Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1913-01-31
SOUTH DAKOTA
CONTINUED From First Paee)

mountain sections, 100 acres may
not contain more than so acres
which can be used.
The day of the large cattle
ranch has passed. l met num-
Der of "old timers, who used
to own or herd as many as 20, 900
head of cattle. turned loose to
Craze at will and grow fat on
the fine natural grass of the
broad prairies. But these are no
more. The lands have been cut
up into small farms, running
from 100 acres to GAO, and more,
and owned by private parties.
There is, however, thousands
and thousands of acres of fine
land still open to settlers
"homesteaders", they call them,
and numbers of people from
different sections of the United
States, are settling daily all
through this great country.
There is a bill now before the
Legislature of South Dakota, to
allow homesteaders $40 acres
free instead of 160 as heretofore.
Should this bill become a law
there will be a rush for that
S tate. To a man like myself,
who loves farming and the open,
these broad fine, cheap lands
look inviting, almost irresistably
so. But ] must check up along
this line.
RAPID CITY.
Rapid City is a nice little city
of about 5000 people, situated at
the foot of the famous Black
Hills. The town is modern in all
respects, made up of popula-
ton comprising citizens from
every State in the Union, and
it is said, from every country in
the world. l saw two colored
men, Chinaman and one Jew.
The other representatives of for
eign countries | did not recog-
nize.
Rapid City has no street cars.
When l asked why, l was in
formed that they had tried street
cars but found them too slow,
and abandoned them, and sub
stituted automobiles, of which
there are a large number, and
they are literally patronized.
There are good hotels, restaur-
ants, large department stores,
splendid drug stores, barber
shops-all white barbers-livery
stables, several railroads, a
weather bureau, two good news
papers, the poorest and cheapest
court house l saw on the whole
trip, splendid schools, churches
and all the modern conveniences.
SCHOOL OF THE HILLS.
Here, just outside about a |
mile, is a large Indian school,
known as the United States
Indian Training School. 1t was
opened in 1897 with a capacity
of 100 pupils. This present SEES
sion this number has grown to
265. The school farm consists of
1890 acres of land, 80 buildings,
chiefly brick. The school gives
instruction in all the industries.
There are 80 officers, teachers
and helpers. Uncle Sam is TAX
ing the best of pains to train his
wards, the Indian children.
Prof. j. T. House is the genial
and efficient Superintendent. II
am greatly indebted to him for
courtesies shown me, also to
several of the teachers. | was
shown through the buildings, in
company with Rev. Mr.. Blod-
gett, the Baptist pastor, and
never have l seen any public
buildings so spotlessly clean.
Interesting, too, was the sight
of these Indian boys and girls,
young men and women, the
representatives of a rapidly
diminishing type of a once fam
Gus race. Only about half of
these 260 pupils, l was told were
of full blood. The other half
divided between quarter and
half breeds -some of the chill
dren could not be. distinguished
from pure whites. The names of
some of these pupils and 9th ers
are characteristic. For instance,
l heard the names of James
Black Horse; Miss Rebecca Fire
Cloud, Maggie Good Voice,
Thomas Standing Elk, etc. This
School of The Hills" is exert
ingi a growing and ever-widen-
ing influence upon the Indians
in South Dakota and adjacent
States.
THE SCHOOL OF MINES.
In Rapid City is located also,