Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-10-06
Thursday, October 6, 1904.


pretense."
The latest contribution is a large
pamphlet, tho title page of which is
follows: know Your Own State
Official Maps Reproduced from E.
Frank Peterson's Atlas of South
Dakota for 1904" The design of
the pamphlet, Of course, is to play
the contents as something modern
and authoritative in order to SANDER
and malign the whole western half
of the state.
The maps are neither official"
mol 1891" Mr.. Peterson nowhere
claims anything official for his
atlas, but the Mitchellites attach
that title to his maps in order to
delude voters. But even If they
were "official" when originally pro-
mulgated, they have outlived their
data, and are no baris by which to
Judge conditions at the present time.
And still this Mitchell pamphlet
fraudulently seeks to MAKE. in appear
that it gives conditions as they exist
today.
The map on population is freckled
in pink to show the distribution by
counties; but it is the distribution of
more than four years ago, since
which time such enormous changes
have taken place in the west Mis-
souri, country as make the map as
valueless for modern purposes as an
almanac Of the vintage of 1900, and
Pierre has proven it numberless
times in the campaign.
The population as to cattle and
hogs is similarly indicated on other
maps but the basis is the assessors
returns of 1902, now nearly three
three years old, which is rather anti
quated in a commonwealth so pro-
gressive as South Dakota. Why,
only a short time ago a Mitchell
organ sought to show that Stanley
and Butte counties were uninhabit-
able because there has been such an
increase in the number of cattle
there. Therefore, according to
Mitchell logic, the fewer cattle
speckles on the map of that region
the more fertile it must be.
The basis for the polka dots on
the map showing "the distribution
of total wealth by counties is ven
more fraudulent than the speckled
cattle map, 80 far as indicating con
ditions of today is concerned. 1t
gives the assessors returns for 1903,
whereas this years assessors returns
for Stanley county alone show that
within a single twelve months, in
the one item of farm lands entered
for the first time in the assessors
books, there has been an increase OF
$50 per cent in asssssable property.
During all the previous years Of
Stanley county's existance only
100000 acres had passed from
government to private ownership
while there was an addition of 500,
COO last year alone, making a tota
Of 100000 acres-and this did no
touch the unprecedented homestead
entries of the past few years, which
later will pass to private OWNERSHIP,
and become assessable.
And still the Mitchell pamphle
seeks to make it appear that it give
the conditions as they exist today.
Il is difficult to tell just wha
"of1icial" character can be given /
the map purporting to show tn
average selling value per acre Z
land without improvements" Whs
Official keeps record Of any sue
thing. This alleged average valu
Of unimproved land ranges from S.
an acre in Union and Clay COUNTIES
down 70 81 in Fall River count,
with nothing above IS west Of ii
Missouri, and only So in Potte
6ully, Hughes and Hyde counties.
The utter fraud in Mitchell's pull
lieation Of such figures as these, !
showing present values, is indicate
By the fact that Gen. George
Ai;sby, the present mayor Of Mi
~ho1l - ~, ro<.ord hsccs.1f ~ LII