The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1906-10-20
sooth oak0ta West Of Chamber.
lain.

and tue Black Hills which up 10 the
present has been occupied by wealthy
ranchmen. no longer exists A. ranch
ing country The cattle and sheep
kings have been driven out by the
homesteacers many OF whom are still
living n their shanties and sothouses,
guarding their interests until Uncle
Sam shall be- ready 70 come 10 their as
sistance aud give them legal right 70
1870 acres Of the finest agricultural land
in the west A country as fertile as
that western country it, could not re-
main the permanent home Of ranchmen
in the United States whore the popula
tion doubles every twenty hive or thirty
years This western country has been
considered by cattle and sheep men as
the very finest grazing country in the
west II was productive because the
soil j. wonderfully fertile and because
OF this very thing il will without
question in the future make one OF the
most prosperous agricultural sections
In the state OF South Dakota and for
that matter in the United States.
The transformation, in South
Dakota, from grazing to farming
country has been 80 sudden and so com
plete that il is almos, impossible TO
needed We have no statistics for the
years 1894 and 1908. but il is a well
known fact that both were good corp
years. SO far this year the rainfall has
been abundant and the crops look so
well that IL seems almost incredible
We had the pleasure Of visiting Pres
no last week and We can truthfully say
that we saw no better crops along the
Chicago. Milwaukee a st. Paul rail-
way, from Sioux City to Chamberlain
than we saw from Chamberlain west
to Presho in fact as whole, crops a
round Presho are better than they are
between Mitchell and Chamberlain.
Last year many farmers around Presho
raised 90 bushels Of blue stem wheat
per acre and 30 60 81 bushels OF mac
aroni wheat oats went from 40 TO 90
busehls per acre and corn from 20 10 90
bushels That the people really have
great confidence in this western country
il evidenced by the fact that claims,
TO which homesteaders have just ne.
ceiysd title from the government, are
selling at from Z. 1000 to 81 600 Deed
ed land is changing hands rapidly
at from tls 70 SEQ per acre. The
country Is being setrled principally by
farmers from Wisconsin Minnesota,
Iowa. Nebraska and Illinois II is
interesting in this connection to note
that most OF the farmers who have
I moved there either as homesteaders or
As purchasers were formerly renters in
the states mentioned
We drove over an area OF ten mile:
in all directions from Presho and WI
stopped to talk with a great many
farmers and all we talked with had
heretofore been renters and had come
west to secure cheap land and to be
come owners OF their own farms
There are thousands upon thousands o
farmers who ought 10 do the same
thing IL is not too much to say tina
a man is able to 20 into this section
aud buy a quarter Of land. break it al
mp and put it into grain crops, provide,
the hrst season is favorable, and pa,
for the land in one year. AS rente
farther sast he eau make living 70
himself and family and that is abou
all la this new country he can own
farm in from one 10 three years and
farm that in ten years from now will
be worth three OF four times It's pre-
sent market value. The opportunitie
in the west are large we have conf
dence in this particular section and W,
comprehend the change. While thii
vast territory in the past supported
thousands upon thousands OF cattle anC
sheep. and while il has brought wealth
TO many individuals. il will in the
future produce many times as much
wealth and support a hundred times
M many people. Ii Is only tour years
since droyes OF from 40. 600 10 80. 600
cattle used 10 he rounded up every fall
inst south of the White river ia the
Rosebud reservation rne cattle were
driven in there from Meade, Stanley
and Lyman counties and sent 10 the
great slaughter houses further east.
Droves Of from 5000 to 5000 cattle
and herds Of sheep numbering 10000
cold b. seen any time during the spring
season all over the section mentioned.
These herds were profitable 10 their
owners. because the pastures were
covered with thick mat Of buaiflo
grass roth winter and simmer such
herds can h. seen no more Here and
there one III sees small herds Of from
800 10 LOCO head but even they are
cArce
The land around Presho Il gently