The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-28
SPHINX AND FAULK COUNTIES
PROSPER MARVELOUSLY.
Abundant Crops in South Dakota Have
Caused Prices to Rise 400 and 500
Per Cent in Less than One Decade.
Scec;aI to Tho journal.

Wednesday and Thursday nights are
always busy nights in Redfeld, on &C
count of the number of home seekers
who come to Sphinx county to look over
and purchase Sphinx county lands, and
one is fortunate in getting a room in the
city for the night
While the writer sat in the lobby of
one Of the hotels he met gentleman
from Fonda, Iowa, a prosperous farmer.
"Going to buy some land?" he was
asked.
"No," was the reply. II came up here
to look over farm Z bought some years
ago for IS per acre. I rented it out, and
man down in my town who saw it
seems very anxious to buy it. Told him
he could have it at s22 an acre and he
asked me to hold the offer open. Two
others came to me Monday and wanted
to buy the land, so I thought 1t about
time to look it over, for it must be
worth something when so many are
after It
"At noon Monday told the man to
whom offered it for s22 that if he
didn't buy by o'clock the deal was off,
and as T didn't hear from him I came
over here. If they want those $50 acres
from me now they've got to pay me S25
an acre.
Next morning We met him again at
s. breakfast. 'Sold that land last night"
he said.
"How much did you get for it2''
'"Twenty-six dollars an acre. he re-
piled. I'm going to buy more in this
county,
Sphinx county lands are today increasing
in value as are all South Dakota lands
They are rich and alluvial, have furnished
: bumper crops this year, and for many
years past, and are well watered. This
county IS located in what is known as
the Jim river valley, as fertile as that
of the far famed valley of the Nile.
Fruit Raising In State.
1t will be interesting to those who have
In the past declared that fruits cold not
be successfully raised in South Dakota
to know that the apple crop of 1906
: will surpass that of 1905 by over $780,
600 bushels, and this crop is raised
mostly on prairie lands. Large nurseries
have been started at Huron, Yankton,
Mitchell and Madison, and at Hurley, in
Turner county, there is an orchard that
has borne good crops for years. Another
fine orchard is at Spearfsh.
But aside from the apple crop and the
fruit crop much attention was given to
the vegetable crop this year; golden
! opportunity exists for market gardeners.
aberdeen, Redfeld, Huron, Mitchell,
the state are buying up all the vegetables
that can be grown instead of importing
them, as it has been necessary to do in
the past.
onions at Sioux Falls which were grown
in Minnehaha county that were large
and of the kind that would bring tears
: to your eyes, and at Faulkton saw mag
nificent potatoes.
And speaking of vegetables reminds
one Of the fine exhibit Of vegetables at
the state fair at Huron from sanborr
and Beadle counties-vegetables that
II would have charmed the heart of a
{ Long Island IN. W market gardener.
When you see a man who is now worth
| thousands Of dollars, and whom you
knew years ago when he was penniless
IF had followed his example I'd have
men working for me instead of working
for Others
How One Man Prospered.
The above remark was made last week
/ on a train passing through Fauk coun.
| ty, South Dakota An able-bodied citi.
zen had boarded the train at Faulkton
He was prosperous in appearance, healthy
looking, and apparently happy. AS he
passed through the coach he greeted an
other man, clad as a 1aborer.
I didn't know you were in this coun
/ try, Jim. Where are you located?'
H Been harvesting over at Gettysburg
responded the !aborer. TITS some years
since we met. What are you doing9''
when I left Columbus ten years agt
landed out here. Had little none!
and bought a cheap farm-what though
was cheap farm-three miles southeas
i of Faulkton. For five years it was nil
and tuck, but I stuck it out During
the last five years I've coined none!
i with that farm. This years been won
Il d6rfullV good and after I get
i CORN in 7 am going back East with m!
family for the winter"
What have you raised this year?'
Wheat, corn, barley, oats and enough
vegetables for my family was the reply
'"This IS mighty good country; land
good, there's plenty of water, cattle grow
well, and the elevation is so high as t.
4 make the children strong, SO we get al
4 we want. There's lot of fine schoo
q lands here that you or some one shoul
q q number of sections here. Watermelon
q vegetables, yes, and even fruits, groy
well in Faulk county. Some of thes
land men will sell you on easy terms
d know what South Dakota and Fault
4 county lands have done for me, so yo
- set busy"
"Redheld!' called the brakeman, an
q this broke up the conversation. -
B During my trip through Faulk count
was estonished at the excellent condi
q ton OF the crops, and especially the cor
81 crop, but more so by the melon an
$E vegetable crops. New England neve
III raised pumpkins such as South Dakot
e raises Think Of e pumpkin weightn
Sleighty-nine pounds, and that was NO
81 such rarity. AS for potatoes, the
a serve them In the restaurants about til
81 size Of cantaloup.
The Wonderful ArtesIan Belt.
Both Sphinx and Faux counties are /
Iit.le great artesan belt Of the state an
i this wonderful water supply has a grea
E deal to CO In tightening the work Of tn
I'll faIIleEs. a little turbine wheel attache
e re the pipe through which the waite
EsI1caches the surface will develop five q
six horse power, and this is enough
grind the feed tor the stock, to run
Isl dynamo and light the house, barns an
irErounds. to run the churn and washin
machine for the farmers wife, and fro1
Id the overflow OF water little lakes a,
II formed and stocked with fish Tor til
T fanily's table. These little lakes, by IL
way, are mighty handy FOR the ducks an
Is geese, which It would be impossible
IS Tnise IN many parts o. the stats exec,
Il Tor the artesian wells.
Isl The artesian wells have another an
most Important value, however The
/ furnish the finest kind OF protectio
rs Against fire. The Watep comes up wit
L such force that it Is only necessary
Il attach hose to the pipe and throw
Atrearn over the highest building on II
Hi farm. The sane system Of protectio
HI against fire obtains in the towns ar
I#I cities. Fire engines are unnecessar
On an alarm OF fire they simply run tt
hose cart to the nearest fire plug, ar
90 9nN< IL. %