The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-09-29
AcRoss THE RESERVATION
o. ". coursey describes Country
Between chamberlain and
Rapid City.

Editor Republican, couple weeks
since, Prot. G. A. Fry and myself
decided to drive through from Oa-
coma to the Black Hills, across the
range country, for the purpose OF
CRITICALLY examining 1t with a view
OF settling out there. A number Of
Nutshell people asked to have me
write and tell them ali about it.
Owing to lack of time, this IS impos-
sible. / have therefore decided to
reach all at once through the medium
Of the Daily Republican.
Nature OF country-From Oacoma
west to White Clay Buttes, a distance
OF IS miles, 1t is quite level. For
the next 30 miles it is the hilliest
country [ ever passed over. In ranges
1922 e. inclusive, there is consider
able level land. Range 10 E. is rough.
From here on west to the Cheyenne.
it varies from level to rough, and it
is badly indented by projections from
the bad Lands. Between the 102 de-
gree parallel OF W. longitude and the
south fork Of the Cheyenne, and be-
tween the bluffs adjacent to the Rig
Cheyenne and those along the Bad
river, is a beautiful tract of country
comprising several townships. None
of 1t / think at the present time has
been fled on. From the south fork
of the Cheyenne to Rapid City it is
Ia succession OF ridges, each rising
higher than the preceding one until
they eliminate in the Black Hills.
Soil-The soil from Oacoma west to
range "a, is all black gumbo. In the
eastern edge OF this range the soil
begins to be mixed with sand. From
the western part Of range % to 10, 1t
lis a lig5t alkali soil in~terspersed with
large patches OF gumbo. The region
west Of the lO2 parallel and between
the Bad and Cheyenne rivers, has q
good black loan with a good clay
sub-soil. This strip is. one Of the
best regions which we saw. It's
greatest drawback is lack Of water.
The elevation is high, and unless
good artesian wells can be secured, 1t
will be valueless.
Grass-The hundred miles Of gum
DO re2l0n west of Oacoma is covered
with salt grass knee high. We were
told by ranchmen that this Is the
tjrst year 1t has ever grown 10 tall.
On the alkali soil west Of the gum
DO, there is q much s~cantier growth.
The cowboys told us that large tracts
in 2 s.. ranges 10 and 20, had never
produced any grass until the preced-
ing year.
Orops-While it is true that there
10 some good small grain this year in
the neiRhborhood of Dirkstown, Il
miles vest OF Oacoma, and some fair
corn, the country is not adapted for
farming and ! think never will be.
Water-It is purely a semi-arid
region. They have no surface wells
and cannot get any except along
ravines where they nave damned up
the rain water. AS soon as the
water behind these dams is exhaust
ed, the wells 90 dry. The first regu-
lar surface we'll which we focnd after
leaving OacCma was 80 miles east Of
Rapid City. This "dam" water
grows stagnant. Three out Of a party
OF five who drove across recently,
contracted TYPHOID fever from drink
ing it and one died.
Filings-All the land worth any
thingsat all, from Oacoma as far west
as 2 STANCE 10, has been taken.
The two prettiest sections Of land
which we saw we're Sec. IS, 2 S.,
range 81, and Sec. 30, 9 S. range 10.
The former is all taken. At the
time we left Chamberlain, the latter
vas not. Many who filed %sss,4nts
unseen and paid some land shark
s25 for locating them on a nice level
t TACT, will be disappointed when they
see what they have got.
-4P ~4-L 49, . NKG RNN LEN ML 49, EGMH