Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1906-08-09
NEW TOWNS ARISE AS # BY MAGIC
Great Railway Boom in South Dakota Men and Women Are
Optmsts Prosperous, Happy and Contented

/ for me to buy half section the next
| year.
There has not been a year since
| that I have not bought little moro
land. We have never had a bad crop
| failure, and we have all made money.
| The land here seems to be inexhausti-
Bile. have never used any fertilizer,
| and, while do not go in SO heavy for
| wheat as / used to, still have plant
ed every year my original half sec
| ton to wheat, and have never failed
on crop"
How much did you pay. for your
| land?" | asked.
The first piece bought for Sc an
acre. But land values have kept on
rising, and some of my land stands
| me $50"
What are you asking for your
farm?" was my next query.
I'm not asking anything for it,"
was his quick rejoinder. cts not for
sale at $500 an acre. Why should I
sell? don't know how could better
myself. l am making money every
year-more than I really need. have
a fine house, my children are healthy
and happy. and in the winter my wife
and | generally take trip somewhere
and rub up against the world Last
| winter we took a trip to Europe, but
didn't see any farmers over there
who lived the life and made the
money that we do here in South Da-
| kota- Next winter we have planned a
| trip to Cuba"
This farmer is only one of type
that prevails throughout South Da-
kota. The state has remarkably
small percentage of the foreign ele-
ment, the greater portion of its popu-
lation consisting Of people from the
Eastern and central Western states.
He took me into his house to show
1T to me. 1t was lighted by electricity,
and his groundr and farm buildings
were lighted by the same agency He
| grinds his feed for his cattle by cleo
tricity, runs his churns by electricity,
and his wife on wash days runs her
washing machine by the same power.
Power from Artesian Wells.
eve don't believe in working our
selves to DEATH" he remarked cheer
fully "You see, we are in the great
artesian belt and all this light and
power Is furnished from my artesian
we'll. The water comes up with such
force that have harnessed a six
horse power turbine to it. This runs
my dynamo and does all the other
work In case Of fire it gives me pro.
lection, as the natural force of the
water will carry it over my house and
barns. All I-have to do is to connect
my hose"
This artesian belt is one Of the won
ders of the state. In every town and
city throughout this section pipes
are laid through the streets or roads
and fire plugs placed at easy intervals.
In case Of a fire alarm, the local hose
company is run to the scene and the
hose attached to the nearest plug.
AS a rule the elevators are the high
est buildings In all these towns, but
the water will carry far over the top
of the highest structure that I saw.
For drinking purposes 1t is excellent.
With the merest suspicion of sadness
about it. but cattle take to it with
| avidity.
The secret of South Dakota's sus-
tanned fertility is in it's subsoil. IN
| derlying the deep, black loan. which
in many sections is five feet deep, is
a deep subsoil of great depth Of yellow
clay. This clay is very porous and
absorbs tremendous quantity of
water. In the growing season the
roots Of the crops need this water,
and it is drawn up to them by capil-
larry attraction. This supplements
the rainfall, which during the season
is generally ample.-Vanderho In
Minneapolis Journal