The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-03-25
AN ANCIENT NEWSPAPER
The Second Number of The Mitchell
Capital Was Sent to This Office
by an Old Resident.

The first issues of the Mitchell
Capital, which is now the weekly edi-
ton of The Republican, are a rarity
in this office, in fact we have never
had one until l.. i. Caldwell, of De-
corah, Iowa, sent a copy of the sec
ond issue of the paper a few days
ago. MIR. Caldwell was an oldtime
conductor on the Milwaukee road
and had his headquarters here for the
time being. He has the everlasting
gratitude of the management for the
ancient copy. 1t is dated Septem-
Der %, 1879.
The paper was established by j.
w. Walsh, later becoming the prop
erty of Messrs. Ewert and Dean.
Along in 1885 the Capital was con-
solidated with The Republican, but
its name remained the same.
The leading article in the paper
is on the prospects of the country at
that time. Wheat was the main ar
ticle under consideration, with corn
and stock coming on later. Milwau-
kee was regarded as the best wheat
market for Mitchell and the north
west. because of the direct shipping
facilities to that place. About how
it was intended to make Mitchell
grow, we quote the following SEN
tence of optimism: "With us the day
for deliverance from this sort of
thraldom has arrived. We have burst
the bonds imposed by distance, and
insufficient communication and strip
ped of all impediments to progress
we stand at the score with every
nerve and muscle strained, defying
competition, and ready for the dis
play of a magnificent burst of speed
upon the great, wide, w~ell-beaten
track of commercial and agricultural
enterprises"
The editor cast his eye on to the
Black Hills for the future business
of this country, and does not lose
sight of the fact that an immense
quantity of goods could be sold to
the Indian traders. His idea of the
Black Hills trade is just coming into
something tangible after thirty years
of waiting. In another article Editor
Walsh takes issue with the Moody
County Express as to the coming
metropolis of this section of the
country, and he argues out the
proposition that Mitchell is destined
to overcome either Flandreau or
Sioux Falls.
The Capital carried five columns
of advertising, but only about three
and one-half columns were for home
advertisers. There are not many OF
the advertisers of those days follow
ing the same pursuits today. and
there are but very few of those adj
vertisers in the city either.
VIM. VanEps was the largest ad-
vertiser with his stock of general
merchandise. Among the other ad-
vertisers we notice are Mizener &
Hager, attorneys and counsellors at
law; w. p. Crane, physician and sur
geon; j. l.. Bowman, general mer-
chandise; A. H. Daniels, builder and
contractor; Israel Greene, surveyor;
Jos. Platt, hotel at Firesteel; A. j.
Waterhouse, attorney; A. w. Man
ming, a club boarding house; Will
liam A. Cox, architect and builder;
Johnston Bros. attorneys; Lowell &
Son run a siege line between Rock
port and Marion Junction; c.. H.
VanA1stine, livery stable; Zetus
Brown did we'll boring; John G..
Morris, as the county treasurer, pub
lished the delinquent tax list, there
being three delinquents on the list;
Filler Bros, hardware; Gilbert Olson,
agent for the lumber yard; D. r.
Brooks. land agent; James Baynes,
attorney at law, y. w. WdlSOu, uGll-
list, the two latter being located at
Rockport. Quite a few of the fore
going advertisers gave their business
address as Firesteel, not having NOV
ed up to Mitchell as yet.
There is a call in the paper for the
republican district convention to be
held at Yankton, Oct. II, to nomin-
ate a candidate for district attorney.
Dawson county cast five republican
votes for Granville Bennett, and this
vote was the basis on which the dele
gates we're distributed.
j. D. Cameron and Joseph Plat
make an offer for thirty days to give
away lots in the town of Firesteel
to any parties who will agree to
build on them. Evidently the move
ment had started toward Mitchell
and these men were trying to stem
the tide from leaving that locality.