Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1909-10-29
ABANDONED FARMS

their hands, says the Argus-L Leader.
There are hundreds Of thousands of
acres which were formerly farmed
with success. but which are now
grown up to weeds, with the houses
run down, and an air of delapidation
prevailing everywhere.
Secretary Wilson, who comes from
Iowa, and who has visited South Da-
kota, and hence who knows a good
farm when he sees one, says that the
New England land is not exhausted,
and that the trouble is more with the
farmers than the farms. He believes
that prolific crops are possible if scien-
tifc methods are adopted, hut the
trouble is that it will cost more to re
build these farms into productivity
than it would to get virgin and fer
tile farm of three times the size in
South Dakota. The plain fact is that
the farms in New England can not
compete with the fertile and produc-
tive soil of the great northwest, and
until our lands get to a muca higher
price, the task of rehabilitating the
New England farms will be an uphill
one.
James j Hill in a recent address
made the prediction that in forty
years from now the United States
would have population of 200 mil
lions. His discussion of the question
as to where these additional millions
would live was most interesting. He
concluded and we think most sanely,
and they would live in the great west,
in the northwest and in the south
west. When that time comes, and it
is coming fast, the farms in this sec
ton will be easily worth three or four
times what they now sell for.
Now is the time to get hold of
piece of South Dakota land, for the
time will never come that the price is
lower tnan il is today.
Ralph Stankey departed Mon
day by team for his claim about thir-
ty. FIVE miles west of Pierre.
Rev. and Mrs. j. HI. Booth went
to Plankington Thursday to be absent
over Sunday. That was Rev. Booths
first field of work in the ministry.
IF. w. Hanken has moved his
family into the Lester Hanson house
in the east part of the city. Mr.. Han
ken expects to move to Wyoming in
the spring.
p. A. Randklev came down from
Wasta Tuesday evening for short
visit with De Smet friends. p. A. has
rented the hotel at Wasta and will
make the family home at some other
point not yet decided upon. From
here he goes to visit a sister.
Some of the young men of the
city are talking of putting on min
strel this winter for the purpose of
starting fund to be used in connec-
ton with the gateway park project as
outlined in the Independent a few
weeks ago. Good scheme! Push it
along.
j. I'll. Gilmore. of Perry, Iowa,
was guest of his brother in-l law, S.
Derry, last week. Mr.. Gilmore is
looking for location and has been
over a good part of the state. This
section strikes him more favorably1
than anything else he has seen, how
ever. and he intends to purchase if
he can find something to suit him.
The old friends and neighbors
gathered together Saturday forenoon
and went to the John Exc home in
Mathews township TO surprise that
worthy couple, who are soon to move
to Lake Preston. The company fur.
nished fine dinner for the occasion.
Before departing Mr.. and Mrs. Exc
were presented with some handsome
articles of furniture including table,
writing desk and book case. The
Exc family are old and highly esteem
ed citizents of that township and their
departure will be source OF regret
to their many friends.
mir. Clarence Bennett, in intro
ducing "A Royal Slave to the pa
irons of our theatre, not only prom
ises but assures us that this produc-
s;o,, Il n IiStiocr dana rtura from all