The Bad River news. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 19??-1912, 1909-04-22
Other Stanley County Problems

There are lot of interesting
features connected with the social
and economic conditions existing
in this new country west of the
river. Most of US pass them up
without much study, but for the
person of a reflective turn of mind
there is much food for thought.
Indeed, life is just as interesting,
when you come to examine it IN
all it's details, right here in Stan
lev county as it is in Chicago.
And speaking of Chicago, possi-
bly you have not stopped to con-
slider that some Of the social fea-
lures that bave long distinguished
that city are in measure repro
duced here on our prairies. Chi
cago has always been distinguished,
as are all large cities, by the fact
no one is acquainted with, or has
any interest in the affairs of his
neighbors. Usually neighbors are
only the people in the flat
above But on the other hand
rural communities have ever been
distinguished by the fact that
everyone is acquainted with and
knows everything about the busl-
ness of everyone else. Usually
the man on the dry goods box at
the crossroads country store can
trace the personal history of every
family in the township back seyer-
al generations. If there has ever
been a scandal or black sheep in
the family, the man on the dry
goods box can tell you all about it.
1t is in this regard that country
communities in Stanley county
differ from country communities
in the older states, and are more
akin to the city. Who knows any
thing about anyone's great-grand-
father out heree Sometimes one
is not acquainted with the neigh
bors who live in the same section.
And if they happen to be mile
or so removed, they are merely
that Swede family over there
those folks from loway," or
that old maid school teacher from
Illinois. Besides if you do get
acquainted with the neighbor from
Minnesota who is homesteading
on an adjoining quarter section,
next year be sells out to the Man
from Missouri" and you have to
commence getting acquainted all
over again.
And rs for knowing any family
history, that is absurd. A mans
family may have been full of
black sheep, and all he has to do is
to keep his mouth shut about the
matter and no one will be the
wiser. Indeed one may have been
something of black sheep HIM
self, and let us be frank enough
to admit that a good many of US
have been, and yet pass muster as
an individual with an exemplary
past. Your neighbor may have
just escaped hanging by a close
shave, but he looks like all the
rest of the folks to you, so you
make no inquiries.
Sometimes we have thought that
the old timer rather has the worst
of it in this regard. For, if he
has. in earlier years when land
and cattle were free,'' gained
something of a reputation for
cleverness in gathering in the
frolicksome young maverick, old
time neighbors are likely to know
about it, and sooner or later the
fact becomes known to new COM
ers as we'll. But how is it with
the new conner? Take the writer,
for example. What does anyone
out here know about his past, OF
what scrapes he may have been
mixed up in back in Illinoisl He
may have been guilty of worse
things than rustling mavericks,
But, if so, no one in South Dako'
tn knows it.
Of course, this condition o1
affairs, whether it be desirable o.
otherwise, will change Is time