The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-10-07
of three legislative terms at Pieme.
The article is as follows:

q an N'& -,
the coming election to decide wheth-
er the capital should remain at
Pierre or be removed to Mitchell.
When the law making body OF the
state adopted this resolution by a
large majority. it acted according to
| it's best conviction, and it was not Il
step taken in haste. Our legislative
body realized that the seat OF gov
eminent ought to be moved east.
| ward, where natural conditions are
such that the land can be cultivated
and populated by farmers; aud that
| the capital of South Dakota should
| no longer remain out in the Wild
erness, where the land. for lack OF
| rain, is not adapted for anthying but
cattle raising.
The writer of these lines voted
with the majority for Pierre for cap
ital in the thought that it would
help to populate the western part OF
the state and on the pledge that a
railroad would be built to the west
ern boundary of the state as we'll as a
railroad from Aberdeen to Pierre.
| But not another nile OF railroad has
been built during these years, 10
can it be said to be demanded, as
! the traffic cut there consists mainly
iof bringing young cattle out to
Pierre and sending them back fatted
to eastern markets.
Notwithstanding Pierre has now
been the capital for IA yeats, the
surrounding country is uninhabited
and the city of Pierre lies desolate,
SO to speak. There is To tie found no
grain elevator, no flour mill nor any
thing else indicating the presence OF
ii farming community. The state
officers are IN Pierre only o%ccasional-
ly. but few of them %consenting to
live there. The government OF
South Dakota is run as a matter of
fact ny deputies and CLERKS. The
supreme court is required by law to
sit at the capital, and the lawyers
from all parts of the state are cCm-
PEELED to make long Journeys TO at
tend court. while citizens vino are
SO unfortunate as to have lawsuits To
be heard there, are forced into biz
expenses.
When the Pierre fellows send out
long tables and statistics about all
the rain which falls in the western
part OF the state, it must certainly
be calculated for suckers. The
land around Pierre for long distances
is no longer government land, but
long ago was bought up and deserted
again, when the owners discovered
That no crops could be raised in so
dry a climate. The Pierre people
themselves confess the truth OF what
is here written, when they ION page
is OF the pamphlet distributed by
them relate how the u. S. govern
ment is going to help to get water
for several thousand acres in two
countieS Pennington and Butte ;but
how much is that going to help the
whole western South Dakota, if the
government furnishes irrigation for
some few thousand acres? From this
it should not be understood that the
land in western South Dakota is any
worse than in many other states.
The land in the western part OF Kan
SaS and Nebraska is still poorer, be-
cause not only does the drouth des-
troy crops there but you also zinc
large barren wastes of sand.
Pierre is inaccessible. 1t has only
one railroad and when anything
happens the state officers and the
legislature are shut Off from the
rest of the world. Thus it was in
the winter OF 1897. There had fallen
considerable snow between Huron
and Pierre. For many days WI could
get no mails, and towards the close
OF the session there was no tram ser
vice for 8 or 9 days. Finally after
the legislature had adjourned there
arrived a train, which carried us
back to the Inhabited part ot the
state.
The city of Mitchell, which ON
last legislature named as our future
capital, is a beautiful town, sur
rouded by we'll cultivated farms. anc
has railroad communications in al
directions. 1t has constructed 8
splendid stone building at a cost Of
from $50, 1000 to $3.50, 900 supplied Will
all modern convenienceS. among
which are fire proof vaults for keep.
ing the state records and archiv YES
This building has been turned owe
60 the state of South Dakota t. ht
used for a capitol as long as the state
so desires ana without any cost fol-
rentals.
Mitchell has likewise donated e
acres of land in the Immediate vi
cinity OF the town, " here the state
OF South Dakota can build its own
capitol building when the time comes
that it SO decides.
The city Of Mitchell also pledgec
itself to remove from Pierre tt
Mitchell whatever personal property
the state owns in Pierre, and tina,
without the cost OF a single dollar tc
our state treasury. Legal documents
for these several propositions have
been deposited in Sioux Falls Ma
t>nin banks ADMINISTRATIONS to
the bank officers to e,iver them tc
the government OF South Dakota,
should the electors show a majority
OF votes for Mitchell.
The writer OF these lines has him
self spent three winters in Pierre as
a member Of the legislature and
Therefore ought to know pretty vel
the condition OF things there. To
me it seems that every elector. who
has the welfare OF the state ct heu1t.
should cast his vote for Mitchell
for it would indeed be foolish to any
longer send the legislature way GU,
west, far from the population to-