Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1906-02-08
In Twenty Short Years.

w. II. Spencer, former resident OF
South Dakota, visited the corn palace
at Mitchell during September. Mr..
Spencer lived in Davidson county 20
years ago, and had not visited it since
he left. His surprise and pleasure at
the development during his absence are
thus expressed:
When [ left there my neighbors were
living in sod houses with dirt roads and
some dirt floors. Everything that per
tailied to their existence was OH about
| the same level and | considered their
chances for anything better was very
know how to express my surprise and
| pleasure for they have nice, comfort
| able homes, nicely furnished with their
| pianos and organs: also telephones in
their houses and on the crossroads
where half a-dozen mail boxes are, in
which their mail is deposited daily ex-
cept Sunday. 1t was really feast to
me to see their nice we'll painted houses
and barns, the fine horses and cattle,
and the finest corn | ever saw since |
left good old Illinois, | asked one man
What their corn would average to the
acre and he said last year it averaged So
bushels to the acre. 1t was not guess
| work either for the ground was meas
ured and the corn weighed | well re-
1
! member one of the old settlers telling
me OF his early experience when first
settled there He came from Iowa and
thought flock of hens would help them
to live but the wild grass did not prove
very good chicken feed and he hardly
got an egg all summer He sowed some
small grain and planted corn but the
hot winds of July cooked the grain.
He said 1t was so hot, dry and windy
when the corn began to shoot it's ears,
almost every ear missed the stalk, and
it an ear did set it was about the size
of his finger withnoW and chen shriv-
eled up grain, (that was about 1880.
The quarter settled on was almost the
last vacant tract there and so was not
very good Now $4,000 would not touch
u. Land adjoining has been sold at
$40 an acre. The conditions which
have changed the jim river valley from
desert to a fertile plain, are moving
west just as certainly and irresistably
as the light of the morning sunshine
moves west. AS that country was
settled ten years before this and as
their last year was an ideal one, we be-
gan to see the possibilities of this part
OF the country. (MoraD. In pioneer
life: "rhe race is not to the swift5nor
to the strong but to the fellow who
holds on.
How Money Doubles UP in South Dakota.
The steady increase in the value of
South Dakota farm lands is shown sl,y
the experience of W j Ryan a resi-
dent of this place. -Four years ago he
purchased tract OF 1850 acres. known
as the Dyson property, and situated in
1.-The western part of this (Kingsbury)
county. For the farm Ryan paid the
fsum ofa $1,000. He has just sold the
| tract for the sum of $1,000, giving him
| a profit Of 200 per cent On afonr year
investment. Desmet correspondent in
Argus Leader.
Personally Gonlaeted Tonr TO Cali
fOrnia.
Exclusively first-class tour under the
auspices OF the Tourist Department.
Chicago, Union Pacific s. Northwest
ern line, leaves Chicago, Wednesday,
February I, spending the disagreeable
portions OF February and March, in the
land Of sunshine and flowers. 1850 in
Guiding all expenses, railway are, sleep
ing cars. meals in dining cars, and no
tel expenses. Service first class in.
every respect. Persons starting from
points west of Chicago can Join tile
PARTY at some onvenient poins. Write
for itineraries and full particulars to s.
a Hutchinson, Manager, III Clark street,
Z Chicago, Illinois.