The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-04-01

POOR INNOCENT PIERRE.
Any Land Frauds Up There7 Can the
Cat Jump?

Any Land Frauds Up There7 Can the
Cat Jump?
More "Pierre and Purity" This
time the guileless Capital-Journal
turns it lose, as follows:
The Sioux City Tribune is never al
lowing an opportunity Slip to plug
western South Dakota, and Mitchell
papers eagerly jump at the articles
latest is /; yellow story about land
frauds in the Pierre distrlcU which
is so worded as to lead to the belief
that the whole land business of this
district is based on a fraud.
Ii the whole land business in the
Pierre district isn't based on fraud,
1T comes so near it that the ordinary
individual cannot distinguish the diff
ference. This may be due as much,
perhaps. to the lax administration of
the land laws as to the unscrupulcus
methods of the whole Pierre outfit
when the question of capital loca-
tion is up. Putting one with the
other it makes a combination by the
side of which the postal service graft
is mighty small potatoes.
The Sioux City Tribune is abund-
antly able to take care of itself. But
it is interesting to note that it comes
with poor grace, this criticism of the
Tribune after it has given columns of
va nnh1a n f1,a
been sent from Pierre to boom it's cap
| ital chances disguised as news spec
ials-and for which the Tribune has
plid for to boot.
The only special article prepared by
the Tribune was in the nature of an
interview with United States in
spector on his way to Pierre to look
up the reported irregularities in the
land business-unless in some previous
accounts of Sioux City men who were
induced to file on land west of Pierre
under misrepresentation of what
would be required of them. There is
no getting around the fact that the
land men at Pierre, with the en-
couragement and connivance of the
Pierre board of trade, have flooded the
country with circulars and descriptive
matter telling how easily one can get
q quarter-scction of land in Stanley
county and in so doing grossly mis-
represented the requirements OF the
land laws. Under such circumstances
none but IL ninnYhammer would be-
lieve that a greater part of the filings
were not made by men SO deceived
and many final proofs made under the
same conditions.
One Of the circulars sent out from
Pierre contains the following.
"Six Thousand Homesteads in
South Dakota Now Open to Entry in
Stanley County Only Few Miles
West of the State Capital at Pierre.
"Yon may file on claim and hold
same by being on the land OVER
NIGHT EVERY SIX MONTHS.
GA house built on the homestead
within six months after locating is re-
qulred-this would cost VERY LITTLE
LESS THAN $50.
"MAHRlED MEN DON'T HAVE TO
BRING THEIR FAMILIES TO LIVE ON
| TIE HOMESTEAD ,-fH
It's small wonder that the govern
mcnt thought best to send an inspcc.
tor to Pierre.
1t is still less remarkable that when
it got noised about that Uncle Sam
was going to investigate matters that
one man had fortY-two relinquish.
ments put into his hands for sale in
less than a week.
Altogether, it looks mighty dubious
for that South Omaha colony west OF
Pierre. We are afraid they will find
the bosom of their families near the
packing houses more comfortable thar
a single nights snooze under a buck
board west Of Pierre-and the latter
minus their votes next November.