Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-04
GIVES 10000 ACRES AWAY.
Irving D. Smith of Madison, s. D., Di-
vldes Property Among Relatives.


Madison, S. D., July 3-Andrew Car
negie is not the only wealthy Ameri-
can who is apparently afraid Of dying
rich. Irving D. Smith, of this city,
Madison's only millionaire, and one OF
the two or three in the state, has just
completed the giving away Of nearly
10000 acres of farm lands, valued at
$780, 900, to members Of his family
charitable institutions, old friends and
tenants. A list of his gifts comprise
the following
Sixteen hundred acres, valued at
$4,000, to his wife, Laura A. Smith.
Two thousand acres, valued at $751;
900, to his daughter, Laura H. Smith
Eight hundred and forty acres, val
ued at $4,000, to his daughter, Julia
E. Smith.
Six hundred and forty acres, valued
at $4,000, to his daughter. Courtney
Two thousand four hundred acres,
valued at $4,000, to his son, Irving c..
Nineteen hundred acres, valued at
$4,000, to his son, Sherman G.
One hundred and sixty acres, valued
at $4,000. to Alice Smith.
Sixteen hundred acres, valued at
$4,000, to Thomas, his son.
To his brother, Delano, and heirs,
$1O,400.
To his sister, Emma S.. s10,400.
To his superintendent, Charles F..
seid, 2,240 acres, valued at $4,000.
To Elmer Beacham, brother-in-law
and wife, 24O acres, valued at $1,000.
To 2. P Barber, 100 acres, valued
at $4,000.
To Henry Beck and wife, tenants,
100 acres, valued at $4,000.
To Pauline Braese, tenant,160 acres,
valued at $6400.
To the South Dakota Children's
home, $50 acres, valued at $1,000.
To the Madison Odd Fellows lodge
100 acres, valued at $4,000.
Irving D. Smith is man of 10, and
has amassed his wealth by pioneering
through Illinois, Iowa and South Da-
kota, in acquiring lands in the early
settlement Of these states, and holding
them until time had made them valu-
able. He has been ahead of four land
booms, starting with quarter section
of land which he homesteaded from
the government on the Illinois prairies
in 1888 In 1867 he moved to Benton
county, Ia, and turned his accumu-
lated earnings into fourteen quarter
sections of land. In 1877 he removed
to Plymouth county, Ia, and his hold
ings increased to some $500 acres, the
investment from the sale of high
priced land realizing four to ten acres
for one
In 1891 he began disposing Of some
of his Plymouth county holdings and
investing the proceeds in Lake county,
S. D., lands, buying at that time at
from $40 to $12 and SIS an acre. When
he had finished his South Dakota pur-
chases he had 100 quarter sections,
ninety-six of them in Lake county.
Soon after this land began to rise
steadily in value,until some four years
ago, when prices went skyward with
a bound, and Mr.. Smith awoke one
morning to find that he was mil
lionaire.
Mr.. Smith has sold little If any OF
his land in South Dakota, retaining 1t
ana working it with tenants on gen
erous terms, and has always realized
a good income from them. Land that
he has alienated has almost been en-.
tirely by gift. He still retains very
large holdings, in spite of his princely
requests, enough to make him one of
the wealthy men of the state. He is
very charitable man, and is be.
sieged in every mail with requests for
gifts.