The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-10-07
PIERRE The PEERLESS
What All Old Timer Thinks of Capt.
tai Removal IN the State
Since 1883.
Since 1883.

Elk Point Courier: Pierre was mol
voted the capital by the free, ul-
biased judgment OF the voters OF
South Dakota. This is the principa
reason why the people should again
vote upon the subject.
AS we stood upon the steps of the
magnificent marble capital building
at st. Paul recently, located on the
extreme border of the agricultural
state of Minnesota and looaed out up
on the beautiful vista. the city, the
trees, the buildings, tie father of
waters, the woods and wales across
the river, we thought of this moon
shine twaddle about geographical To-
cation and again OF the enchanting
vista. yiewable from the steps of our
state capitol. of treeless hills and
gumbo terraced cones. Let's get the
capitai somewhere where the city
OF its location will not impress upon
the strangers this fact.
Go back TO 1889 when the l~egisla-
ture first met in Pierre. The train
stopped at East Pierre, many got off
the train and took apartments at the
Wells house. At Pierre the band
PLAYED upon the arrival of the train.
The Park hotel was we'll patronized,
also the Locke and several other COM
foltable obstetrics. Since then how
changed the situation The Wells
and tine great Park hotel are closed
and put to other uses and several
Others of less pretensions. There are
no adequate facilities for the care of
the members Of the legislature and
che clerks necessary for the transac-
tion of public business. This is
plainly shown by the fact that the
members vote a recess as soon as pos
Slble after reaching there. and con-
tinue to vote recesseS as long as they
stay. And then we recall the wholly
inadequate conveniences OF the shell
OF a capitol itself. We have e the
door Of the closet IN the basement
covered with water during the ses-
sion, spreading stencil and disease
everywhere. The ventilation of the
halls is wretched. We recall the
names of some OF the splendid men
who have left comfortable homes in
the dead Of winter and lost their
lives by going there, such as George
III. Hand, Lieut.. Gov. Heilman,
Horace j. Austin, Senator Boyland,
Senator Rudolph and Others. Is it
fair to the men who are sent to the
state capitol to transact business for
us to send them to a place of such
poor conveniences? Certainly not.
Then speaking OF the commercial
facilities Of the place, there is one
lumber yard where you may buy lum-
Der, wood or coal, n shovel grain
ware house, no mills, no nothing.
Every pound OF -four is made east of
Pierre, at Miller, st. Lawrence,
Wa%tertown. Minneapolis and other
places. Every pound OF beef, pork
and mutton is shipped in in the win
ter from east of Pierre, also much of
the poultry. Is this a fair showing to
strangers for a great state like South
Dakota with an assessed valuation of
oyc $500, 0O0. 900:
So far as the value OF the school
and endowment lands being affected
by the location OF the capital, the
is nothing in such contention. Sup
pose the capital had never been To-
Gated at Pierre. how would that have
affected their valucy Not one iota.
IL those lands a,e valuable Tor farm
ing, their market value will soon be-
come known and they will sell ac-
cordingiy. Capital location has moth
ing to no With their value.
Whcn We read recently OF the death
OF a young lady i'm a Pierre hospital
from typhoid fever induce5.by drink
ing water from a water hole west Of
there while holding down "a claim,
we were reminded OF a half a dozen
trips we made across that alkali
plain in ls7s-79-s0 and 81. We took
a bundle OF sticks aud a ken of water
strapped behind so that we II light
fry Il little meat and make a little
coffee to SUSTAIN tired humanity.
And now water is obtained by dam
ming creeks in the spring or sinking
artesian wells, which a poor mar can
not do. The oxen, poor creatures,
would drink from the water holes
until large portions of their hair
would fall out and in some instances
their hoefs drop Off. This would
certainly be a tine country for farm
ingl Not a tree in sight for miles
and nothing for fuel but ON chips.
And then the towns west OF this re-
capital that we used to
hear SO much about. where are they?
Such as, Recluse. Interior, Mid
land, Westover, Nowlin. Earling and
MEXICAN