The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1905-09-27
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is that by proper development the oil field
can lie tapped. The leases are in different
forms TO conform to the views Of the par
ties, but one form which is being used
provides for a perpetual lease 80 long as
the lease payments are kept up. How
many are signing this form is not known,
but II they are caught on this, there is n
question as to the validity of such leases
under a provision OF the South Dakota
statute, the existence of which was not
generally known at Pierre, and probably
Is not Of general knowledge over the
state. 1t is section 226 Of the revised
civil code, and reads as follows: mo
lease or grant Of agricultural land for a
longer period han ten years in which
shall be reserved any rent or service Of
any kind, shall be valid. No lease or grant
Of any town or city lot for a longer period
than twenty years, in which shall be re-
served any rent or service Of any kind,
shall be valid" The section comes under
the provisions Of statute providing re-
straints Of alienation. Such provision
was found to stand in the way of a lease
for a longer period than twenty years
to the parties who are preparing to test
the oil situation in Pierre.
The address delivered by Hon. James
Wilson, secretary of agriculture, at the
state fair at Huron was OF much interest
to farmers, and was one of the most EN-
co%uraging and helpful talks to which they
have listened. Mr.. Wilson came to South
Dakota for the first time two years ago,
and after examining the conditions here
Immediately set about to discover grains
and grasses which would grow in our dry
country. This year he returns to find
them all drowned out, and it will be neces-
sary TO take new bearings. There is
moisture enough in our soil now so we
will have no need to worry for the next
three years if we have reasonable rain
fall. Secretary Wilson says that over
%, 100 scientists are constantly studying
what will grow the best in different sec
tons Of our great commonwealth, and
that he sent a man to the steppes of Rus
STA for specimens of bromo inermus, an
other to northern Africa for hard wheat,
the macaroni variety-for our state. Mr..
Wilson expressed hope that Mr.. Hansen,
of the South Dakota Agricultural College,
would be sent to Russia far east of Mos
COW, where he hoped to obtain specimens
of cherries and other fruits that could be
profitably grown anywhere in the north
west, also to procure alfalfa adapted to
the same locality.
The Indications ut the present are that
the long wait of Pierre people for rail
road connection with the Black Hills sec.
ton of the state is at last to be realized,
and everybody Is happy over the outlook.
The immediate cause of the optimism is
the filing of the articles of incorporation
Of the Pierre, RAPID City and Northwest.
ern Railway, the incorporators all being
officials of the Northwestern Railway.
These articles call for a line from Pierre
through Stanley County, into Lyman
County, and again into Stanley County,
through that county and Pennington to
Rapid City. This line practically means
that the Bad River valley route has been
selected as the proposed line. AS a mat.
ter Of fact the articles have been prepared
for several days, but were held from the
public until several deals had been CON.
pleted which were necessary before pub.
licity was desirable. Coupled with the
announcement of the Sling Of the articles
comes the Rapid City report that the
right Of way, grade and franchises Of the
old Rapid City, Missouri River and st.
Paul Railway had been purchased by the
Northwestern Company, and the cash for
the transfer with all additional forfeit for
beginning work eastward from Rapid
City at oi>Se.
The Pierre Indian industrial school has
started the term for the coming year with
a fall attendance of $50 pupils. This is
the limit of the school, but the demands
for admission are far beyond that figure,
aud the school is always crowded. As
soon as the new building is completed the
limit will be 200 pupils, and that number
can easily be secured for any term. The
school has this year sent agricultural ex-
hibits to the state fair, and will send to
| the Mitchell corn palace. With the new
farm the question of irrigation Oh the
sand bottoms of the Missouri could be
easily tested, and the outcome of a little
experimenting in that direction shows
what could be done on a larger acreage.
The exhibit which is being sent from the
school includes all garden vegetables gen.
orally grown, and samples from their
corn. all of which was raised by the In
dian boys under the supervision of the
white farmer at the school.
A meeting Of the state board Of pardons
will be held at Pierre on the fourth OF
October. At that meeting an application
will be made for pardon for Edward Will
son, who is serving a life sentence on the
charge Of numbering Otto Solquist in
Moody County in 1904, for the purpose
CT robbery. Solquist was beaten to death
with a monkey wrench. and his body hid
| den. Neither the murder nor his victim
wer residents Of that county, but the
people Of Moody County are worked up
strongly in the matter and are prepar-
ing to come before the board at its meet
ing to put up as strong opposition as
they can against any l~eniency in the case.
The murder was planned and carried