Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-05-26
SOUTH DAKOTA NEWS.

I~csci 'dtioH anu iuuullits hIt CoHhlht
from all portions OF the United States
There is every reason to believe thai
the rush will be second only to the
great Cherokee opening several years
since. Estimates that 10000 names
will be registered are considered con.
sentative.
The t~wenty-first annual encampment
of the South Dakota department of the
Grand Army of the Republic will be
held at Canton June 2S, 30 and 80. The
committee promises a rate of one fare
for the round trip upon all the railroads
of the state. Eminent speakers includ-
ing Governors Herried, VanSant, Cum
Minis and LaFollette, Senators Gamble
and Kittredge, Congressman Burke and
Martin, General John @. Black, COM
mander in chief, Adjutant General
Charles A. Partridge, Mrs. John A.
Logan and others have promised to be
in Canton during the encampment.
The intercollegiate oratorical contest
was held at Huron MAJ 10. The con
testants were j. w. Crowther, of
Mitchell; Bessie Jean Parks, of Huron;
William Smith, of Brookings; Floy
Tredway, of Yankton; Jay A. Larkin,
of Redfeld. The judges found diff
Guilty in arriving at a decision, the
markings given Mr.. Crowther and Miss
Treadway being very close. Finally
! MI. Crowthers was awarded first and
Miss Treadway second, it being under
stood that both contestants will enter
the interstate collegiate oratorical con-
test.
A suit instituted several months ago
by William Black, an old veteran,
against the members of a former board
which had charge of the state soldiers
home at Hot Springs and ex-C ommand-
ant Arthur Linn, has been settled by
the payment to Black of a satisfactory
sum. Black in his suit asked hat he
be awarded damages against the defend
ants in the sum Of 81, 900 for being dis
charged from the home. Black, while
an inmate of the soldiers home and a
deacon of the Congregational church at
Hot Springs, wrote a letter of advice to
a woman member of the same church,
about whom gossip was busy. She laid
the communication before the pastor,
who forthwith waxed indignant and
conveyed the letter to Commandant
Linn. Black was dishonorably dis
charged from the home. The deposed
veteran appealed to the soldiers home
board which sustained the action of the
commandment. When the new soldiers
home board was formed Black brought
his case before that body and was rein
stated in the home. Then Black insti-
tuted an action for damages in the sum
Of 5000, but when the case was called
for trial Judge MCGEE, of the Seventh
judicial circuit, threw il out Of court.
The veteran carried the case to the state
supreme court which returned the
case for trial to the circuit court where
il had been dismissed. Now that Black
has accepted a settlement the case will
never come 10 trial.
The advance sheets of the 1904 report
Of the state insurance commissioner are
out showing the business Of the insur-
auce companies in the state for 1908.
While the receipts of both fire and life
companies show a substantial gain over
the business of the previous year, both
paid heavier losses, and -iile the
amount they took out Of the state in
the way Of premiums is larger than last
year. their percentage Of gain is not so
large The premiums paid to the old
line fire companies last year reached
J 7,5i4-sl, while they paid in losses
s2sl $50 80, leaving a balance in favor
Of the companies of &4l5, 963. SO. less the
expenses of their business. The old line
life companies received premiums to
the amount of 81, 02l, 100. So, and paid
losses of $207, 473. 40, leaving them ssl4,-
PAT. 90, less the cost of conducting their
business, and as the amount they paid
In losses was practically twenty per
cent of their premium receipts, their
net profits were beyond sixty per cent.
The assessment and fraternal companies
show receipts to the amount of $780,
633. 81 for the year with payments to the
amount Of 1854, 1872 81. The A. o. u.
w. shows the largest amount of bust
ness with over $27 .0O0, 900 of insurance
In force in the state, while the NJ. w.
A. IL q close second with nearly $24,-
10000 of insurance in force. The state
mntuals show an increase Of about g.
10000 In the amount Of insurance in
force over last year, and premium
receipts Of 1884 .025. SO, and losses paid
of 1If0,77S.0S, leaying them over sixty
Der cent Less expenses, and premiums
returned TO their policy holders. show
lux that they have not lost any ground
IN the state. The total amount paid by
tle residents Of the state for all classes
II insurance was 3 1885,, O0l .Os. Taken
altogether tho years business vas q sat-
feyNSkexy ono for the companies. While