The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-18
The State Has Five Millionaires and
Dozens in the Six Figure =
.
ClaSS. -s.4 -
All Except Pettigrew Realized on,
- Cattle and Acres-Franklin
...} Tops the. List: !
"-- ..r
Special to Tho Journal.

Chamberlain, S. D.. April 1s.-The. buf :
falo grass Of government land in South
Dakota and artesan wells in the farming |
country of the eastern part Of the, state
have made five millonaires and a score
worth from s250,oOO to $1,000 900 within a.
scare of years. -: =
Every one of the great fortunes Of South
Dakota belongs to farmers. With but one
exception the five millionaires came to the:
state with no capital. Three iof these
turned cattle out on the ranges and real
lied from is to SO per cent annually ON
their Investment. The other two bought
great quantities of cheap land and when
the artesiangWels We're struck they found
themselves millionaires. :%.,,...' %, 4
Fortunes that have been made in, this
state from cattle and land follow: !
Harris Fran&lin. Deadwood .........$3. 600 900
!. D. Smith, Madison ADMINISTRATIONS. 100000
H. .Avergaard. Turner county ........ ! 100000
Corbin Morris, Rapid City ......:.... 1,0o0,O 900
W.myde Pierre e eoo ooo 0
Ds NJ. 1nman Vermillion ............ 750, 900
A. r. Lee, Eermillon -. SOC, 900
Mr.. rrcntiss, Yern1ilion -. ........... 100000
There is but one man in. the state who
has made himself wealthy without taking
profits from cattle and Hand. and that is
Frank Pettigrew of Sioux Falls, former
United States senator, who accumulated
about a million by dealing in Sioux Falls
real estate only to lose it all in the panic
of the nineties Since then he has dealt
in railroad stocks and mining properties
and again his wealth is. numbered by six
figures. -, 80.
Franklin the Richest Man. s~r.i.
Harris Franklin Of Deadwood. recog-
nized as the richest man in sthe state
drove into Deadwood In 1876 with an OK
team drawing a cart con ntatning a. barrel
of whisky This was his sole capital
He engaged for a. short time. in the
liauor business, but. soon went out of
that to organize the Harris Franklin Cat
tie company. He had gone east from
Deadwood and found countless acres
coated with a. thick: growth of buffalo
grass He found this grass cured early
and retained nearly all its. .nutriment, so
that cattle could feed on 1t thruout the
winter. This was government T. land ile and
he knew It could be pastured with little or
no charge for the land. He. started with
s, small herd and .fe has prespered so
steadily and SO largely that now, after
paying from 20 to IS per cent a. year upon.
the stock of the Harris Franklin Cattle
company, he owns between 3D., 900 and
10000 heads branded in; the name OF his
HE is president of the Golden Reward,
Mining company, one of the largest stock
holders in the American National bank
Of Deadwood and presidents Of the First.
National bank Of the same town. His
mining properties did not begin paying
him dividends until 1897, so It is evident
that he has made the fortune estimated
at $4,000, 900. to s4.0Oo.OO0 almost entirely
out Of, the cattle business.
Bought Cheap Land. Is. 81 Z
Next to him in point of wealth is prob
ably I. d. Smith of Madison. He eaf1erto
this state from Iowa with about $4,000