Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1904-10-13
THE STATE CAPITAL
SOME REASONS why PIERRE IS
UNFIT FOR THE HONOR,
N. B. Kent Presents Some More Argu-
ments on the Merits OF Pierre's
Capital Claims.
To THE EDITOR:

typos arc hd0c W IOau, lCiLC was
voted the capital by the free, unbiased
judgment of the voters OF South Dako-
ta." This was caused by the typo
leaving out or skipping line of the
manuscript. The proper reading is as
follows: ''Pierre was voted the capt.
tai by the lavish and almost prodigal
use of money and not by the free and
unbiased judgment of the voters of
South Dakota" Indeed it was spent
30 freely that the bonded Indebtedness
was some sixty-five thousand dollars,
aad has been recently refunded on a
basis OF thirty cents ON the dollar. The
town reminds one OF thirty cents very
much when considered as the capital of
the great state OF South Dakota.
We recollect upon visit to peerless
Pierre In about 1893 real funny graft
Pratt, Wells, Wellman & Co. attempt
ed to perpetrate on the unsophisticated.
They had lot Of vacant land, lit is va
cant yet, only more SOY between the big
livery stable that stood across the
street from the Wells House, and the
Indian school. The company were
very DESTROYS of unloading this very
valuable ~ tract, SO they went to the
lumber dealer across from the Wells
House north and borrowed all the &C.
dar posts they had and strung them on
the ground along the road to the In
dian school, without any grade or even
survey, and reported the iron shipped
from Chicago for an extension of the
bob.tailed- mule ,one car ,street-railroad,
to the Indian school. 1t was really too
laughabie for anything. The attempt
ed graft didn't work worth cent, and
after the legislature adjourned the
posts were returned to the yard and
the toll not paid as usual.
BY the Sioux City Journal of the 9Th
We learn that another large party OF
visitors 10 the capital have been over
to see Scotty Phillips buffalo herd.
Yes, they are the chief attraction at
the state capital.
Speaking of growth, we were absent
from the capital ten years and the only
marked improvement we noticed in
that time upon our return was the fine
residence on the hill built by Mr.
Brown. de has gone to Mandan and
left Ii In care OF his father-in-law.
South Of the Black Hawk drug store is
a large cellar with stone foundation,
with the most healthy cottonwood
trees In the city growing in it, And
one noticeable feature of these trees is
the fact that they grow much more
rapidly and have better color than
those On the surface. Another excava-
tiOn OF boom days Is half way up the
hill on the left hand. Another lust
across the alley from Drinks real es-
tate Office. Another big one on the
left hand on the road to the Park no.
tel. Just above 1t is large stone
foundation where large wagon and
blacksmith shop used to do thousands
OF dollars worth OF business annually.
1t burned down and the wheelwright
and smithy disappeared never to re-
turn. The great Fitch block that was
pointed to with pride In 1890 and 81
and which cost some thirty thousand
dollars, is practically wreck, utter
ly void OF revenue and going to decay
There are many other instances SINH
lar to those mentioned And this Sit
uation to show TO strangers who visit
the capital OF the Sunshine Statem
The once valuable property that Pat
Comfort used to own on Main street
next south of the Grand Pacific that
used to rent for sl25 per month, has
been vacant for years. And the prop
erty on Coteau avenue where Col Seth
Miltimore Laird and his wife spent so
much money, Is Wondering back to
mother earth, rs are the once owners.
Some OF the hotels that have closed
since the capital was located at peer
less Pierre are the Black Hills House,
the Phoenix Hotel, large hotel on
the river east from the old electric
light plant, one west of the same, one
just south OF the Locke, one across the
street from the Northwestern and two
small ones on the hill. In place of
these the Rlvervlew has been coustruc-
ed out OF one OF the last mentioned ho-
tells and the old schoolhouse with ad-
ditions thereto. This hotel took fire
before 1t was fairly completed year
ago last winter and since that time
there has been apprehension with
many that 1t was not as safe as it
should be.
Speaking of the undesirability of the
land across the river for farming pur-
poses, why, bless you, you need not 60
across the river to set eyes on thou
sands OF acres OF utterly worthless land.
just 60 out TO G. L. Hyde's palatial
residence In the north end of Pierre
and cast your eyes over the awful
chasm OF volcanic products there TO be
seen, Where even desert cactus or sage
hPslah wont grow and than tall aho,+