Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-08-08


travel is point not so well recognized.
It was this lesson that impressed IL
self upon newspap per man as he jour
neyed by rail this week thru the wheat
and corn fields of the extreme south
ern part of South Dakota. Leaving
Sioux City in the middle of the fore
noon the train travels all day long,
reaching the end of the line at sun
down. at Platte in Charles Mix county,
some 90 miles this side OF the Rosebud
country, with the great Missouri be-
tween and at no time during the DAY
has he been so far north as the north
tier of Iowa counties.
The train was crowded. All of them
are. Mostly land seekers. Men from
Illinois and Iowa going to buy land and
4 nondescript lot of the lucky ones IN
the Rosebud lottery going to file on a
claim. Here and there a prosperous
hooking gray bearded farmer. accom-
panied by a man of % or 80 years of
age. bearing an unmistakable resern-
blance. They all talk land. one hears
nothinp else. Going to file OH your
claim. Bill? ?" asks one travelling man OF
another. Nav. / wouldn't live on a
farm il YOU wonld give me the whole
that every travelling man who makes
Dakota territory registered. and from
Sioux City special trains were run to
Yankton and back on the same day al
lowing half the population of Sioux
city to register. In the Dakota towns
near the towns of registry every man
and woman with rights registered;
hut 1t is believed that less than two
thirds OF the lucky 1000 will file. Here
and there, however, farmer lad or
laboring man who drew luck was head
ed for Bonesseel to get his farm. and II
ne was within the 800 mark his quarter
section will be worth SIS per acre the
day he proves UP. These men figure
that there is no hardship in living on 4
farm three years for $4,000. Most of.
the land, however, is not so valuable.
The Minneapolis Journal has estimated
that the 100000 who registered spent
So. 600 900 In expenses while the entire
2,400 quarter sections at actual valua-
ton would have brought less than ST.
10000
L The craze for land that sends these
thousands of men into new countries
IS catching One can listen to its odd
tiles In !. dozen languages, but the best
story yet heard was published in a
Sioux City paper of a Swede from
Crank Forks. n. d. =
The letter was addressed to the reg
lister in his personal capacity and is as
follows:
MY Dear Sir: Ny wife Christina and
myself have been married eight se$.rs
and we have nice farm here. 1t is
four miles east OF Sheyenne In Eddy
county. We have no children and both
Of us want to get the money.
Christina said to ME the other day
that we should go to Grand Forks and
apply for some land under the ailot-
ment that is to be made soon.
thought well of 1t and we are going
to do so.
But in the meantime ! got to think
ing and talking with Christina and We
want to ask you question.
DO you think it could be arranged SO,
that we could get a divorce and then
each Of us enter for a claim?
IL we could do that and each of us
draw one, then we could be remarked
as soon as we filed on the claims, and
everything would be fine.
If you could arrange for the divorce.
drawing the land and the remarriage
we would make ii worth your while,
Please do not mention this to Chris
tina II she should see you before l 10.
for I have only put the matter up to
her In q kind of general way so far.
Well, so long. your friend,
Johan Augustson.
Sheyenne Eddy County, n. y.
And it is no wonder people get land
crazy. Here is a country in Charles
Mix county that four years ago was nj
most unknown and without railroad. |
Now the train enters the Yankton In
dian reservation at 3 o'clock and runs |
steadily until o'clock thru the center
OF the prettiest stretch of rolling
prairie extending on either side as TAR |
as the eye can see. Ii can be compared |
only to those comparatively level, but !,
gently rolling portions of Iowa where
In now Is located the 500 land. The I
indians own this land, 25x30 miles of
it, but they don't want It. They live
over on the big river, many miles from
the railroad, where the government
maintains an agency and school.
Most of them lease their lands To white
farmers at IL to 20 cents per acre. and
whenever an Indian dies his estate is
probated, after which the heirs are
permitted by the government to sell.
This they lose no time in doing, and
at Geddes. where, most of the county
seat business is transacted, they crowd
the court room 900 and 400 strong on
probate days. The whole county lies
close to the Missouri river with a rain
fa.l and crop record equal almost to
Iowa.
Geddes is one Of the new towns made
by the railroad. Only four years old, it
has three story brick and steam
heated hotel, so stores and 200 modern
dwelling houses, all new, exceedingly
modern and bright in their appearance.
In three directions for miles and miles
are cultivated fields. Thousands upon
thousands of shocks of wheat that last
year went 20 bushels to the acre and
that this year will go 10 bushels: of Ii
oats that went as high as so bushels
TO the acre last year, and will average /,
IS to 80 bushels this year; and miles
upon miles of corn fields now showing
a crop farther advanced than Iowa
corn. In the other direction stretches
broken only here and there by the farm ,
the green prairie Of the reservation
bought from dead Indians estate.
There are the two towns of Wagner
and Lake Andes in the reservation it.
self, that are fairly booming in their
haste to erect buildings, to accommo-
49, ,,ef,, -,