNK
at Summit, Selby, Geddes and Platte.
However. and despite the. extensive pub
lie and business building enterprises
noted. the most noticeable and valuable
work has been i'm the building OF private
homes. This has distinctivcly been
year Of home building The cities, Wiz
lagos and farms have We'd in the erection
OF comfortable, tasteful and enduring
residences. | have been unable 10 secure
trustworthy figures relating to the value
OF the buildings this wear erected and
cannot even attempt an approximation.
Most OF the building has been from the
surplus means of the builders, and rpia-
lively little OF it from borrowed capital
The influx OF population has made an
active demand for buildings for rent, ana
the low rates of interest have TUNED
many to this class Of investment.
Public Health.
Notwithstanding the prevalence Of
smallpox 10 exceedingly mild form IN tho
spring months the health of the people
has been excellent, and the death rate
very low, only az per thousand,
Among the notable deaths Of the year
was that Of Rev James IL. Kyle, United
States senator. who died at his home in
Aberdeen ON July 1st. Mr.. Kyle was srrr-
ing his second term In the senate at the
time OF mis- death
On July Sth Gov. Herried appointed
Hon. Albert Il. Kittredgc Of Sioux Falls
to finish the unexpired term of Senator
Kyle which ends March 4, 1903
The weather.
The year has been free from any storms
OF exceptional severity The winter
months were mild and open with little
snow permitting stock TO range through
out the year and TO come out in excellent
condition The lowest temperature noted
was p deg. below at Pine Ridge on Feb
rUarr 18th. while at Academy on January
18th II was G3 deg. above The mean tem-
peraturc for January, in the state ut
large, was u deg. above, and for FebFU-
ary 10 deg. above. The normal mean Z
temperature for these months is about 10
deg. above The average normal prccipi-
tation i'm South Dakota is about 20 inches.
The figures are Of course not yet ayaiiahle
for the entire year, but up TO the pres
ent the rainfall exceeds the normal
slightly The growing months were quite =,
normal April, May, June and July, the
wheat growing months, gave 1i.S3, and
August. which natures the ccrn crop,
brought the total UP to 1i.6 inches,
The one phenomenal feature 0f the
years weather was prolonged period OF
unusual heat in the month Of July The
mean was Is . deg. or q deg. above notr-
NAL. The period extended from the eth
to the 24th. Temperature OF loo degrees
was recorded on IL successive days. IL
should he noted that this was not peculiar
favored, tho mean here being b. lower
than at Des Moines.
1t is a marvel that crops should have
withstood the effects NJ this terrific ard
prolonged heat. but South Dakota was
well fortified against IL by copious June
rains, and again the latter portion of tho =
month and August brought weather ex-
Ceedingly favorable to crop making. and
We come out of the experience IS not
unframed, at least much less injured,
than any other of the states in the Up
per Mississippi Valley.
The last frost i'm the spring fell on May
18th. The first in the autumn on tho lGtn
of September.
The Crops.
Except as TO corn and potatoes tho
yield of which are far below normal. this =
has been an average crop year in tha
state. Wheat on July 9Th promised
yield surprising all records, but the ex-
IRENE heat of the next twenty days,
which wrought such injury 10 the crops
of the Mississippi Valley states. though
less severe here than further east, re-
duced both the quality and quantity Of
the Yield. The acreage aggregated 3,%,S,-
Coo acres, and the yield averages H. per
acre, or approximately thirty-ninc million
bushels, Owing to local conditions tho
yield is variable. some sections running
as high as 30 bushels. 1t is difficult to
determine the exact average price raid
at the elevators of the state for the wheat
or this crop, owing to the range i'm quail
ity and other qualifying circumstances,
but extensive inquiry justifies the state
ment that 81 cents per bushel is a fair
average, making the crop worth on the
home market $40, 600, 600
In the Corn Belt.
Corn is the next important cereal cul-
tivated I'm South Dakota. and this year
1,3U9,00o acres were devoted TO this crop.
The hot weather Was particularly severe
upon corn coming as IL did when the
blossom was forming and effecting the
fertilization of the ears. Mex ertheIess. a
fair crop of good quality has been har- y
vested. Experienced farmers have found
in the field, and at the date of this writ
ing November 15th) much remains I'M
husked. However, enough Is in the crib
TO justify the statement that the yield
in the state at large is twenty-five bush