Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1907-06-27
EMPIRE MAKING IN SOUTH DAKOTA
Thousands Of New and Brawny Settlers Fock the State
and Making Homes Tor Themselves on the Virgin Sol.

iiS lIciiSS is lilFGSt6V, anu the pro-
ceeds used for school purposes.
Yearly Additions to Nations Wealth.
Probably no other state in the
Union is adding SO much to the ma
tional wealth; certainly none so
much per capita. Last year the value
of the crops and live stock produced
by South Dakota was S145,S12,S31.
Chief among it's industries is live
stock, w:th total of $36,0OO,O00. The
other articles that go to make up this
stupendous total are shown in the fol-
lowing table:
Wheat, 39,494,10S BUSH
els Observation-Disclosures. $40, 931 ,S7724
Corn, 77,414,331 bushels. 2S, 4.2992O
| Oats, 51,324,557 bushels. 1881, 1925
Barley, 24.603.257 bushels 7,3S0.977.1O
| Flax 1883 1856 bushels... 1883, 1900
| Speltz, 4,E5S,70S bushels. 1867, 6124O
Hay, 3,973,754 tons. $50. 14,S6S, 1900
| Potatoes, vegetables and
fruits ................ 5000 100000
| Dairy Products. ........ 1850, 000.00
Eggs and poultry. ....... 5000, 900 90
| Honey, 80 tons. ......... 25,00O00
Wool and hides. ........ 300,000.00
| Minerals and stone. .... 5000, 900 90
OF the immense area of South Da-
kota, 10000 square miles, by far the
] greater portion, has never known the
touch of the plow Even in that part
Of the state east of the Missouri river,
which about divides the state evenly.
| there are vast areas Of virgin land.
For geographical purposes this portion
Of the state may be divided into four
sections, which are the southern coun-
ties. comprising Minnehaha, Lincoln,
McCoo1, Turner, Bon Homme, Aurora,
Brule, Gregory and Jerauld.
Then comes the central eastern por-
| ton. embracing the counties of Bea-
die, Kingsbury, Brookings, Ccd!ngton,
Deuel., Miner and Clark.
In the western central part Of the
state we have the counties Of Hand,
Hyde, Hughes, Stanley and Sully.
The northwestern part of the state
under this classification embraces the
counties of Brown, Edmunds, Wal
worth, Sphinx, Faulk, Potter and Day.
Where Men and Towns Abound.
| 41ClC 40 WhSlC IiiC SlCehlSi paw VI
the population of South Dakota lives
and where the finest arms and towns
are to be found. Naturally this is the
case, because they were among the
first sections to be peopled, and the
! population has been slowly migrating
westward. The lack of railway facili.
J ties west of the Missouri has for
| r<+o rIo tGa M NJ fhi q
section of the state, but now the rail
ways are pushing their lines west
ward, and the rush Of population has
| begun in that direction. A. few years
more and the vast cattle ranges that
have existed there will all be brought
! under the pillow and the homes and
barns of the farmers will be dotted
all over the land.
| word about the climate Of South
Dakota is necessary, as there has
| been so much that is misleading and
caumnious published about it. South
Dakota has delightful climate. The
air is clear, healthful and invigorating.
| The winters are not unusually long or
| severe the temperature seldom reach
lhS LlC AClO kuiihI anu SAS ohoNAe]i
! being extremely light. So moderate
are the winters that cattle range in
! the open without shelter all winter
| long. and find good subsistence on the
buffalo grass, which cures in the fall
| and affords them ample food. Whe-.
| spring opens they are always in fine
condition. The monthly average tenn
| T,;f !, ,r
bureau service at Huron for twenty
years has been as follows: December,
| 1874; January, 1O1; February, l2.6.
| The average annual rainfall east OF
| the Missouri river is q inches, and
more than II inches Of this falls in
| the five growing months of the year.
The state enjoys as near to an ideal
| climate as any state in the Union
Arthur 9. Brown.