The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1905-05-26
What the Railroads have done
for South Dakota
Sioux Falls, s. b., May II, 19

efforts was largely due to the present
development of the state, are not diff
cult to find. In addition to the lib
eral manner in which the early set
tiers were treated by the railroad
corporations, notably the Chicago,
Milwaukee q ST. Paul railroad and
also the Chicago & Northwestern rail
road company, the railroads since
then have never failed to respond to
requests for such assistance as they
could give to the individuals or local
tiles.
AS has been the case with all new
countries, what is now the prosperous
and growing state of South Dakota,
had it's periods of partial crop failures
and the resulting depression. The
transform alton, was not accomplished
without such discouragements as come
to the pioneers in any new region.
The vast area of non-productive land
into which the new railroads were ex-
tended, and into which tens of thou
sands of homeseekers were enabled to
swarm because of the low rates grant
ed them by the railroads, had been
swept for ages bv billiards during
winter and by prairie fires during the
spring, summer and fall months. To
take this land, where the rainfall was
meagre by reason of its non cultiva-
tion and transform it into the rich
agricultural region of the present day
was no small task.
During these trying years the rail-
road corporations, with the welfare OF
the settlers and the residents of the
new towns closely at heart, did every
thing within their power to Tighten the
burden of the pioneers and encourage
them in their efforts. There came a
period in the early days when success
sive crop failures rendered the task
of the pioneers well-nigh hopeless.
Ruin was staring them squarely in the
face. The rainfall had been deficient
for two or three seasons. Their grain
was put into the ground in hopes that
the longed-for and needed rain would
come at the right time to mature their
crops. But they were compelled to
see their crops turn yellow and shrival
up because the needed rain did not
come. In addition to the failure of
their crops, many of the pioneers were
also confronted with that grim spectre
walton. During this discouraging
period the railroad corporations with
| lines in the state were the firm and true
| friends of the men who were engaged
in the giants task of making the des-
ert blossom like the rose. There came
a time when the heart-sick and dis
| couraged pioneers were compelled to
call upon their more fortunate brethren
in other states for temporary aid in
the way of provisions and clothing.
Here again the great railroad corpor-
ations stepped into the assistance of
the pioneers, for they transported the
provisions and clothing free of charge,
and in addition aided in distributions
among the people who were most in
need of them. Agents of the railroads
were untiring in their efforts to amel-
iOrate the condition of the pioneers
and their families.
Throughout that period of despair
the railroads did everything possible
to aid the Dakota settlers and encour-
age them in continuing their farming
operations, confident that things would
change and that their efforts ultimate
ly would meet with success. Follow
ing the drought years, it was like re-
building South Dakota all oyer again.
In this work the railroads once more
materially aided. Thousands of farm
ers were without seed grain, and with
out this, could of course, do nothing.
The railroads lost no time in coming
to their. rescue. Seed grain was Sc
cured in the older states and carried
free by the railroads to the farmers of
what is now South Dakota. The
farmers, thus substantially encour-
aged, took hold Of their work with re-
newed courage, and thous ands of those
who in those trying DAYS scarcely
/ 1yro hn
selves and families was coming from,
are now numbered among the wealth
lest residents of South Dakota.
Had infiexible railroad rate, such as
is now proposed in some quarters,
been in effect in those days it would
have resulted in a great part of South
Dakota being depopulated, and would
have put the settlement of the state
back twenty years or more, with the
area under guilty alton each year being
extended, the rainfall gradually in
creased and over the greater part of
the former great American desert be-
came ample for the maturing of crops.
For their own protection, the citizens
of the smaller towns were compelled to
make public improvements, such as
] the construction of waterworks sys-
tens. Generally speaking the town
people were not wealthy and there was
desire to keep taxes and public ex-
penditures down to the minimum. In
shipping in iron piping from eastern
factories to be used for water mains,
and for the casing of artesian wells,
from which many of the towns obtain
ed supplies of water for fire protec-
tion and domestic purposes, the rail
roads were called upon to grant re-
duced rates upon the shipments. In
accordance with their liberal policy
such requests invariably were granted
and the residents of the towns alone
are richer by many thousands of dol
lars through the liberality of the rail
! road corporations. Had an infiexible
rate been in effect the people of the
towns could not have received this
benefit. In this connection it can be
stated that the railroads, in building
up and developing South Dakota,
have never refused single legitimate
request for public aid to the towns
along their lines in the state, and
have never overlooked an opportunity
which would result to the advantage
| of the towns and the farming cOmmun-