Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-10-06

declares.
And still this Mitchell pamphlet
seeks to make it appear that it gives
the conditions as they exist today.
The map showing average annual
rainfall is another delusion. As an
instance of it, Mr.. Peterson's own
statements in his book regarding the
record at Pierre may be quoted.
While the figures on the Mitchell
map give Pierre's rainfall as only
IS inches, Mr.. Peterson's book
itself gives it as l7.T inches a
Discrepancy Of more that II per
cent. The Mitchell pamphlet
assuming to show the state as it is
to-day, ignores the fact that in
recent years the average annual
rainfall has increased, as shown by
the government records at Pierre.
For the four years of 1892 to 1895
it was l4.57 inches, for the next
four years 1868 and for the past
four years 1886 inches. And the
seasonal distribution has been such
that, on the average, one-fourth of
the days in the three spring months
firing rain, and one-third of the
days in three summer months.
So far as the country west of
Pierre and outside the Black Hills
region is concerned, the figures on
this Mitchell map are admitted by
Mr.. Peterson himself to be guess
work or derived from insufficient
data. He says in his atlas: "Obser-
walton out there have not been
established long enough cor at a
sufficient number of points for def
nate statement"
And still this Mitchell pamphlet
seeks to make it appear that it gives
the conditions as they exist to-day.
Whatever may be anybody's
figures, the fact remains that the
west Missouri region has more water
and more timber than the east Mis-
souri, region. The Cheyenne river
runs more water than the jim, and
besides this there are three other
considerable streams, making west
of the Missouri as against only two
east. And any really official map
will show probably twice as many
creeks in the western country as in
the eastern. Nature doesn't estab-
lish creeks and rivers unless it has
water TO run in them.
And on top Of everything else,
the great conclusive fact remains
that actual experience has demon
strated that agriculture is just as
successful in that west Missouri
region as anywhere in the state.
That's what knocks the knockers.
The country westward from the Mis-
souri, will be settled by actual farm
ers in due time, just as surely as the
country westward from the Missis-
sippi has been settled.
And still this Mitchell pamphlet
seeks to make ii appear that it gives
the conditions as they exist today.
But the climax of deceit and fraud
in these maps of this Mitchell p.m.
phlet is reached when it rings in
what it calls the "Oficial Division
Map of South Dakota" chasing
everything west of the Missouri
river as grazing lands" except the
Black Hills gold mines, and every.
thing east of the Missouri as eth.
Big Sioux valley and "the artesiar
BASIN"
No date is fixed to the may, Nit
chell's fraudulent purpose is t,
make people believe it is right up t,
the living present when it lack
eleven years Of being sol and for th'
purpose of further fooling them, th
map is put out under the pretens
/, OF having been issued as the oficia
act OF some n in authority, whic
( it was not.
The fact is that this map wa
, gotten up in 1893 instead of 1907
by men then connected with th
immigration and real estate bus
j-A~ nl-- --A-1