The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-06-23
That Great Gas Proposition.

1t has gone to the foundation Of
most of the stuff sent out by the
capital bureau and press CORE (
spondents: GAS.
The subjoined item has been
sent out to all the organs of the
capital committee, with orders to
"chuck it in" even if it is rank.
When the permanent capital
building is built it will cost at least
$4,000 a year tax for fuel and light
and ELEVATOR power if it should be
at Mitchell where fuel will have to
be purchased. With natural gas
at Pierre, the state can put down
an artesian we'll and with its own
natural gas furnish fuel, lights and
elevator power free, as well as fur
nlsh water for sewerage. The state
approprlates as much as $12 1000 a
year ten years ago (see session laws
of 1909 for fuel and light at the
Iankton hospital. Now the APP
preparation Is included in the
$4,000 a year appropriation and
amounts to $4,000 a year. The
permanent capital at Pierre means
a saving of $4,000 to $4,000 for
fuel and water alone. The state
will spend 81, 900, 900 tax between
1901 and 1860 for fuel, light and
water for the state house and
grounds if the capital goes to
Mitchell. The state can get an ar.
tesian well on its own ground at
Pierre for $4,000 that will save
this million dollar fuel bill. If you
favor the coal trust and $50 coal
like one year ago vote for Mitchell.
Now wouldn't that kill you?
Mitchell is 100 miles nearer the
coal supply of the country than
Plerre-which partly accounts for
the fact that while Pierre was pay
ing $40 a ton last winter there was
plenty of it in Mitchell at Sill.
The total appropriation for main
tenance for the capitol building at
Pierre amounts to $4,000 a year.
This IN the face of the fact that
you can throw a cat through the
shack and not hurt the cat-a
building that has. by its draughts
Of cold air caused the death of sew
eral members of the legislature and
laid a score or more on sick beds
at every session. If it only costs
$4,000 a year to maintain a shack
like that how much would it cost
to heat and light a modern stone
building, now going up in Mitch
ell? About half-Which mean not
one-tenth part Of a million dollars
in a half hundred years. While
Pierre was at it, why didn't it fig
ure out the cost for a thousand
years? A state house is no hospi-
tal-outside of Pierre.
Before the state would expert
ment with gas-were it the inten-
ton to leave the capital where it is
would have to demonstrate
that it was to be had. Just now
there IS no more than enough to
the capital committee and
before the campaign is over there
Won't be anyleft.
This gas business at Pierre needs
| little ventilating. The business
concerns in'the town use kerosene,
'enzine and acetylene gas in pref
renee to it. Anybody who has
yer used natural gas for lighting
purposes knows what it is-a rank
raud. In about six years Pierre
las drilled five wells, at a cost Of
bout SIS, 900 and it has no more
as than when the first well was
Recently, when the
ast "great gusher' was completed,
4 (the we'll put down just pre- 4
eding it, stopped flowing and the /
own was out of gas completely D
nth connection was made with h
new we'll. If any other than 4
city-whether the state of \
outh Dakota or not-Was to at 4
'mpt to put down a we'll he or Z
ley would be enjoined at the drop L
the hat, as it has been fully y
demonstrated that another we'll 4
ould cut the city off from its sup. !
~. The talk of supplying a state 4
ouse with gas is therefore pure II
1t. Many days now the gas at (
ierre is shut off from supplying \
lose who use it to GLOW the re- 4
,iver to fill up. In winter the /
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