The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-04-20
GREAT RUSH TO
SOUTH DAKOTA
NEW SECTIONS IN THE NORTH
WEST OPENING.
Faulk and Contiguous Counties Attract
K Manysof the Newcomers Because o.
y the Proved Fertility Of Their Lands.
sy HERsERT vANDERHooF.

Faulkton, S. D. 1.-THE rush is already on,
but it is as yet only small stream
Pretty soon it will be torrent. I tell
YOU the people. are becoming educated to
the fact that this is the state where for
tune awaits them, and they are coming
after IT, - - ~-~. -
I could we'll believe his assertion, as
day after day I saw trains draw In and
scores of robust men getting off, all eager
for land. Faulk county is in the north
ern part of the state a trifle west Of the
center line, and while it is not as thickly
settled as the eastern counties, it is fill
ing up pretty rapidly. There are two rea-
sons that especially attract the new set
tiers to Faullz and the counties contigu
Gus to it. One Is that the country. has
been ''proved'; there is no guesswork
about the land there. Another Is that |
land values have not reached figures that |
deter the investor. On the contrary. to
the man who knows anything about land |
at all, the prices quoted seem ridiculously !
cheap And they are. But this condi-
ton cannot last long. Land that will |
produce the crops they grow up here
year after year is certain to double in
value within five years at the farthest.
|
a we'll watered one, with plenty of small
streams and: creeks which furnish an
abundance of living water 1t is called a
rolling prairie, but it is simply rolling
enough to provide natural drainage The
soil IS heavy black loan. with a clay
subsoi-a soil that retains moisture, that
absorbs it. and !. then p, gives it forth to
can grow wheat. if they wish, and DO
nanza crops at that: Most every farmer
with any quantity, of land does grow some
riety Of crops, inðe long rum is much
better for them. So they go in for corn,
and there is no state in the union that
much They. grow oats. millet barley,
potatoes, and every kind of vegetable.
They go in for hog and cattle raising and
are the finest in the land for cattle. Here
is where the buffalo used to roam, and
they did SO, because this is where they
could find the best kind of food. These
rich and succulent native grasses are go
| ing to make South Dakota one of the
great cattle states Of the union before
long.
Outward indexes, of Prosperity.
An infallible index to the prosperity Of
any farming community is found in the
appearance of its farmhouses and barns.
and the live stock in the fields. The pros
porous farmer has a good house barns n.
booded stock. He also keeps up to date
and buys the best agricultural machinery
on the market From appearances, there
fore, the farmer up here has nothing to
crave for, because---his houses, barns,
fer 6 any man lying b sabdebaasss s ars
modern, their churches are handsom and
/ well supported. and there are no paupers.
T. I talked with a. dozen or more farmers
I was struck especially with the general
air of contentment every side. Some
of these men had lived here for some
yearsAa dozen or more-while others
4 they were all free of debt, had every ma
terial comfort that man or his family
desires, and were all making money
"A man can't help but make money
here" said one elderly farmer when I
q had made this observation to him.
a ''Leastwise, he continued, refectively, IF
4 sense. I've been here eighteen years and
A have never seen the year didn't make
money. I bought my land cheap at that
time. Of course, les than S. an acre, s and
a the crop 1 raised in my first year not only
a paid the entire price Of my land, but left
IA me way to the good.
"Since then I have kept on making
n money every year and have been buying
81 land pretty steadily. don't know any
q better investment ,. for my IN money: o.
r. IS; not much: you've got to pay any
IA where from SIS to s25 an acre for land
81 but even then he's poor farmer VIII,
81 can't get half the price Of his land baci
n on the steady rise. I've been offered 81
@ an acre. for my land, but l wouldn't con
slider $50. couldn't invest $50 to brln
m me in anything like the interest my Ian
n is earning me on that valuation. I tax
ID life easy now and don't worry. When
n want to take a trip anywhere; I go: Whe
IA every farmer up here can do the same,
M reckon
n Railways Open New Territory.
b Due northwest of Faulk county, and o
I'd the next tier of counties north, is Wal
- worth. county, which Is the present ter
minus of one Of the great railway sys
TENS that traverse. the state. This ter
minus. Evarts, is a, little over midwa
of the state and Is located on the Mis-
souri, river West Of Evarts to the west
ern border is a very thinly settled sec
ways But two lines Of railway are no
territory within the present year, in a
probability, will be thrown open to set
| tiers. 80 S,:sr:
This country isl.well known, howeye
and the fact that: has not been settle
up before is simply because Of it's IRE
moteness from railway lines. It. ais
contains a vast quantity Of free HONS
ways is attracting thousands of LAND
seekers to the district. Many OF these al
men who come out here and go,
progress the workers have chance
select the land that suits them best, an
at the same time are not only making
living. but saving money. Hundreds {
these men who are today working for Ola
wages will in the next five years /
- Il reekoned worth their thousands, and wi
J Il be sbossing stheir. own workmenf "A
) 4 About Homestead lands.
I have received good many inquiri
80. about these homestead lands and sho
they can be obtained, and will state Il
qualifications briefly:
First, a homesteader is required to
: a citizen Of the United States or to lla
. made declarat ton: OF intention to sbecor
.. one and must be over the age Of al. !
is allowed to homestead a, quarter se
i ton OF 100 acres, and for this the la
" office fling fee Is s14. Certain improv
l ments are required to4be made within s
I / months after fling After this peri
residence must be- continuous Fir
date of filing by paying $1:25 an acre,
- after five years continuous residence, t
II fee is only $14. s.zsss.,.l,
% steader to do Is to go to- one of the re
estate dealers Of the state and enga
4. his services to attend to all the prelil
inariesa For this they charge sum tn
-; steader a whole lot of difficulty. If
- person files on the land they pay the f
If he does not, there is. no charge. The
slps dealers, however, are thoroughly q
~ uuainted with the country and the pos
lH ; hiIities of the land, and their adv
4 alone is worth more to the prospect
8. y hemesteader than the fee he pays the
1sS lit may. be roughly stated that perso
224 = -, - ,pilt . cu1.oxn "a about s1f1N