The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-06-24
THAT GREAT GAS PROPOSITION


sprung another fake. This time it
has zone to the foundation OF most
of the stuff sent out by the capital
bureau and press correspondents
GAS.
The ~subjoined item has been sent
out to all the organs of the capital
committee, with orders to ''chuck
it in even if it is rank.
When the permanent capital
building is built it will cost at least
SIS. 600 a year tax for fuel and light
and elevator power if it should be at
Mitchell wnere fuel will have to be
purchased. With natural gas at
Pierre, the state car put down an
artesian we'll and with its own nav
ural gas furnish fuel, lights and ele-
vator power free, as we'll as furnish
water for sewerage. The state APP
propriates as much as S12, 900 d year
ten years ago (see session laws of
1909 for fuel and light at the Yank-
ton hospital, Now the %appropria-
tion is included in the s76 600 a ear
appropriation and amounts to SD
600 a year. The permanent capital
at Pierre means a saving of $4,000
to s25, 900 for fuel and water alone.
The state will spend 81 ,000, 600 tax
between 1901 and 1860 for fuel. light
and water for the state house and
grounds if the capital goes to Nit
chell. The state can get an artes-
ian we'll on its w ground at Pierre
for $40, 900 that will save this million
dollar fuel bill. If you favor the
coal trust and $40 coal like nj year
ago vote for Mitchell.
Now wouldn't that kill you? Nit
chell is 100 miles nearer the coal
suppl y Of the country than Pierre
which partly accounts for the fact
that while Pierre IA paying $40 a
ton last winter there vas plenty of
it in Mitchell at Sl1.
The total appropriation for main
tainance for the capitol building at
Pierre amounts to $4,000 a year.
This in the face of the fact that you
can throw a cat through the shack
and not hurt the cat-a building that
has by its %draughts of cold air caus-
ed the death Of several members Of
the legislature and laid a score or
more on sick beds at every session.
II it only costs $4,000 a year to main
tain a shack like that how mu CHI
would it cost to heat and light a
modern stone building, now going
up in Mitchell? About half-which
means not one. tenth part Of a mill
lion dollars in a half hundred years.
While Pierre was at it, why didn't
it figure out the cost for a thousand
years? A state house is no hospital
outside of Pierre.
Before the state would experiment
with gas-were it the intention to
leave the capital where it is-Pierre
would have to demons trate that it
was to be had. just now there is no
more t%han.enough to supply..the capi-
tai committee and before the cam
paign is over there won't be any
left.
This gas business at Pierre needs a
little ventilating. The business con-
Germs in the town use kerosene, ben
zine and a%ctylene gas in preference
to it. Anybody who has " used
natural gas for lighting purposes
knows what it is-a rank fruad. In
about six years Pierre has drilled
five wells, at a cost Of about SIS, 900
and it has no more gas than when
the first we'll was completed. Re-
Gently, when the last "great gush-
er'' was completed, No. 4 1.-THE we'll
put down just preceding it) stopped
flowing and the town was out Of gas
completely until connection was made
with the new we'll. If any other
than the city-whether the state Of
South Dakota or not-was to at
tempt to put down a we'll he Or they
would be enjoined at the drop of the
hat, as it has been fully demonstrate
ed that another we'll would cut the
city off from its supply. The talk Of
supplying a state house with gas Is
therefore pure rot. Many days now
the gas at Pierre is shut off from
supplying those who use it to allow
the receiver to fill up. In winter the
regular order Of business is to cut it
Off from the residence part of the
town from ] to 6 p. m. every day.
AT the price the city nov sells the
gas to consumers no one could afford
to use it for heating purposes. 1t
would cost four times the price of
coal.
In Ohio and Pennsylvania are hun
dreds Of dry" holes, any n Of
which spouted more gas in a min
ute than Pierre ever saw or will see
whole districts that produced it in
unlimited quantities that now won't
make a good smell. Pierre don't
know what good gas looks like. And
yet il sends out a cock and bull
story and asks intelligent people to
believe it. The Pierre for capital
organs that have published it must
take their readers for fools.