The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-08-05
Planert has an intimate acquaint-
ence with almost the entire state
and is not biased in his opinion by
prejudice or personal interest.
A STRONG ENDORSEMENT
Black Hills Blade Presents the
Capital Removal in New
Light.

Black H!llS Blade, Lead. So. Oak.
Last week the Blade gave an accur,
ate account OF the proposed railroaC
building in South Dakota for 1904.
The article was not news, except as
TO detail: for 1T had a been told he.
fore in the metropolitan newspapers
OF the United States. Our cores
pondent put the various news item:
together, got some information as to
detail, from responsible railroad
oticials and the Blade published it,
because it reflects the progress OF
South Dakota and marks a new era
in the prosperity of the Hills.
1t is not without a feeling Of sur
prise and disgust that we had to lis
ten to criticisms of the article by
some citizens of the Black Hills who
are drawing salaries, or are other
wise employed, by the Chicago &
Northwestern road. They objected
to two items of the news. The first
was the report that the Northwest
Clh 10 SNlSIbIllS d IllG llOul IDOIlc-
steel to Fort Pierre, though every
body in the state knows it is a fact,
the survey having been made. md
notice given that work will begin
soon, and townsiteS are being laid
out. Our critics say: The people
of the Hills will take it for granted,
if the Northwestern builds a lire
up the west side of the Missouri,
that it never means to extend from
Pierre to the Hills. That obvious
fact was suggested by the critics;
not by us.
The most vigorous protest came on
account of the publication of the fact
that the Milwaukee read is arrang-
ing to build from Chamberlain via
the Black Hills to the Pacific coast.
The new was welcome to more than
nine-tenths Of the people of the Hills
but there were a few who kicked
long and hard. They do not deny
the fact, but say its publication is
intended to keep Mitchell in the cap
ital fight. The article had no such
intention. l was news, good news TO
the people Of the Hills, which,
strange to say, has passed unnoticed
by nearly all the newspapers of the
Black Hills. True the Pioneer
Times printed a dispatch from Ia
coma stating that the G. M. & st.
Paul road had bought its terminals
in Tacoma. Seattle and Portland
and would build its line through
within two years. The Seattle,
Portland and Tacoma papers printed
the news last month. 1t was good
news at Seattle because they have
no capital fight. 1t means much for
these western coast cities: but how
much more it means to the isolated
people OF the Black Hills who have
been watching, waiting, praying for
a line by which they could get to
eastern South Dakota without hav-
ing to travel through three states;
by which.they could get to Chicago
within eight hundred instead of
eleven hundred miles; by which they
can get freight and passenger rates
reduced to a reasonable basis.
But the capital question. That
roaring lion that seeks to devour
some man with a Northwestern pass
What of the capital question? The
editor expresses no opinions that he
has not expressed both privately and
publicly since lie attended the leeis-
lative session of 1897. We have said
before this, and we say again: The
Black Hills people have never been
tenetitted one dollar by having the
capital at Pierre. But on the other
hand have to pay enormous expenses
each year because of the long dis
lance that must be Travelled by law.
yers, state officials and members of
the legislature. During the former
capital fight the people of the Hills
were promised a railroad from
Pierre. After thirteen long, weary
years ID Northwestern gives us its
answer by building a line from Bone
steel to Fort Pierre. We are 9l4
miles from Pierre, and will remain
that distance until the Milwaukee
road extends from Chamberlain.
At present a journey from here to
Pierre, by the Northwestern road,
is as follows: Leave Deadwood at 6
p. M, reach Sioux City at 1885 p.
M, the next day; remain in Sioux
City until 1919 a. N. the third day.
then take train by way of Alton,
Ia. via Hawarden, Ia, and get to
Huron, S. d., in time for supper:
from Huron to Pierre is a long
cheerless, ride in hot dusty cars, in
the summer, and over barren steppes
in the winter, when the chances are
ten to n that you will get into a
snow blockade before you reach
Highmore. Should everything be
favorable you will reach Pierre at ,
O'Clock in the morning of the fourth
day out.
Under present conditions, you can