The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1902-09-19
THE GREAT CORN BELT.
Its Production Of Corn and Cattle Have
Laid a Great Foundation
for Wealth.

South Dakota is one of those states in
the union which is at present on the top
wave of prosperity, and her residence,
with the object of calling the attention of
her sister states to the unbounded
and her richness in an agricul-
tural way, have decided to hold a corn
belt exposition in Mitchell on Sept. 20
to Oct. :, inclusive The exposition will
be held in the corn palace building
which has been erected for that purpose.
The building is a very large one, $50
feet long by 1oo feet in width and the
architectural skill employed in its con-
struction has made the exterior very
attractive for decorative purposes. The
interior is sufficiently large to accom-
nodate several thousand people and
there is abundant room for the many
county exhibits which will show to good
advantage the crops raised in the corn
belt region. Already practically all the
space that has been sci aside for the
county exhibits has been taken. which
~insures a fine show in this respect.
The corn belt is the oldest settled and
most prosperous part of the state. "A
crop failure has scarcely ever been
known, and with the pride born of sue
cess the residents of the corn belt are
e~ndeavoring by this exposition to show
its resources in an attractive manner
and to rid the minds of the fasteners of
the idea that South Dakota is a place
where only Billiards, drouths, Indians
ands destitute people abound. In this
land of bright sunshiny weather genuine
billiards. are as scarce as they are in
the east; drouths have never affected
the corn belt; Indians are as scarce as
on the streets of Chicago, and the farm
ers housed in substantial homes, their
stock in roomyb barns, and the residents
Of thee state are intelligent as a class.
The state is peopled mostly by Ameri
cans with a good s%prinkling of foreign
element who with the Americans have a
strong pride in their state and they pro-
pose that the rest Of the world shall
know it.
In that part of the state north and
west of the corn belt region the farmers
some years ago were subjected to the
discouragements incident to a new
country and to pioneers. The south
eastern fpart was more slowly settled
than the rest of the state and the resi-
dentsswere farming successfully when
the great influx of immigration anne to
this country, The people who came to
securesDakota land at a mere nominal
price were far different from the class of
men who are on the farms today.
They were brought here with the xpec-
tation of making a fortune and then
leaving the country. The majority of
the fertile acres of the broad prairies
were taken up by this class and many
never titled the soil only in a careless
and hap-hazard way. The experienced
farmers among those who first came re-
NAMED; the inexperienced and shiftless
went their way and their places were
taken by the better element. Today.
without exception, the farmers of the
state are of the right class and are work
ing their way toward sure success.
While the wheat crop of this. year will
not quite approach the crop of 1900, it
will reach fully 100000 bushels, due
to the absence of moisture in the north
part of the state and also to the fact
that. not so much ground was sown to
wheat this year as last. The corn crop
this year will be a bumper in every re.
cd spect. The corn is past the frost line
,e- and up to the present time there has
ha been but little frost in this part of the
state. A conservative estimate of the
result of the corn crop in this state j:
H. given at 6o,ooo,ooo bushels. The GA
rr crop will be much larger than any pre-
vious year. The effect of these yield
"a. has been to instill a spirit of enthusiasm
,od and of enterprise into the people of thi
nv state which is showing itself in all direct
"a. ions in increased business activity.
From an assessed valuation of a yea
ago of ~s156,ooo,ooo, the state has in
in creased in wealth rapidly the past yea
and the assessed valuation of propert
according to the state board this year
in S2oo,ooo,ooo. This part of the north
md west, which was once considered IVA
So out west" is but a twelve hours ride t
,eir any of the leading market ports in tn
tier middle west. Investments by easter
i'm parties are becoming more numerou
,eo- every year, lands are being bought tn
nee year with a free hand, and these me
the are not slow to take advantage of th
sure and steady rise in land. In tn
!, is vicinity alone over fifty farmers ha,
of moved here from Iowa in the past ye;
the and have marketed their first crop tn
wn- fall.