The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-04-29
MORE ABOUT STATE LANDS

Scotland Citizen-Repubiican: D..
Z. Nipple in his Pierre State Regis
ter of April 1st, devotes over three
columns OF valuable space to a reply
to GU article Of March 18th, on the
effect of the capital location on the
price OF state lands. He compli-
ments us by attributing the article to
the pen of G. r Tinan, of the
Mitchell press bureau and then de-
votes the greater part Of his REPLY"
to personal abuse Of MI. Tinan.
With due apologies to MIR. Tinan for
the ISLANDERS that our article has
brought upon him, we will ''pass
ap'' that part Of the ''reply'' as we
believe Mr.. Tinan's character is not
the question to be voted upon next
November. and will refer only to
that portion affecting the capital
location.
to show the fallacy of the argument
that by leaving the capital at Pierre
the sale of the state lands in that
part Of the state would be fastened,
or that the price would be enhanced,
and as evidence we called attention
to the fact that during the fourteen
years that the capital has been To-
Gated in Hughes county less than a
section Of the state lands in that
county have been SOLD. In reply the
State Register says:
This same deceiving article failed
also to say that while $40 acres OF
school land had been sold in Hughes
county in 1891 at an average Of 1926. 80
an acre only 40 acres had been sold
in Dawson up to 1902, and that at
the minimum price of $40 an acre.
Our purpose was not to 'sknock''
Hughes county, hence we said moth
ing in regard to the price at which
this land was sold, but since the
Register invites further discussion
OF the facts we do not hesitate to
give them. This $40 acres was pur-
chased in 1891, right after capital
was located at Pierre, and is located
at the suburbs Of the city, most Of
It having been laid out in town lots.
OF the $40 acres sold all except 80
acres has been forfeited for nom
payment and is nos owned by the
state. Assuming that the land was
worth what it was sold for this for
fixture has o%ccasioned a loss of over
"a, 200 to the state. or the 80 acres
40 acres was purchased by g. T..
Hyde, who neglected payment for
several years, and payment was final
" made only when the commissioner
Of public lands was about to begin
action against him. The other 40
acres, the only portion that was
paid for c%heerfully, was bought by a
man living down east who never saw
it.
In stating these facts we are
aware that we, Tor perhaps Mr.. Tin
any, 4ill DE charged with knocking
the whole northern and western por-
tions Of the state, but so far from
doing so, we will venture the asser-
tion that there is not another town
in South Dakota the size of Pierre,
where land In the suburbs of the
town can be bought for 1925. 80 an
acre, yet at Pierre, with all the
Haunted advantages Of capital loca-
tion, 46O acres of this land was for
fcitedS for non-payment at that price.
In the face Of these facts we are told
by the Pierre board of trade in a
circular letter that is being distrlb-
uted, that there are 500, 031.47 acres
of school and endowment lands To-
Gated in counties contiguous to
Pierre which will be enhanced in
value $40 per acre, and Ear be sold
25S years sooner If the capital is re-
tanned at Pierre.
In our former article we stated
that land in Wa1worth county is as
sessed higher than in Hughes coun-
ty, and for this VIC are accused Of
"knocklng'' the northern porlon OF
the state. Ask the people of Wal
worth county whether they consider
it su.
In the March sale Of school lands,
land in Brown county sold at from
$22 to s37 per acre; in Sphinx at from
$50 to 1922, and in Beadle at from sl5
to sls, a gradual decrease in price as
you go south and approach nearer tc
the capital.
Is this knocking the north part Of
the state. Ask..the citizens Of Brown
county. In the statement by the
Pierre board Of trade we read:
The loss also from rents and the
loss to the state from retarding Its
development is almost incalculable.
A reference to the last biennial re-
port Of the land commissioner, the
MEXICAN
Maaefann ;n;mor