Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-02-14

Tha Indications at present are that |
when the time of sales arrives there
will be a good demand for the lands.
The matter of n payments on the
mart of is also showing the
results, for while there were but lew
final payments at the opening OIL the
year, the last two weeks has u
q number of payments, and on one
day more than fifty patents were sent
out to purchasers who desire TO clear
up the title to the lands which they
held under contract with the state, and
sent in the amount due. This will give
the department a larger amount Of
money to reloan, and will allow them
to fill numerous applications which
have been held to await the necessary
| receipts to fill the demands.
Samuel H. Lea, of Pierre, state en-
| gineer, was in Sioux Falls Tuesday.
While there Mr.. Lea submitted TO the
board of county commissioners his
plans covering portions of the proposed
drainage ditch which had not been be-
fore submitted. The plains cover that
portion of the canal from the brow of
| penitentiary hill, to the river, and
were adopted by the county commits
| sioners. The plans show the neces~
! sary right of way for the extension of
the canal required to convey the water
from west of town to the river north
of the penitentiary. The plans also
| show that the ditch from the brow of
| the hill to the river, on account of the
| fall, will have to be lined with con-
| crete. This work of the state enginc"'
now completes his connection with thu
proposed drainage canal. A number
| Of up the country farmers. some in IA
vor and others opposed to the pro-
posed canal, were present at the meet
ing Of the county commissioners.
State Engineer Lea has returned
from the DRY Farming congress" at
Salt Lake City, where he met a strong
delegation which was ready to show
! what could be done with that lanne
of farming in a country with E. light
| rainfall. Mr.. Lea is an enthusiast owe
irrigation and "dry farming" and be-
lieves that with the two systems there
is no reason why South Dakota should
not support a dense farming popula-
ton, using the irrigation plan where
it is convenient and not too expensive,
n the dry farming process where
the securing of water for irrigation is
Az " WILL - itislI
percentage Of gumbo naturally lends
itself to the dry farming process, as it
makes a dust blanket OF itself when
once broken and will not require as
much labor to preserve the bIanke as
will be foundi in a loan soil.
When people discuss the present
winter as the warmest they nave ever
known. they forget that the weather
bureau keeps a record, and by going
back as far as 1890 they will find that
both November and December We're
higher in average temperature than
were the past November and Deem
Der, and they only need to go back two
to find December warmer than
it was this year., with November but
slightly cooler. When the final foot
ings are put out for Januarytthey may
show somewhat warmer than other
recent years, but it is not likely that
the record will have to be followed far
back to find one to equal the present
one.
For the first time since the menora-
BILE fire Of a yea ago, dividend checks
have been received by stockholders of
the Homestake Mining The
dividend was No. 401 for the usual SO
cents per share and amounted in all to
100000 disbursed. The last dividend
prior to this one was issued in April,
1906. The Homestake is today in
much better physical condition than
ever before, and more improvements
are being constantly added to the
great property.
At the meeting of the board Of con-.
troll Of the State Firemen's association
held in Pierre Monday, the full list of
officers selected for the coming year
is: VIM. Kolb, vermi1lion, president;
VIM. Moller, Parkston, vice president;
y. Spry, Mitchell, second vice presi-
dent; Will Luck. WATERFOWL, treasur-
er; Robert Clipsey, Parker, secretary;
Arthur Farmer, Pierre, corresponding
secretary. The place of meeting for
the next annual tournament was fixed
at Pierre for the 10th, 18th, 18th and
10th of June.
h Indian appropriation bill pro-
viding appropriations for the fiscal
year beginning July 1, which has been
reported to the house from the COM
mittee on Indian affairs, contains a
number Of items for South Dakota. the
largest item, $4,000 being to Sioux
of different tribes for payment under
treaties, the total being $31,7OO less
h the sum appropriated for the
current fiscal year.
Gov. Crawford has appointed Will
tim Born, of Presho, as game warden
Of Lyman county.
Reports from the northern part OF
Butte county would indicate that
there was some business for the game
warden in that county. The report is
to h effect that a good sized band
Of antelope which was ranging on
Grand river all of last summer and
through the fall, had entirely disap-
peared from the killing Of the ami
mails by local hunters. The animals
are protected absolutely by the state
law, and any killing of them is cause
Cor a heavy fine.
Alloting Agent Dietz is, again at
work on Cheyenne Indian reservation.
on which a number of changes in Ioca-
ton and allotments to married women
and children are vet to be made. It 1s