The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-08-19
Land Hunger.

Whichever may be the disposition OF
ne farmers of the east. q serious land
,unSer possesses the farmers of the
Eest. They have a feeling based or
lctual knowledge that there is no,
much really good lane to be possessed
that the really agricultural portion OF
the Mississippi valley capable OF cult.
walton without irrigation has been
quite fully occupied. and that there
tore n piece of good land is the begin
ming of a fortune, il not in the days
lpf the present owner then for his
posterity. The opportunity to home
stead or obtain land by purchase at
p low rate afforded by the opening OF
The Indian reservations this summer
thows how intense this land hunger
has become.
We have not cared to urge our read
ers to risk much on these reserva-
tons. We have rather discouraged 1t,
would win prizes, hat NEST Of this
land is of comparatively little value
pr otherwise undesirable. and that there
Is bound to be a good deal of vexation
and disappointment and no little loss.
There was a time when homestead
ever. when homestead lands in the
humid district We're plenty and a man
could have pick and choice. Even
then. however, 1t is an open question
whether h farmer who worked on
@ farm by the month for five years
and saved his ,Tages could not buy
the land outright for which the home
steader had given five of the best years
Of his life, and he n his family sub
mitted to privations unknown in a more
settled country. In other words, the
who wo1'ked by the month and
saved his money woulc be quite as far
ahead as he homesteader. even IL he
was successful in getting a good piece
of land. and in the meantime would
have bad a great deal more enjoyment
put of life.
How. then. car this land hunger be
Eatisfed? 1t is in itself a healthy sign.
The mar VIII gets hold of a good
farms it Well, has laid the foundation
of a fortune. He will not be q. million
aire. He will not. possibly be a very
rich man from an eastern standpoint,
but he will be in no danger Of the
sheriff. He can educate his children
In habits of industry. thrift and
give them a good education IL they are
ut for 1t. and can have for himself and
wife a maximum of the real comforts
of life n the minimum Of its dis
comforts. Why. then, should not the
ownership Of a good piece Of LAND be
highly desirable today?
good deal OF land tina can be pur-
chased at from ten to twenty dollars
per acre. lam which If properly farmed
(and by his we mean If 1t is asked
to grow the crops which it's Creator
Intended it to grow will make the
farmer comfortable and happy. And
We think the chances for achieving
success are a good deal better on this
kind of land than in any of the Indian
that are now being
opened either for purchase or home-
stealing. We advise every nan who
Is by nature fitted to be a farmer to
get hold Of a piece Of land. if he can
so without burdening himself with
Until he is able to pay from
to one-half down he had bet
ter not buy it.
We must not expect a continuance
OF the prosperity of the last four or
five years. We don't anticipate any
great disaster. but prices are always
unstable. In the very
nature Of things adversely follows pros
perity and prosperity follows adver-
sity, as the waves follow each other
the shore. 1t has always been so,
Will always be so. and therefore we
advise any man to burden him.
self with debt which he cannot carry
or three years of dull times Many
q man has been ruined by buying high
priced land and involving himself in
obligations that have compelled him to
let go or keep his nose to the grind
stone for years to come.
We would rather lake our chances
now on a small portion of irrigated
land at q high price than on any land
that is now open to demonstrating any
where in the United States. The
great agricultural development in the
next ten or fifteen years will be in
the irrigated sections Of the plains and
states, and there, we believe.
n the next generation will be found
the highest type Of civilization on this
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Farmer.