The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-09-11

sires to commute at the end OF IA montEs
or prior TO the expiration of five years
time, he must pay to the government the
balance due on the land In full.
Soil, Climate and Rainfall.
The character of this land is the same
as in Gregory county, where 1000 700 acres
were opened to settlement in 1904. 1t is
gently undulating prairie. thiekly covered
with buffalo and salt grass and some blue
stem grass. The soil is a deep, rich, black
loan, very fertile and very productive.
The same soil in Gregory county along the
line of Trip county opened four years ago
is producing now from IL to % bushels OF
wheat per acre; from so to 20 bushels OF
oats, and from 30 to 80 bushels of corn.
Flax yields around 10 to u bushels per
acre. This Gregory county Rosebud land
which was opened in 1904 at 81 per acre
is now selling at from $40 to 1855 per acre
and some of the choice quarters we'll To-
Gated are bringing even higher prices per
acre. Potatoes and all garden vegetables
yield especially heavy in this soil.
The rainfall is about the same as in
Iowa and Is abundant for all agricultural
purposes. In the past two years almost
too much precipitation has fallen in west
ern Gregory county along the Trip coun-
ty line.
Railroad extensions.
The Burlington system will construct a
line through Gregory from the Platte val
ley to Pierre soon. having run "A prclilnin-
airy survey over the proposed route a few
weeks ago. The Northwester line will be
pushed westward from Dallas shortly
after the opening and will traverse Trip
county and connect with the Pierre-Tapid
City line at Philip, 8. ID. The Great
Northern system took soundings at
l'I,1DID, -,- ~ V;... -
Gregory county last summer, and is pre-
pairing to run a line from the city of
Sioux Falls crossing the river at Wheeler
and tapping this vast stretch OF fertile
country.
Profits One Can Make.
Land in Tripp county now. in a raw and
unimproved state, where the Indians have
been permitted to patent and sell part of
their allotments, is selling at from $50 to
$50 per acre-beforc the opening.
After the country is opened and begins
to develop, within two years the price will
jump to $50 and $40 per acre for lands
with small improvements and perhaps
not a fourth of ii under cultivation. The
building of railroads and the further de-
~Nelopment of the country will send the
price to a much higher figure for good
improved land.
New Towns.
With the opening of Trip county to set
Element several new towns will spring
into existence, some of them perhaps to
become cities of several thousand inhabi-
tantS.
Trip county is a large slice of coun-
try, being 40 miles in breadth and co miles
In length, so that the needs of an agri-
cultural community of that size must
necessarily be attended to. The govern
ment will set aside certain tracts for
townsite purposes and will survey them
into lots and blocks and sell the lots at
auction at the time of the opening. One
of these new towns will become the future
seat of Tripp county when it Is
organized.
Already two new towns have started up
Trip county. They are both located
upon Indian land to which the government
has given a patent. Winona is located
ten miles west of the line and Lamro is
on Dog Ear creek about the middle of the
county. Neither town has had very much
growth. Lanro being the larger and con-
sisting of only II buildings. Fear that a
government townsite may be located near
to them has prevented investors from talk
ing hold.
The Streams.
Trip county is we'll watered. The keya
Paha river and Ponca creek drain the
southern portion, while Bull creek, No
Moccasin, White Thunder, Dog Ear, Cot
tonwood and Oak creeks drain the CEN
trail and northern portions. The White riv-
er forms the northerin boundary. Most of
these streams have considerable small
timber along their banks. The valleys of
all these streams are wide gently sloping
stretches of prairie and will shortly be-
come teenling agricultural centers.
What the Coming Opening Means.
The opening of Trip county, South Da-
kota. in October will mean the adding
of LOCO, eco fertile acres to the agricultural
domain of the United States: it will mean
the long-looked-for opportunity of the
poor man with a family who has been
unable to lay by a ''nest-esg,' to get him
self a farm and home; it will mean thou
sands of opportunities to ambitious men
and women, young and old, to start anew
III a land where there are no favored
few 1t will mean the building of four
or five hustling new towns, some of them
perhaps cities of several thousand people;
it will mean a rush of home and land
seekers unprecedented in The history of
the nation; it will mean a chance for
legitimate speculation in reality which
a keen business man can turn into quick
sales and big profits: it Will mean the
starting all-at-once of a vast new COM
munlty and the chance of a lifetime for
many who have been denied the chance
before: it will mean money to the person
who takes advantage Of the opportunity
and the situation.