The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-08-04
SOUTH DAxorA,s POPULATION

Hfl<RHS%A1H..s
Sioux City Journal: South Dakota,
Mo, - going to be disappointed over
H. general result OF the state census,
nom which returns are now coming
e. Tho national census Of 1900 gave
0oOth Dakota 2 population Of 40l,.
G5o. The past ive years have been
y and away the best and most pros.
porous 40 the history Of the state.
Weather conditions have been favor.
able and Ill lines Of wealth pr0duc-
lion available In South Dakota have
yielded highly satisfactory returns.
Real estate, farm land particularly,
ms gained steadily In value. For
several years there has been q steady
.ln1ux OF land seekers. Under the
circumstances 1t Is not surprising
that South Dakotans should have set
their hearts on turning the half mill
al0n mark this year. That would
I Mean an increase OF about 100, 600 for
she i've year period. a gain Of Is
pr cent In population durine years
q such activity and prosperity was
not considered excessive. The re-
turns are not all In. but If the aver
aze shown by the counties that have
reported shall be maintained through
0utsthe state, al 1t doubtless will,
aEtotal population Of about $50, 600 is
about the best that can be Anticipate
-. This will be an Increase of 10
peT cent for the five-year period, not
abad showing, but one that is dis
appointing nevertheless when all the
indications had been pointing to a
moro substantial growth.
While u Is bit surprising that
more material immediate results can
not BE- cited in return for the valu-
able Advertising South Dakota has
receiyed during the past few years.
slt may be confidently predicted that
the last halt OF the decade will make
H. better allowing. The South Dako-
n land boom, which stirred up so
much excitement In the northwest,
wassat first IN the hands OF spsculat-
tts. The basis for augmented land
values war plainly apparent, and
SPECTATORS busted themselves turn
Ing the land over from hand to hand,
satisded with moderate profits on
nA:h transaction. This movement
has now spent itself, andsthe land is
becoming accessible to homeseekers|
at prices which Offer good returns
from actual soil tillinp. The land
ush to the Rosebud last year, while
foolish In itself, IA . revelation to
the tens OF thousands who visited
the state in the search for something
Tor nothing. Visitors found that
while there was small chance of get
ling rich quickly out of the Rosebud
lottery, there was plenty of ideal|
farming land that could be had for
comparatively cheap prices in the
eastern part of the state, while to
the vest there was d lot Of govern
ment land that could be had for al
Bong and should be well worth the
singing. The homeseekers have been
coming in earnest ever since, and
may be expected to come In increas.
Ing numbers during the next five
years.
The stateswhich can prove its claim
tosthe productSonsof more wealth peri
capita per arhum tlfan any other
In the. hninn fSS hnund 70 orop
Perhaps a little cooperation between
the states and the railways in adver-
Using South Dakota's advantages
and encouraging immigration would
be worth while.
When Baron Konura. the japanese
representative in the peace confer
en,e, passed through st. Paul he