The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-08-18
SWELL COUNTRY HOME
Dick Richards Has a Magnificent
Country Home up in sanborn
County That's a Beauty.

r. O. Richards, who is we'll known
in Mitchell, has Just completed a fine
country home up in Sanborn county
near Forestburg, that is attracting
a lot OF attention. The house and
its finishing are very fine and the
whole was built under the direction
of A. j. Kings, contractor, of this
city. The Woonsocket News has the
following description Of the ranch
and its surroundings, which will
prove OF interest to Mr.. Richards
many friends in Mitchell:
"In the European countries, Ger
many, France. Austria and others,
the wealth. culture and Intelligence,
instead OF being concentrated in the
cities Is found in the rural districts
and on the land. This is becoming
more a0d more the tendency in the
United States"
This was an observation Of Il. @.
Richards at his summer home, Rich-
ards Ranch, on the Jim river. Mr..
Richards is the president of thu
Richards Trust Company, Of Huron.
He owns about two Thousand acres OF
land in Unlon township and at the
center OF the ranch has erected Whist
Is probably the finest sc. Of farm
buildings in the state. The house Is
large and convenient, beautiful In
side and out, thoroughly modern
throughout. being supplied With hot
and cold, soft and hard wxter and
sanitary plumbing, gas: for cooking
and lighting. and wired thruughouf
for electricity, which he expects to
generate BY artesian well power. Thu.
bedrooms, halls and drawing room
are supplied With open fire places
Esupplieds with. woodsftom the timber
along the the river, will add cheer
and comfort for the chilly weather a
spring and fail. A big cold storage
room preserves the meats, vegetables
fruits, etc. The house itself costs
Rbout %, 500. There are several large
barns for sheep, cattle, horses, tioRns
and poultry, some OF them tuIlt OF
native rock. One big loft is already
filed with alailfa for the sheep. Thas
acreage Of alfalfa Is to be largely in-
creased next year. A ten horse.
power gasoline engine does the work
requiring power. A neat kitchen.
garden furnishes fresh vegetables for
the table. Two neatly graded roads.
lead to the house. One along the
river bottom runs from Hiram
Rodee's through George Walkers and
IChas. 0leson's up through the natur-
al timber to the barns. The other
is on a section line east OF the build
ings and winds around the hill down
to the portecochere. Another road
leads from the nam entrance to the
barns. The garden and lawn are ir-
srigated from the artesian we'll on the
hill north of the, buildings. On the
high land near the we'll an artificial
lake has heen constructed. It Is
covered with wild ducks attracted by
the water cress and Wild rice, the
seed of which came from the lakes Of
Northern Minnesota. In the fall one
may get a brace of red-heads or NAL
,lards any morning from the blind out
in the lake. The lake is stocked
with black bass which will be large
enough TO catch next year. Thus
at slight expense has been added
what to many spOrtsmen Of the east
ern cities would be paradise in sprinp
and fall.
In an office room Mr.. Richards has
a telephone with a wire direct to his
Office at Huron.
Here during the greater part OF the
year MIR. and Mrs. Richards and fam
lily make their home and entertain
their friends. At present a brother
and his family from the east and a
number OF young pc )ple from Huron
are enjoying the hospitality Of the
home.
MI. Richards is personally %superin-
tending the operation OF the farm
and he says that it pays an ineresto of
about six per cent on the valuation.
Must of the land was purchased very
cheap at prices ranging from two to
twenty dollars an acre. He has re-
fused an offer Of $40, 600 for the place.
The time is not far distant when it
will be worth twice that sum and
will pay dividends on a sum much
larger han even this. a visit to this
model ranch and beautiful home is
|enougb to promote the growing
movement .back TO the land