The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1906-05-18
GREAT BOOM IN SOUTH DAKOTA LANDS
Many Purchases Are Being Made Richness Of Country Ia
Returned Fortunes 10 Those Who Located There.

toric fact, just the same, that 50 far
as civilized settlement is concerned the
country now known as South Dakota
is less than forty years old. 1t was
not until after the admission OF the
territory, in 1861, and really not till
the close Of the Civil war, in 1865, that
few venturesome spirits made homes
here In 1S8O-S3 there was big rush
of homesteaders, at which time the
real civilization process began. this be-
ing in time advanced by the creation
of new state in 1889.
State Free From Debt.
There are something like 100000
happy, prosperous people living In
South Dakota. Some idea of their
financial independence may be had in
the assessed valuation of property for
taxing purposes. which is placed at
| 19,647,674, or about one-fifth OF the
real value. South Dakota has no bond
ed Indebtedness, and as the state gov
ernment is economically administered
the rate OF taxation is very low. The
limit fixed by the state constitution IS
mills on the dollar. Perhaps one or
the most significant features in a
monetary way may be seen in the bank
deposits, which amount to 5000 900,
every dollar OF which belongs to what
we love to call "the common people
the deposits of farmers, ranchmen,
tradesmen and manufacturers. 1t
there is any ground for complaint 1t
may be possibly found in the fact that
the people are so prosperous they don't
have to borrow money, and as a con-
sequence the banks have to go outside
the state IL they wish to make loans.
Just think of 1.-THE value of real
and personal property in the state is
81, 140 per head for all inhabitants-
men, women and children. Keep this
in mind in making plans for a change.
Land Values Advance Fast.
As a matter of course, land values
are advancing fast 1t could not we'll
be otherwise in a country so favored.
Still, in the large majority Of instances
prices are reasonable when one stops
to consider the conditions. If q new
conner seeks improved lands, with mod
ern buildings, convenient to railways.
churches, schools and stores, he must
expect to pay more than for farms at
a distance and on which the improve
ments are yet to be made. People are
beginning to understand that 1t Is diff
cult to find more inviting avenues for
investment than the purchase OF a
good sized farm in q country where
the soil Is rich, the climate favorable
and diversity Of crops obtainable. 1t
was not long ago that South Dakota
was looked upon as being exclusively
| a wheat raising region. Wheat Is still
| the leading product, but the farmers
| have found it easy and profitable to
turn their attention to other crops.
One could write interminably on this
| subject, but it would not make the
| facts any palmer. That 1t is a favored
| land is apparent to everyone who sees
| 1.-THE evidences meet you whichever
way you turn Men who came here
virtually penniless few years ago are
| now wealthy. They have made fortunes
out of the soil-some of them by farm
| ing, others by buying and selling land.
the tendency Of prices being always
| upward. And to-day the opportunities
| are just as numerous and fully as
promising as they were five years ago.
1t might, perhaps, be allowable to say
even more so. as the physical as well
as the financial condition of the state
has improved wonderfully, and with
the result of making the same lands
much more attractive.-Herbert Van
derhoof, in Minneapolis Journal.