The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-10-30
SOUTH DAKOTA NEWS
A Prosperous state.

AAosPCIoub Stabes - ..
1t may seem impossible to believe
that South Dakota is the most prosper.
GUS state in the union. But if oy
prosperous we have refernce to pro-
of wealth per capita. there
to be little reason to doubt that
1t is. For six years nov the state has
enjoyed a larger per capita production
OF wealth than any other state in the
union. This year a population of
$50, 600 has produced $3.50, 5000, 900 of
wealth. As about $l4o, 600, 900 of this
wealth was produced on the farm, it
is safe to say that there are few richer
farming communities in the world,
measured by annual production, than
South Dakota.
The census of 1900 found 52,6a2
farmers in South Dakota. Assuming
that there are SIS, 900 now, each South
Dakota farmer produces more than
$4,000 worth of wealth each year.
Undoubtedly, this is too high an esti-
mate. 1t is about twice the produc-
ton shown by the census of 1899. Ac
cordlng to the census, North Dakota
did better than South Dakota in the
production of agricultural wealth,
each farm yielding in the former state
$,l417 to 81, 1855 for the latter.
Still the farmers of South Dakota
are much more prosperous now than
they were four years ago, and it is
quite possible that the income per
farm isas high as it was in Iowa in
1899. where it was ST, 59s per farm.
In other words, South Dakoka is prob
ably producing as much wealth per
farm to-day as any state where irriga-
ton is not practiced.
County Indebtedness.
The forthcoming report of the state
auditor goes into details of county af-
fairs as well as to deals in the state af.
fairs. One of the items taken up is
county Indebtedness and resonrces.
The bonded in debteduess of all the
counties is 81, 155, O55; the warrant i'm
debtedness, $500, 634; and So, 1856, $50
are owed by the counties to the state
school fund. This is an in increase of
$s24,020 over last year.
The counties which have no bonded
Indebtedness r
Charles, Mix, Clark, Clay, Gregory,
Hamlin, Hand, Hutchinson, Jerauld,
Kingsbury, Lincoln, Lyman, McPher-
son, Miller, Moody, Potter, Sanborn,
Sphinx, Sully, Turner and Union. Lin.
coin and Turner counties have no war
rant Indebtedness, and Kingsbury hns
but SIG of outstanding warrants, and
Sully S135.
The counties carrying the greatest
amount of state school fund, are Sphinx,
SIS, 694; Brown, $115, 900; Potter, $ll4-
e56. The total assets of the counties
is permanent school fund loan owed to
counties, $2,2o6. ss1; unpaid taxes coun-
ty funds, $1,l52,559; buildings and zeal
estate, $1,445, SO; seed grain notes and
other evidences of Indebtedness, s14s,-
661; cash on hand, $761, 1885,. The as
sets over liabilities are s457, $685.,
Irrigation.
Raymond F. Walter of the United
States geological survey, who has been
engaged with a party for several
months on the big Belle Fourche irri-
eating ditch, has completed the run
ming of preliminary lines and his party
has resumed possession of Camp No. I
near Giles crossing, to begin the per.
liminary work on the large reservoir
on Dry creek. This reservoir will be
three miles long and will contain an
enormous volume of water.
This is one of the largest, if not the
largest, ditch contemplated under the
national scheme of irrigation. Its in
take is within the corporate limits of
Belle Fourche at the mouth of Redwater
creek. The waterway-will be seventy
five miles long, tifty-eight feet wide at
the water line, and will carry five
feet of storm water with which to sup
ply the several reservoirs contemplated.
New Process.
Eastern parties are experimenting
with fax straw from this state. They
have a new process by which
the straw is converted into a beauti-
full white fberin an hours time. Under
the old process several weeks time is
consumed in accomplishing the same
results.
The straw from ten acres of fas,was
shipped to New Jersey, where the
factory is located. The fax straw is
said to be especially adapted to the
making of fax fiber under the new
process.