Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1910-03-18
GRO WS !GR EA I IN
INV "a ONE YEA
ke ~ History If Sosth d.
kota Rises from Ravases 81
Natural Scourges.

", q &. ttte = x N CCtlg SCOUT
Dakota this year attains her M
Jority by reason Of the federal al
signed February %, 1889. az
career perfectly typifies the chill
which comes up from weakness an,
dependence to robust and agpres
sive manhood. 37 N
It is fifty-one years since ner
manent white settlements wer,
made within the present stat,
along the lower Missouri section
It will be forty-nine years q
March End since the territory wa
created, and the first legislator.
convened year later; that Is !,
say on March IL st. Patrick.
day. 1862, 'Sa77l
Her ,devel opment in early ter.
ritorial days was extremely SLOW
for she was beset by many adverse
circumstances. Dame Nature ha,I
method Of trying cut her pio.
neers in every land and the South
Dakotans were subjected to the
law OF the survival Of the fittest.
Her first great menace came from
hostile Indians, and a four wear wear
Indian war, followed BY. years 81
drouth, OF ravenous grasshoppers.
devastating prairie fires in win
tiers Of such severity as to render
modern winters tropical by com.
parison. The settler who stuck
it out was good stuff and no mis-
take 751 ri
The first real impulse for great
development came with the discoy-
cry Of gold in the Black Hills,
which caused a stampede that
direction, and the many thousands
who crossed the prairies created
business in the settlements, made
markets for their products and adj
vertised the agricultural possibil.
tiles. ...5
Inevitably this boom was fol.
lowed by q reaction. Nature
started another trying out Of the
settlers and many thousands were
not equal to the test. Fire, flood
frost and droutf were too many
for them, and they went back to
live with wife s folks. =
It was in the very storm center
of this reaction that South Dakota
was born. Such years Of failure
and Encouragement as 1889 and
1880 have scarcely fallen upon any
other new commonwealth. Desti-
tuition was prevalent everywhere.
The officials of the new state were
compelled to appeal to the char.
liable people of the east for
means to keep the people alive,
and their troubles eliminated inl
the great financial depression
which swept America in 1893, a
total crop failure in 1894 and the
robbery Of the state treasury Of |
every dollar lit contained at the
beginning Of 1895. Having byl
these processes selected few.
choice souls, who stayed for
seed, the good dame put on a
smiling countenance and has 'front.'
that time forward beamed kindly
upon the growing population Of
the Sunshine State.
5000, 900, 900 From Farms.
For fifteen years the develop
ment Of South Dakota has been
most satisfactory. Each year has
been better than the last. Pro-
auctions have grown to stupen-
dous sum, returning to the people
more than any other state in pro. L
portion to popula tion;; reserve
wealth as piled up until the paltry
81, 900. 900 Of bank deposits Of
those days have grown to more
than $50, 600. 600. Our annual pro-
duction Of agricultural products
is more than 5000. 900 600.
Education has been fostered and T!
religion advanced quite in degree
with hers material prosperity.
The struggle which resulted in
The division OF Dakota territory
INTO two sovereign states Of the
Union is an epoc in American his.
:ory. The consti tuition which was !.
sdopted by the fathers Of Dakota Il
8 the highest testimony to their
patriotism and their wisdom. Ats
time when the west was flooded
Nth adventurers the homesteadersl 4!
i South Dakota selected IA body
4 men to draft constitution 8
which has not job OF an oppor
unity graft in lit. Its provision II
ro the preservation of the school 6
ands and the school funds has !:
cen adopted BY congress as the =
,odel for all Of the new states. :
'hree times were the people
allied upon to enact and re-enact