The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1908-01-23


state in the first six months since the
fire marshal law went into effect shows
that 217 fires were reported in that
time by fire chiefs and town clerks.
The losses aggregate about $250,000.
The greatest number Of losses are
shown to have been from fires of un-
known origin, Sc being given in that
classification. Defective stoves and
chimneys come next, with 81: gasoline
Is credited with 10; carelessness with
matches, IT: lightning. 16; kerosene,
IL, and sparks from trains, 10. Nine
Jaught from other buildings five from
gas leaks and four from candles Three
.ach are credited to hot ashes, smok-
ng, hot grease. fireworks and incen-
diaries. Two each are charged TO
thawing pipes, electric wires and burn
ing grass, while tramps are charged
with one. The fires charged to gaso-
line caused loss Of $500, with in
surance Of sl5,700. Many of these
losses were to contents of good build
ings, where the damage to the build
ing was nothing or nominal. The loss
es from the careless use Of matches
footed up to $4,000, with insurance
amounting to $3,95O. In many of these
cases the losses were caused by child
rem playing with matches, and the loss
was confined to hay and small build
ings where no insurance was carried.
The department has authorized the
Northwestern Life Insurance compa-
nay, Of Aberdeen, to do business in the
state. This is a new company organ
lied under the laws Of this state.
States Attorney Williamson, OF Ly-
man county. was in Pierre recently
locking after the matter Of disputed
boundary between Stanley and Lyman
counties. and expects the matter to
get into the courts for settlement. The
tract in dispute covers nearly two
townships. of which about half is yet
in an Indian reservation. When the
boundaries Of Lyman county were de-
scribed at the time the counties west
Of the river were consolidated, the
boundary an fixed, cuts through tier
OF sections for a distance Of about
twenty-five miles, throwing farms
partly into Stanley county and partly
into Lyman county. The discrepancy
was made by extending the boundary
to the river along one of the lines OF |
the Black Hills survey, while as a mat |
ter Of fact part of the country west |
oe the river was surveyed from the |
same base as that used east of the riv-
er. and where the two surveys Joined,
they lacked nearly two miles Of meet !
ing on the township lines. Thus to !
run the county line to conform to |
township lines would mean a jog Of
nearly two miles to the north at the
place of meeting of the two surveys.
which is the cause of the present diff
of opinion between the two
counties. Lyman being a portion OF
what is included In Stanley when the
law creating the county is construed |
Just as it reads.
The state land board. at a recent |
session, considered the matter Of
where state lands would be offered
this year under the provisions of the
law which requires them to place upon
the market fifty thousand acres Of
state and endowment lands each year.
The particular counties in which the
lands will be offered have not yet been
selected, but generally the offerings
will be in the Jim valley counties, and
I'm the northern part Of the state. In
Quiries sent out to people living in
many parts of the counties in which
offerings will be made, show that the
estimates Of home people places the
values Of the state lands from $40 to
sac per acre, with an occasional tract
placed down to the minimum Of $40 an
acre, and an occasional one put as
high as $50 an acre. While there were
very few requests for sale coming into
the department up to the first Of the
year, they are now coming rapidly.
showing that there is desire to pur-
chase the lands. The improved money
conditions probably are accountable
for the requests which are coming in
rapidly, and the indications at present
arc that a large amount of the $4,000
acres will be taken, IL the minimum
price is not placed at too high a fig
ure.
Articles Of incorporation have been
fled with the secretary Of state for
the st. Paul, Minneapolis and Seattle
Electric railway company, with cap
ital of $500,000,000 and headquarters
at st. Paul. The incorporators are
William c. Webber, Rochester, Mimi;
David Phillips, Mazeppa, MINI;
Samuel Philips and James w. Mos
sop, St. Paul. and Glenn w. Martens,
Pierre.
The report OF the state treasurer for
the first of the year shows reduc-
ton in the funds on hand on account
Of payments the past month. On the
first of the year the general fund
contained $13,544.19; the permanent
school fund contained $21,47S.92, but
most of that has vanished since the
first.
The Missouri Valley Investment
company at Blunt Is one of the newly
Incorporated companies in this Sec
ton of the state. 1T Is capitalized at