The Irish standard., 1904-06-18
Secure a Farm in South Dakota.
Says Bishop Startha.
Catholic oungMen Should Crap
pie With the Opportunity.
A Word About the Rosebud Res
ervation, Soon to be Opened.
editor of the Irish Standard

Catholics throughout the states engaged
i'll farming are anything but pleased
with their present position. A success.
sion of bad seasons and many other
unlooked-for and unexpected occur
FENCES have reduced them from pros-
perity to almost restitution, and have
scarcely allowed them the necessary
means to live from hand to MOUTH
as the saying goes. Many others with
large families and with sons inclined
to walk i'll the same path of life as their
parents, have almost given up all hope
of being able to give their sons start
in life on account of the dearness or
scarcity of land in their own neighbour
| hood.
| To all these a word in season will
not be out Of place, especially as the
writer, from his rank and position, has
only i'll view the temporal as we'll as
the spiritual we'll being of his co-relig-
ionists, and he thinks it would be
worth while to turn their attention to
|
which has been placed within easy
reach Of all by the recent proclama-
ton opening up to settlement the Rose
bud reservation, Gregory county, South
Dakota.
This is, indeed, in plain truth an ell
chanted land. Here we find ourselves
on virgin soil-soil of the richest and
most fertile description-as good as, if
not BETTER than the richest soil in any
of the states, we'll suited for the rails
ing of crops. Water, that most indis-
pensable OF all things to the farmer, is
found everywhere in abundance-in
creeks and in wells from - to Is feet
below the surface.
The climate is genial, vet moistened
sufficiently by rain to allow the raising
of good crops. The writer had occasion
last year to spend considerable time
in the district while it was yet {; reser-
walton, and he can vouch for the fact
that the average rainfall was once a
week.
Such is the place which the writer
earnestly recommends to the notice of
Catholic farmers on the lookout for
lands better than those they now pos
sess. He also recommends it to the
attention of all energetic Catholic
young men who intend to devote them
selves to the pursuit of farming.
The 9Th of August is the day fixed
for the first filing of entries, but the
most Important step in the apportion-
ment Of lands will be taken long before
that time. This apportionment will be
by lot. TO give all applicants an op-
portunity to file their applications, the
work Of registration will commence
July 9Th and will be continued to the
22d Of the same month. For this pur~
pose branch land offices will be opened
ut Bonesteel, Yankton and Fairfax. All
applicants must present themselves in
person at one Of these Offices, or at the
land Office in Chamberlain between the
9th and 22d Of July and register them
selves as entrymen. We may mention
that the journey to any of these places
may be made with comparative ease
and facility on the Northwestern line.
! a train leaves Norfolk Junction every
day for Fairfax at 1890 noon and ar
rives at Fairfax at 1925 p. m..
If the applicant is successful, the
land appOrtiOned during the first three
months will be 81 per acre. and may
be had on the following terms: 81 per
acre to be paid in cash and the re-
mainder to be paid during the follow
ing five years at IS cents per acre each
year.
Such is Rosebud from the material
standpoint. From the religious stand
point, no settler has anything to fear.
At Fairfax a church is being built and
wherever Catholics will settle down in
numbers churches will be built with
out delay, and schools will be provided
for the accommodation and education
of the children In the meantime. until
further measures be deemed necessary,
stations will be named and priests ap-
pointed to look after the spiritual i'll
terests of our Catholics, so that they
may lose nothing materially or spiritu-
ally by their entering "The land of the
Dakotas."
What has been said about Rosebud
may be well applied to Lyman county,
which lies to the north of Gregory
county. Ills land was held until late
ly Ly the cattle kings. who used their
utmost endeavors to keep people from
settling there. Lately they have had
to give up this land and have moved
farther west. Since spring goodly
number of settlers have come in and
have taken the land under tile home
stead act. \ church has been ere ted
lat Iona. and is within reach of most of
the Catholic settlers. The land all over
the county is as equally good as that
described above, so that South Dakota
is now ready and willing to accom-
modate as many as desire to come and
entrust themselves to it. There can
be but one result-prosperity for every
earnest and energetic worker.
i JOHN STARIHA,