Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-05-26


five de~claratories, and all these dur
ing the month. We clipped tn
item and it appears in anothe
column of this issue. This item
shows very clearly that Mitchell hal
discovered the fact that the %countr,
around Pierre is settling up.
1t is sheer nonsense to content
that the country around Pierre il
but a grazing country. 1t is just al
good farming country as can b.
found anywhere. A few years will
the present rate of migration viii
see Pierre the center Of population
as well as the geographical center o.
this state.
The capital then should remain
at Pierre because of its ce IT,
location.
Now let us look at this capital
question as a business proposition
What would the state gain by the
by the removal to Mitchell?
The chief argument advanced by
the Mitchell people is hat their city
is more accessible at the present
time to a greater number Of the
people of the state.
This question is not debatable.
Pierre's friends admit the fact. But
how long will this condition remain ?
Just take up your map and cast
your eye over the great country
west of the Missouri river in this
state and ask yourself this question,
long viii it be before rail
roads are going to enter hal region"
You can answer it. There is no
getting away from the fact that at
the rate immigration is settling up
the lands across the Missouri but a
few years will lapse before railroads
will be cutting the state up with
east and west lines as they do now
north and south, and from the river
the eastern boundary of the state.
Here comes Mitchell with her ques-
"Why have the roads not been
built before" To this we reply.
Did a railroad ever go into a country
that was not settled unless it was
compelled to pass through that
country to reach some other section
hat had sufficient business to war
rant a railroad? To be sure the
reservation has shipped hundreds
Of cars Of stock each year. Why
lid not the railroads cross to get
his business? The answer is very
simple. The stock was all sold
alive in Chicago and other markets.
in the summer the round up
vas started and the cattle were
moved by easy stages to the shipping
along the Missouri river,
the Black Hills and in Nebraska.
that were brought to the
anges shipped to these same
from Arizona, Texas and
Mexico and driven from them to
heir respective ranges. Cattle and
lorses could be moved to the rail
Dads with little expense and incon-
'enience. But this is not true Of
he produce of the farmers. The
can go to the railroads
,ut the railroads must come to the
Four or five men and as
many horses could bring in a train
Dad of cattle 100 miles in a few
lays, but how many men and how
many horses would it take to bring
. a train load of grain.
The Chicago, Milwaukee 81 St.
Paul railroad company is already
of building their road across
he river. They have two points in
lew for crossing the Missouri, one
t Evarts and the other at Cham
'erlain. We have been informed
y people who claim to know that
he best possible point for crossing
) at Evarts owing to natural forma
nations in the bottom of the Mis-
ouri river. The Milwaukee officials
we're in Day county with a corps of
urveyors last week looking up a
ocation for a line of road from this
ity or Waubay to Watertown and