The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-30
eHOOT MON

"A trip across South Dakota just now
would convince P. Donan that he was
Within the mark when he spoke Of the
OLD territory as the banana belt. Ban
stroke In South Dakota today. In Huron.
where spent a few hours on Friday, the
sparse collection Of snow was melting
on the .curbs, men were walking about
without oyercoats while the Thermometer.
at the drug store registered the. for VIM
ter. disgraceful figure of SO above. Leaves
were trying to hatch on the shade trees,
and the oldest inhabitant was recoIlect-
ing the time when the ducks few back
over the territory in January to find
warmth and food.
Huron, s. D., Is about ESQ miles almost
due west from Minneapolis and 120 east
OF Pierre, pronounced Peer, the capital
OF the state. It lies on a prairie whose
surface Is scratched only by the bed OF
the James river. Land appears to be
quite plentiful about Huron. It's side
hills are made by the curvature Of the
earth, two inches to the mile. It would
be grand place for a croquet field, but
unless one introduced some Of the state
politics to serve as hazards and bunkers,
golof would not succeed there.
Huron, according to the most veracious
chron1clers, has anywhere from 1900 to
b,000 people. 1t appears 10 be a. busy
town. The railroad travel Is trnnoensa Tor.
the size of the place and an air of busi-
ness is everywhere. The North Western
road crosses the edge Of Huron and
seems to have made it convenient for
people to stop there without seeing the
town at all. The railroad hotel is on the
depot platform. One can step from the
car into the immediate and dazzling
presence Of the man who says front"
Only he doesn't say 1t. He lets you find
out for yourself anything you may wish
to know about the place.
But another hotel Is in process Of con-
struction, and thereby hangs a tale Of
Dakota politics and Minneapolis capital.
When Dakota was divided and admitted
as two states the temporary capital of
south Dakota was located at Yanl1ton
Thereupon ensued a strenuous campaign
for the permanent capital Huron and
Pierre were in the midst Of the fight, and
Huron was picked to win because 1t was
much nearer the center of population and
great deal more accessible than Pierre.
But the large ideas of the early Dako-
Pierre, which Is in almost the geograph-
tcal center OF the state. Meanwhile HUI
ron had builded pretty strongly on the
capital 1t had among other things in
terested James H. Bishop. president Of
a building and loan society In Minneap-
oils In hotel project. A 10o-room build
Ing was erected and when the capital
went elsewhere the hotel was not needed
in Huron, and the 100000 invested in It
was sadly needed elsewhere.
1t was idle for many years and then
was occupied as a recitation room for
the Huron college. Now John Longstaff
and partner have bought the building
and are fitting it up for it's original pur-
pose. It will make a splendid hotel, one
that would do credit to a much larger
city than Huron.
Is looking up. The farmers in the sec
ton are reported to be rich. Farm land
Is valued at from $40 to $40 an acre.
South Dakota is receiving tremendous
immigration from the surrounding states
Of Iowa, Nebraska and southern
Minnesota. I was told Of one man
y =G thousand sga ~ aeres land e=f IN
eastern Nebraska for $40 an acre, and
and reinvested the larger part of his
money in farms. He was of the opinion
that the history of eastern Nebraska
would be repeated in South Dakota, only
faster, and he,l at the age of CO. was will
ing to take his chances on the return.
A curious thing about South Dakota Is
that, unlike it's sister state to the north.
1t has never had a state wide railroad
In the beginning Indian reservations in
terfered with railroad building, but even
when statesmen had gotten these draw
backs out Of the way the companies ap-
peared to be laggards about building
west of the Missouri river. It seemed al
most as tho there had been compact
between the roads not to build. It looks
now, tho, If there was such an agreement
that it had expired, for the Milwaukee and
North are engaged in a race
to the Black Hills. The Northwestern
Is building west from Pierre and east
from Rapid City in the Hills, and within
a year will have thru trains across the
state. The. Milwaukee will cross at two
points, Chamberlain and Evarts or Mo-
bridge, and the latter crossing is ex-
Pected to develop into the Milwaukee
transcontinental route. These railroad
projects, when realized. viii make a great
CLduSe Ill Tie spIODleiIlS Ol SOuln DdhOld.
They will bring agricultural and cattle
products Of the slope and the minerals Of
the Hills across the state and give the
eastern part of the state chance to sell
the western supplies that now come
around thru Iowa and Nebraska. =
South Dakota is an empire. When
one takes a look at the broad acres
thrown out on either side Of a train and
reads the statistics of what is already
raised there by a population which Is
only SIX to the square mile, feels
rather easier about ]. ]. HilPs predic-
tons Of over population. South Dakota
alone could support and give employment
to two or three times the present pop
rlation of the New England states, which,
have been 300 years gathering their peo-
pie. james Gray.
" "A MARVEL IN GRAFT 4