The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1906-07-26
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Soutn DaKota geography ~ peihb
made over this year. Hitherto the
state has consisted of two parts: the
farming land east of the Missouri and
the Black Hills in the extresne western
portion. Between these two regions
lay vast uninhabited plain. Cattle
men occupied II with their herds.
They industriously spread the irfor-
nation that 1t was good for nothing
else. South Dakota was cut in two by
this reservation" as 1t has always
been called. A journey through two
outside states was necessary to get
from one portion to the other. Now the
gap is being filed as by magic. Five
thousand families have gone to make
their homes on the new lands within
the last year, and the land offices are
overrun with applications for claims.
The region, comprising all OF South
Dakota west OF the Missouri except
the corner occupied by the Black
Hills, contains some 10000 square
miles, an extent of country three
fourths as large as Ohio, three-sev-
enths the size of Iowa. Two. and
probably three, lines of railroad will
soon be running trains across 1t. and
branch lines are already projected. 1t
tury for want Of railroad facilities.
Now 1t is coming into its own. Instead
of being a barren waste 1t is found to
contain fine farming land. A large
part OF the land can be farmed with
profit as II lies. In other sections the
country lends itself readily to lirriga-
ton projects, and the intensified farm
ing under this system will contribute
enormously to the wealth OF the
state. The possibilities of the new
section Of the state are as yet but par
TALLY known but enough has been set
! tied to make Il certain that the great
central portion of South Dakota has
future before 1t; that 1t Is sure TO
become one OF the important sections
| OF the state South Dakota from now
on will be one solid state. The great
central section will be an element OF
strength instead of weakness, and
! will tend to draw the two older por-
| tions into closer sympathy rather than
| divide them as It has done in the past.
The home making in the transmits
| souri, region Is the biggest thing for
South Dakota that has come to pass
] in the last twenty years.
| Az an Indication of the material de-
velopment OF the western part of
/ South Dakota for the past year the
records OF the land offices at Pierre
! and Chamberlain at the close of the
| fiscal year make good showing. For
! these two Offices homesteaders took up
! for the year 1,19s.000 acres besides
that which was taken in the way Of
soldiers and reservoir declarations,
| which amounted to 74,720 acres In
the Pierre district, and probably more
In the Chamberlain district. The fig
ures of the business of the Rapid City
| office are not at hand, but will be
somewhat less than the Pierre district.
with a probable total of million and
half acres of public do
main in this state disposed Of through
the different filings Of the fiscal year.
The business of the Pierre Office was
not heavy until about October OF last
year, when It was definitely known
that the Northwestern road would
| extend to the Hills, while the Cham
berlain office secured the rush of busi-
ness from the Milwaukee extension.
beginning early in the year. The de-
tailed record OF the business of the
Pierre Office for the year shows 2,620
/ homestead entries. taking up 409,477
ing title to $3.50 acres, of a cash value
of s12,4S5.19 In the Pierre land dis
trict there is total Of 5,265,600 acres
of land, of which 2,209,039 acres are
included in Indian reservations, Of
which 1,162,500 acres are in Arm
strong County. $4,000 in Dewey
County, 274,000 in Schnasse County,
I 91,539. acres in Hughes County, and
1 $4,000 In unassigned territory. The
amount OF land is 2,187,07S acres, and
there are yet S50,433 acres open to
filing in the districts outside OF In
dian lands. or this Stanley County
has s38,119 acres, Lyman 10,s0S acres.
Sully $40 acres and Hughes 766 acres.
The finding Of the dead body Of
} Henry Anderson In the road near An
J telope Creek recently, probably fndi-
Gates a death caused by heat and over
J .exerttpn. A party Of men came from
Omaha to PYesho on promise OF en-
ployment which was not Forthcoming
when the party arrived. When II was
|, found that no railroad work was to be
, obtained, FIVE Of the party started to
walk to Pierre, trip of forty-five
miles acress the prairie. The temper
| ature was about 90, and the supply OF
| drinking water found along the road
| was limited and not very refreshing
when secured. The party left Presho
, about o'clock in the morning, and
. at different points along the road
three of them dropped out at ranches.
and only two made the trip through.
, Anderson was one of the three who
, was compelled to stop. and at the
ranch where he stopped, showed signs
) of mental trouble, but he left for Fort
Pierre only to drop dead In the road
. way Efforts to find friends or rela-
: tives were not successful. and the re-
! | mains were buried by the authorities
Of Stanley County.