The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-11-05
farmers in the line of social adyan.

farmers In The line OF social aQNan-
Itages as many of the older states
The rural free delivery system is now
extended over all, the older settled
Iportions of the state, and much of the
new. The rural telephone wire is to
be seen extending to practically every
house where it is desired. The mat
ter of education of the people is re-
ceiving more attention than in very
many of the states.
From the standpoint of literacy,
South Dakota probably ranks first.
The last state census report shows on
ly l.2 per cent Of illiteracy among the
white people of the state, with about
per cent more unreported as totheir
ability to read and write. The feder-
al census of 1900 shows little better
than 60 per cent of the children of
school age Is to 20 years. attending
school. This per cent is exceeded on
ly by five states, the higest of these
showing 63.l per cent, and Of these
five, two of them, Nebraska and Iowa,
join South Dakota. Illiteracy is al
most unknown in South Dakota. 1t
is a peculiar fact that all five of these
leading states are located in the north
west.
! According to the federal census Of
1900, we have in South Dakota l1,oSu
people who were born in Iowa; $500 in
Wisconsin; $500 in Illinois; $500 in
New York State: 5000 in Ohio; 4,l95
in Pennsylvania; 1920 in Indiana; g.
400 in Minnesota; 3,400 in Michigan;
and so we might continue the list UNI
til of the 100000 population of the
state at that time, 10000 were born
In the other states Of the Union.
The National Grange is now organ
izing local lodges all over the state.
Lecture courses can now be enjoyed
by the people of almost every COM
munity.
Agricultural fairs and societies have
been organized In large percentage
of the counties.
Farmers Institutes now reach every
county in the state with from one to
four and five meetings uuder the au-
spices of the state organization. South
Dakota affords exceptionally good op-
portunities for clean social enjoy
ment of its people.
| WATER POWER.
Owing to the rapid decent of the
streams of South Dakota, almost I'M
limited water power can be developed.
At one point in the Missouri river by
simply canaling or tunneling a mile
and ago, 000horse water
power can be developed At another
point $1,000 horse power by tunneling
or canaling less than mile. AtSioux
Falls on the Sioux river 5000 horse
power has already been developed and
is continuous with the exception Of a
very short time during the dryest
part of the dryer seasons. With some
contemplated improvements in the
way of storage capacity this power
will be perpetual. Numerous small
powers have been developed on the
other streams of the state for private
use, and the facilities for the develop
ment of power west of the Missouri
river are almost unlimited.
WHERE TO LOCATE.
i The choice of location in this state
would depend very largely upon the
line of work the settler wished to
follow.
I, If he wished to engage pretty large
ly in stock raising, growing his alfalfa
and enough corn and grains for feed,
he should go into the more sparsely
settled sections of the state, where
there is broken land along the streams,
or large tracts of state lands that can
be leased cheaply for pasture and hay.
If he wishes to engage in fruit grow
ing commercially, he should either
locate in the Black Hills or in the
southern counties of the state. There
is quite good district surrounding
Big Stone Lake in the northeast cor,
ner of the state that is also admira.
bly, located for fruit growing on a
large scale, and sometime in the neal
future some very successful orchard
ing is going to be done in that vicini.
, ty.
If he wishes to grow corn, oats anC
clover, with some fruit, he should 10
cate in the south half of the state
either east or west of the Missouri
river, and east of the higher altitude:
in the Black Hills.
: If he wishes to grow small grain.
with a little less corn and considera
BILE live stock, his location should b.
all means be in the northern portion
: of the state. Glover and feeds fol
dairying are easily grown in any par
. of the state at this time.
We have tried in this estimate O
the state not to make any over state
! ments, or overdraw the picture
i South Dakota, like all new states hat
its hard times, and was subjected tt
:, it's share of abuse in its early history
!. Like all of the others 1t has overcom
! all of these. Our rainfall is now ma
terially larger than it was then. TIL
y great increase in production is owinI
. to the fact that the adventurer ha
- been eliminated, and the true farme
:. taken his place. This means bette
tillage. better seed. deeper plOWin
= and the application of more advance