The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1906-01-24
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Over nine townships of land in the
Pierre district We're taken by homestead
ers in 1905. OF this, over six townships
were taken in the last four months of
the year, since the extension Of the North
western road has become certainty.
The total number of homestead filings for
the year were 1,269. of which SOB were
in the months of September, October, No
vember and December. These filings took
upon acreage of 203,040. Besides the
homesteads there was township or more
taken up in state filings and declarations
for the year. This record promises to be
distanced long way this year, as the
inquiries for homestead lands are coming
from practically every state in the union,
and as soon as spring opens people will
be coming to the western part of the
state by train loads. The construction of
three lines of railway across the western
part of the state being assured for the
year, and indications pointing to yet fur
Their railroad development, is going to
bring an awakening, after twenty-five
years of waiting which will go long
way toward keeping South Dakota to the
front as the state which for series of
than any other state in the union. The
state land department has also been do
ing something in the way of bringing
state lands under private ownership. In
the year patents have been granted to
319 purchasers Of state lands who have
made full payments, and before the end
of this month many more patents will
be sent out. Another evidence of state
prosperity is found in the number of new
banks which are being organized under
the state banking laws. The records of
The office of the secretary of state show
that 43 such banks were organized for
the year.
Doane Robinson, commissioner of CEN
sus, takes exception TO the last report
of the government agricultural bureau as
to agricultural production for South Da
kota in several matters, and Gov. Elrod
has written Secretary Wilson, calling at
tention to the discrepancies between the
government report and the showing Of
the state assessors as to the production
of 1904 in the state census. The govern
ment report only credits this state with
the production of 9,962, 400 bushels OF
barley for last year, while the state fig
ures for 1904 show 1860, 102 bushels,
and all estimates show larger yield for
1905 than for 1904, the year the state
census figures We're collected for. The
oats production is shown by the govern
ment figures to be 2S, 103,517 bushels.
while the state figures are 80, $50, go. On
production Of tame hay the government
figures are 430, 450tons, while the state fig
ures are 2,7S7,000 tons. The government
census of 1900 placed the production Of
tame hay for the state at over 100000
tons, and as the acreage of this product
has been increased every year the late
report is evidently unfair when consider
ed with either the state or government
census.
The report of the state food and dairy
commissioner for the year ending June
30 1905, which will soon be issued, will
show that the creamery business is being
made a profitable one to the farmers in
the vicinity of these enterprises who care
TO take up that branch of agriculture.
There were in operation in the state
for that year sixty-two creameries with
G,S76 patrons. The patrons received for
their milk and cream for the year $685.
1876. Some Of the creameries were
small affairs, paying out less than $1,000
TO their patrons for the year. but others
show that the farmers in their vicinity
used their opportunity in that direction
for increasing their revenues. The
largest payments were made at Madison,
where they paid out $S1, S17.70; Bowdle
paid out SOC, 443; Clark, $50, 212; DeSmet,
$39, 53S; Iroquois, $33,71S and the differ
ent creameries scaled from these figures
down to $1,000 at Brandon. Besides the
creamery products the cows of the state
paid probably more to their owners
through private dairies than through the
creameries, putting the total amount re-
ceived from this source for the year at
good sized figure for new state.
The citozens of Fort Pierre have def
nitely decided to attempt to secure oil or
dry gas at that town. The drilling rig
which was used in sinking the present
well from which they are securing a flow.
of gas along with the artesian water, will
be used in sinking their deep well, and
the work will be done with power secured
from the gas IN the present well. The
firm at work in that town is new ons
in that part of the state, having come
in from the Pennsylvania oil fields, ana
they met with many difficulties in secua-
ing their first well, but they have learA-
ed by experience and will be able -
make better progress in the new wes
than they did in the old one. The new
bore is to be sent down 1000 feet o.
more unless flow of oil or dry gas il
struck before that depth is reached.
G. Pruitt, one Of the Stanley County
homesteaders out in the vicinity of
Hayes, on the high prairie, away from
any stream, refused to take the advice of