The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-10-21
faG MITCHELL CAPITAL
FRIDAY. OCTOBER u. 1904.
ON CAPITAL REMOVAL

Pierre is making a frantic effort to
frighten the people of the state in
to not voting for Mitchell because of
the expense which will be attached
in removing the capital TO Mitchell.
One statement of expense that Pierre
claims is that it will cost South Da-
kota people $3.50, GEO to buy a capitol
site in Mitchell. Well that is pretty
GOOD evidence from a rival that prop
erty has some value in "a live town.
However, Mitchell will just save the
state $3.50, 900 by presenting to the
commonwealth twenty acres of land
on which to erect a capitol building,
whenever the state is ready for it.
There is now IA deed in a Sioux Falls
hank made out to the state Of South
Dakota conveying to it twenty acres
of property in the northwest part OF
the city on which to erect a perman-
ent capitol building. 1T is past the
power of Mitchell to withdraw the
property as the bank Will hold the
deed for the state. The state owns
nothing at Pierre but what will be
duplicated more than double by nov
ing the capital to Mitchell. She will
receive twenty acres OF land that
Pierre admits is worth $3.50, 600,
while the ground at Pierre is worth
about $40 IN ssacre. VINO is getting
the best end of the bargain ty bring
ing the capital to Mitchell?
The Pierre board OF trade is hav-
ing a good time with itself in believ-
ing they are making votes for their
town in taking the people out to see
the place. We have met a great
many people coming back by the way
of Mitchell and going to their homes
in the southern part OF the state and
have secured an expression from
them. They all agree that Pierre is
making it very pleasant for the WISH
tors and is doing everything possible
to make a good impression. But
Uulo 10 DOS tuO AuCSIlOu az SCdhC ~
this campaign. In conversation with
one gentleman living in the southern
part of the state, he said: ut does
seem strange to me that after the
capital has been located at Pierre for
fourteen years and that the people
have put up With the inconvenience
Of having the seat OF government
xway out at the jumping off place
! that there would be little opposition
4. to the change. Just think OF the
number of people living on the east
ern side of the Missouri river who
have got to make additional miles Of
travel and the time spent in going
out to Pierre, with Mitchell so acces-
sibIe. Look at the population south
and.east Of Mitchell. Wig, Mitchell
ought to get everv vote that is cast
: on election Cay. 1t is wholly un-
reasonable to attempt to justify the
location Of the capital SO far removed
from the center of population, and
am willing to risk my reputation
as a truthful man on the statement
that the center of population will
not be moved from its present sur
roundIngs. III the country around
Pierre increases at all in the next
few years, what do you suppose the
central and southern part OF tie
state will be doing. | am loyal to
my state and i am still more loyal to
My section Of the state, and | do not
believe that i am saying one word
against the. state. when I assert that
the land west of the river is not as
good as it is over here and that it is
not a good agricultural country.
Tell the farmers down in Yaukton,
Clay, Turner, Lincoln, Lake or any
OF these counties that their lands are
no better than the lands on the res
eryation and they will laugh at you.
j drove around through Hughes
county and failed to find anything
that would indicate it was an ae1i-
cultural country. resent very
strongly to have it said that my
farm in Clay county is IN a par With
reservation land. and l do not think
Pierre is doing fair justice to the
state to say So"