Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1910-02-03
WHERE WILL. IT BE?

ol iluliufed Thousand or more popu-
latlon VIII be conceded by every one
conversant With conditions here. and
with the conditions existing through
out the civilized world. This growth
is as to time problematical, but that
it will come is beyond all doubt.
The question then that most inter
ests investors stands at the head of
this article. Where will this me-
tropolis be?
This much must be assured That
a great metropolis in South Dakota
must be built upon the Missouri river.
That much is determined by an irrev
ocable natural law. Great cities must
be builtupon streams with sufficient
flow to dispose of sewerage. Consider.
alton of public health enforces the
operation OF this law. No great city
ever existed that was not upon a
great stream or great body of water,
nor can city of great size exist else
where. Every mechanical method of
sewerage disposal is predicted upon a
|
large use of water, and in fact no
artificial method has yet in any large
way proven successful, and the great
sanitary engineers more and more re-
vert to the belief that no mechanical
method Will be devised that will dis
pense with the necessity for great
loW1ng stream. In times of low
water the sewerage from Sioux Falls
already, we'll nigh blocks the Sioux.
All old residents of South Dakota
have many times seen the Sioux river
dry or well nigh dry. The James
river flows less water than the Sioux
and is at times quite dry throughout
It's course, save for the occasional
water holes. 1t is in no wise depend
able for the disposal of sewerage. At
Aberdeen the sewage problem is al
ready quite serious Vast sums of
money have been expended to find re-
lief, with only partial success. With
the most approved mechanical pro-
cesses there are times When the odors
of the sewerage pervade the city and
the public Wealth is seriously threat
ened. Only last year an epidemic of
dlphtheria occurred in the city which
the physicians attributed wholly to
bad sanitary conditions.
! We mention these things only be-
cause they bear directly upon our
premise, that the future great city OF
South Dakota must be located upon
Il living dependable stream Of sutlic-
| leut hume to dispose Of its sewerage.
and that the Missouri river is the
only stream possessing that capacity.
III these premises are conceded; and
they are indispntably correct;
where upon the Missouri is that me-
tropolis to be? A careful examina-
tlon Of the map will, we think, salts
fy any inquirer upon that subject.
Without lnvidious comparisons with
other Missouri river points it is easy
to point ont many excellent reasons
why Pierre may justly aspire to
supremacy.
Her central location at a command
ing point: the fact that she is the
state capital and has acquired wider
fame than any other town; her proxi-
NIFTY to the mining regions; her rail.
road facilities, present and prospec-
tive; the enterprise of her people:
Nature bountiful supply Of pure
water; the underlying reservoirs Of
natural gas: her salubrious climate,
unique Ill tue heart of a state possess
sing All especially fine climate: her
industries already solidly founded
and hnally and most important her
location midway between two of the
most tremendous waterpowers on the
I continent, each within easy reach for
electrical transmission it seems to us
1t inevitably points to Pierre as the
town upon which the attention and
population of the state and of the
northwest will ultimately conc ent-
rate.
AT this time when the state is filled
with prospectors and possible invest
ors we can invite candid attention to
the facts set forth in this article, We
know the premises cannot be refuted
| for they are confirmed by the entire
history OF civilization. But one ques-
ton remains to be settled and that is
where upon the Missouri will this
great city be built?
There is very strong reason to bell
eve that it will be at Pierre. Daily
u Dakotan.
i AGRICULTURE OF TIE E11rI1pE