Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1904-09-02

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takes, and no man in the state has create
reason to abhor the blockade line" from
Huron to Pierre than he. His opinion ts q fre
expression Of Q man who knows the country b
is talking about EDIToR LEADER
vermillion. South Dakota, 4
August 8, 1904
Dear Sir:-Replying to your letter
asking my views on the advisabiiity q
moving the capital from Pierre to Nit
chell, in answer will say IL does moi
seem to me that it should be difficnll
question tor the voter Of the state e
decide
Il is needless to say that Pierre can
never be the center Of population Of
this state, owing to it's soil and climatic
condition; in fact it can never hope tc
be central for more than twenty OF
twenty-five per cent Of the population
while Mitchell must, FROM it's natural
location and agricultural advantages.
retain from seventy.five to eighty per
cent Of the population within . radius
of one hundred miles square
Had the voters of this state investi-
gated the natural conditions existing at
Pierre, and compared them with other
localities striving for the capital in the
original contest, they would never have
located 1t there Its to be hoped that
q similar mistake will not be made
again.
You were in the legislature for two
terms and need not be reminded that
Pierre is one of the most isolated
towns In South Dakota, having only
one railway by which It can be reached
The high country and deep cuts be.
tween Miller and Pierre rendered travel
extremely difficult in winter. You will
recall that few mails were received
during the entire season Of 1897 and
that the telegraph and telephone wires
were down most Of the time. Other
years have been nearly as bad.
When lawmakers are assembled at .
point 60 remote that they are not in
touch with their constituents and are
subject to the constant influence Of
lobbyists and others representing spe.
cial interests, the result has often been
bad legislation and extravagant ap.
|propristions.
Mitchell is on the two great lines OF
the Milwaukee Railway and is the ter.
minus Of an important branch Of the
Northwestern, and doubtless the sixty
miles between Huron and Mitchell will
soon be spanned by the Great Northern
thus making Mitchell central from
all points Of the state.
You are doubtless aware that the Mil
waukee Railroad is ready to extend
from Chamberlain to the Hills and on
to the Pacific Coast. It is no secret
that the Milwaukee has bought termin.
al facilities on the Pacific Coast. cost.
ing approximately ono million dollars.
You have many fine summer and health
resorts, which should attract tens OF
thousands Of people were they easy Of
access to coast line.
During each legislative session for
many years when the question OF capi-
tai removal has been brought up it has
been claimed by the Pierre people that
the Northwestern would built across to
the Hills. They have had ample time
in the past fourteen years to fulfill this
promise, but If any one will stop to
think he will see that it is not to the
advantage of the Northwestern to build
. line that would compete with itself
The extension Of the Milwaukee to
the Hills and on to the Pacific coast
would be of ineslimable benefit to the
state. giving you better and cheaper ia.
cilities for freight and passenger traffic
and making an interchangeable home
market for vast quantities Of products
that are now being shipped to and
from other states.
Even under present conditions You
can leave Deadwood at 8 p. m. and be
in Mitchell the next evening, while it
requires the great part Of three days
and three nights TO reach Pierre. The
listanced from Sioux City to Mitchell
being only 1873 miles. while the distance
from Sioux City to Pierre bv the North
western line $50 miles. The extra cost
for mileage and hotel expenses for the
round trip, to say nothing about the
time lost, is not less than $40 to$25.
The inaccessibility Of Pierre places
the poor man who may be 90 unfortun.
ate as to get into the courts at great
disadvantage. Nearly every import
ant law suit finds Its way into the
Supreme Court. From any point east
Of Huron it requires from three to FIVE
days for an attorney to go to Pierre
and make an oral argument before the
courts. His charges for extra time and
the expenses involved bear heavily up.
on the man of small means. Frequent.
ly justice cannot be secured except by
an appeal to the laws of the land, and
In the proportion to the expensiveness
of carrying case through the courts
the poor man is at the mercy of his