The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1905-05-12

THE RAILROAD SIDE

luL KAlLnUADOlUE
OF the Proposed Government Control
OF Railway Rates
Sioux Falls, S. d., May S-Special:
An nnthough OF opposition has ar isen
in South Dakota to the regulation OF
passenger and freight tariffs by
government board. That opposition
developed first among the land and
immigration agents, who are looking
to the settlement OF the large areas OF
cheap lands and fear that government
control would lack nexibility, and
that the state Of South Dakota would
not have the advantage OF the low cx-
cursion rates that are made during
the entire year into all parts OF this
state. They also point to the fact that
immigrants coming into the state are
brought in with practically no expense
by the railroads, in so far as carload
lots Of household and other effects are
concerned. They also fear that The
agents OF the various land companies
would be compelled to pay full rate
! railroad fare, while in territory from
which they draw the large number of
land buyers that come intoSouthDak
ia annually. They seem to think that
such system OF controlling rates may
be all eight for the old and settled
states, but that it will work a great
detriment to the property interests of
the unsettled west, and will retard
the rapid increase in the price of farm
lands; and will practically stop the
development of many of the thriving
towns dependent upon the agricul-
ture and mining prosperity, so marked
in many parts OF the west during the
past seven years.
1t is safe to lay that in no other
state in the Union is the feeling of the
people toward the great railway lines
In the state more cordial and friendly
than IN South Dakota. This is due to
the fact that South Dakota owes its
present prominence in the sisterho0d
of states to the liberallty and encour-
agement given it by the railroads.
Wherl railroads were first extended
into what is now the state of South
Dakota, this region was classified on
maps Of the United Stptes as a part OF
the Great American Desert.
The railroads were the advance
guard 1f the present civilization, for
when they had extended into and
opened TIP the country, farmers and
others by the thousands came to oc-
cupy the rich lands lying along the
newly-constructed railroad lines.
at the time of the great railroad
construction era early in the '8O's,
Dakota had only small settlements
here and there outside of the town of
Yankton, il the extreme southern
part, and few other frontier settle
ments along the Missouri river, and in
the eastern part of the territory now
embraced in the state of South Da.
kota. Such towns as already were in
existence were merely struggling set.
Elements, none of which attained any
size or prominence until after the
railroads had extended a network OF
lines through the territory.
Then, the towns already in existence
took on new life, scores of other towns
were started at Convenient point:
, along the new railroads: and, where
+ few short months before had beer
solitude whose silence was broken onl7
by the whirr of the rattlesnake, tn,
yelp OF the wolf and coyote and tn,
cries Of the other wild animals, or th
whoops OF the indians who roamed a
I, will ever the vast regions, became
! scene of animation and activity.
Long traiuS of immigrants aud 1hei
effects were to be seen unloading a
o every one of the new stations alon,
the recently constructed railroads
q "prairje schooners" and their loads Q
: living freight lined every prairie trail
! and passed in one long and endles
= procession to every part OF the vas
region, which had been made access
ible and habitable by the industry an
enterprise Of the great railroad cor
o porations IN extending lines through
q a country which many believed woul
g never sustain population of any size
. From the new towns along the re
Gently constructed railroad lines tn
y thousands of hardy and ambitlou
}, white settlers spread over the SUI
!. rounding region like a swarm of lc
T. Gusts. But, unlike the locusts, thei
"a object was to build up and not dc
% stroyed, and in apparently the twink
;, lieg of an eye houses commenced t
- dot the prairie in every direction, an
in all directions over wide scope o
country: thousands OF men with plow
attacked the virgin soil and million
OF acres Of land-up to that time
n desert waste and non-productiye-
of were broken and brought under cult