The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-01-08
Total production for 1908. 1885, 63, 26.

1Oldl DToNuCllOa lOI lJUos p LOU ,NoO, [oT
Total production for 1902. 121 ,124,000
Net gain. $14,e39,264
Per capita. new wealth.. 253.77
The pleasant story Of advancement
! can be best told in Secretary Robin
sons own words, the following being
abstracts from his report:
THE growth of population has been
something more than normal, This
review last year placed the total at a
half million. Much inquiry and compu-
tation confirm the accuracy Of that
figure and Justify the statement that
the present population is 525, 600.
"The first effect of last years phe-
nomenal land movement was a posi-
tive loss of people to the state by the
emigration OF those who sold their
lands to spectators. That loss has
been much moro than made good by
the immigration of this year. and in
both farm and village the result of
growth is apparent. There has been
a large influx of homeseekers, who
have taken homesteads on the govern
ment land west Of the Missouri river.
This has been another year of large
building operations, despite the al
most prohibitive prices Of labor and
material. For the last stated reason
the towns have done more than the
farms in the way Of new improve
ments. As q rule the conservative
farmer, alr1ady well housed, could
wait for better prices before building,
but in the towns it has been, as a rule,
a matter of securing a home at any
price. Consequently building opera
tons have only been limited by the
ability to secure material and work
men.
I'm no former year has public build
ing been SO extensive. This includes
schools, court houses, libraries, water
works end sewer systems, and cement
sidewalk building, which has become
almost universal in the towns. Among
the more important Of the public build
ings. in addition to those provided for
by the legislature, are splendid court
houses at Webster and Aberdeen, IL
hr2rics at yankton, Redfeld and
Pierre, schoolhouses in many places, a
Masonic temple ct YanktOn. and hotels
at Mitchell and D~aadwood.
"Tbe building Of homes, however, as
is usually the case. has surpassed
every other building interest, and ev-
cry locality has participated in this ad-
vantage upon almost equal terms. A
few have been exceptionally costly and
elaborate, but ID the main the struc-
lures have been substantial and tasty
homes Of medium cost.
private finances continue to be in
a most hopeful condition. Farmers
ere as a rule frae from debt and many
have a comfortable balance in bank.
Almost the only exceptions are those
who have purchased adjoining lands, |
and they are making excellent prog
ress in clearing off debts contracted
for this purpose. To the general rule
there are, of course, the familiar ex-
ceptiOns Of the thriftless and unfor- |
tunate, but it is a fair proposition that
the Industrious and thrifty farmer Is
in very comfortable circumstances In
every portion of the state.
The prosperity Of the farms has re- |
fected itself in the towns. but there |
the same easy, money-ahead condition !
does not exist to such an extent, for |
the reason that almost every denizen
OF tie towns has gone to the limit in
improving his property. New homes.
additions to older ones, lawns, cement
walks, sewers and plumbing, gas, I
cuTbs and b~oulevards cost money. and
the South Dakotan is prone to provide
himself with all Of the modern com.
forts.
AT the last report OF the bank ex-
aminers there was s31, o00, 900 upon de-
post in the national, state and private
banks Of South Dakota, a figure scarce
ly different from that made in the re-
view OF n year ago. A good deal OF
investigation among bankers confirms
view that about 65 per cen OF the
whole is the surplus Of farmers and