The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1904-06-29
4}nna


During the past thirty days 80 bead OF
cattle have died on the Smith &c Seapy
ranch, situated on the great cattle range
west Of Pierre, as the result Of q mystic
rious disease which thus far has bafled
the best medical skill. The state veterf-
marian was notified and made q trip to
the scene. After making a thorough in
~vestigation and carefully examining the
animals which were affected he decided
it was q case Of poisoning, but was un-
able to give the exact nature Of the poi
SON. Il Is thought the trouble Ia due to
cattle eating loco weed in hay. This weed
has a purple blossom and Hight cplorad
leaves, which spread out from four to
six inches on all sides from the root. The
seeds are held in a little pod on the up
right stem, Of which each plant has one.
and they make a peculiar rafting noise
when disturbed, as BY riding a horse
through a patch OF the weeds This 10
the genuine woody loco weed and 10 found
in abundance IN the vicinity where tho
cattle died. The cattle instinctiyefy avoid
loco on ground where there 10 an
abundance Of feed, but cannot detect Il in
the hay until too late. Cattle which eat
the weed are first affected in their eyes,
after which they refuse to eat OF drink
and soon die.
State Superintendent Nash calls atten-
tfon to the fact that there was some fric-
don some years ago in regard to election
Of school officers, tho last legislative ses-
sion changing the terms Of officers and
setting the elections for the third Tues
day IN June The Law provides that
where a position on the board Is filed by
appointment II shall be until the next
election. This term the attorney general,
In an opinion rendered last year at the
request Of the state superintendent holds
to means until the next election for the
purpose OF filing that same place or the
board. Under the law each officer in
elected for three years, the terms OF the
chairman Of the different school boards
expire this spring the terms of the clerks
expire next year, and those of the treas
urers in 1905. Under the construction
placed on the law, 10 officers are to be
elected this year except the chairmen,
ever IL the other places on the board
have been filed By appointment. The
language of the law until the next cleo
ton" is held to mean until the next cleo
ton for filling the position filed by ap-
pointment, and all a%ppointees are for the
full term, which their predecessors were
elected for.
At a meeting OF the state lands board
at Pierre it was decided to offer six differ
n tracts in Gregory County for sale at
points where it was considered probable
that they might be desired for townsite
purposes, and which will be placed ON the
market by the state. These tracts are
strung across the county in a north
westerly direction from Bonesteei. Com
missioner Bach is preparing and will
send out the notices advertising these
lands for sale, and they will be offered at
as early a date as can be after the legal
advertising Of sale. The appraisement
board, which Is composed OF the state
land commissioners, the state auditor and
the superintendent Of schools of Gregory
| County, will meet at the call of the com
missioner and fix a minimum selling price
/, at which the land can be disposed Of.
/. -
The semi-annual apportionment Of thu
interest and income fund to the schools
of the state has Just been made for June
10. 1t is the largest semi-annual appor-
tionment which has ever been made by
the state land department, and reaches
a total of $3.50, 627. 80, which 10 an in
crease of $22,S69.20 over the apportion-
ment Of the same date last year. The
amount distributed is $219 per capita oil
the school children OF the state, taken
from the last years school census fig
ures, the total number being 1922 go, an
increase of 2,124 over the previous year.
The December apportionment is never so
large as that Of June, but 1t is safe to say
that the schools Of the state will receive
not less than So per capita from the state
this year.
A statement was sent out from Cham
berlain several days ago to the effect that
in case anyone securing a filing on the
Rosebud reservation desired to commute
the entry they would be required to pay
$1.25 per acre in addition to the price
set on the land, of "a per acre for the
filings made ut the time OF the opening.
The interior department at Washington
says no one will be required to pay S1.25
per acre for the privilege Of such COM
mutation.
State Land Commissioners Bach has re-
turned from Gregory County. While in
that section he dove across the county
from Bonesteel to the north line and says
IL Is a fine prairie country. At one place
where Dr.. Lewis, a white man with an
Indian family, has secured a large tract
Of severalty land, he saw a Traction en-
CINE being used for breaking prairie, the
engine pulling a gang Of eight plows, and
turning over about 20 acres per day. 1t
Is the intention of DR.. Lewis to break two
sections of land with this pillow this year.
The state educational department. has
within the past few days issued about
sixty state certificates to the graduates
of the different state educational institu-
tions which were granted this right un.