The Irish standard., 1904-06-25
Secure q Farm in South Dakota
Says Bishop Stariha.
CatholicYoungMen 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. \ success
sion of bad seasons and many other
unlooled-for and unexpected occur
rences 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
III 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 in view the temporal as we'll as
the spiritual we'll being of his co-relig-
iOnists, and he thinks it would be
" oA1L w 1llIC " lul l1lCll illC1lllOu "
chat glorious prospect in sight, and
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 en-
chanted land. Here we find ourselves
Oh 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 II to Is feet
below the surface.
The climate is genial. yet moistened
sufficiently by rain to allow the raising
OF good crops. The writer had occasion
last year to spend a considerable time
in the district while it was yet $, reser-
vation, and he can vouch for the fact
that the average rainfall was once 4
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 Sth 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
ODD of the same month. For this pur'
pose branch land Offices will be opened
at 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 ODD 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 North ostcrn line.
\ train leaves Norfolk junction every
day for Fairfax ut 1870 noon and ar
rives at Fairfax at 4 % p. M.
If the applicant is successful, the
land apportioned during the first three
! months will be 81 per acre, and may
;; be had OH the following terms: 81 pei
, 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 church is being built and
| wherever Catholics will settle down ii
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 in
! terests of our Catholics, so that they
may lose nothing materially or spiritu
, ally by their entering "rhe land of tho
Dakotas."
| What has been said about Rosebud
may be we'll applied to Lyman county
which lies to the north of Gregor,
county. his land was held until late
! ly ty the cattle kings. who used thei1
utmost endeavors to keep people frou
settling there. Lately they have hat
to give up this land and have moved
farther west. Since spring a soodl!
number of settlers have come in ant
! have taken the land under tue home
stead act. A church has been ere ,teC
at Iona. and is within reach of most Of
the Catholic settlers. The land all owe,
the county is as equally good as thai
described above, so that South Dakota
is now ready and willing to accom-
modate as many as desire to come ant
entrust themselves to it. There car
be but one result-prosperity for everi
earnest and energetic worker.