Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1914-07-09
tRy +. ]. c;ory.)

There's land and there's land, and
there are land values and land values,
but the real test of value Is produc-
tion.
i know that, usually speaking, we.
say that land is worth what it will
bring on the market The same ap-
plies to stocks and bonds, and private
notes, for that matter.
Il In one way, each is worth what it
will command on the open market
no more, no less but, as matter of
fact, reduced to the final analysis, it
( is worth only that sum upon which
i it will pay a reasonable rate of inter
est, or dividend, net
In passing from a point approxi-
mately two hundred miles west of the
summit Of the range of the Rocky
Mountains to Watertown, I naturally
trayersed regions whose general char
acteristics widely differed.
Worthless crags and crevises.
In some sections, for miles at a
stretch, one encounters nothing but
rocky formations. composed Of loose
rock in some places, particularly along
the rayines and gulches, hedged in by
walls OF solid rock, frequently termin-
ating IN rocky peaks upon which but
scarceIy than d vestige Of vege.
tation appears. relieved now and then
by a scraggly pine or spruce or dwarf
pinion whose roots were clinging to
cracks and crevises, suhsisting. to
All appearances, upon nothing but
rock.
OF course, there must have been
some soil, but how such vegetation
got there, and how # managed to sur.
yive after getting u ~ here, was one oi
the mysteries Of the region, SO far as
my observation extended.
Excepting in those localities where
coal or metal ores were to be found
such regions are practically worth
less for any purpose whatever, ex,
cepting such spots and plateaus here
and there as would supply grasses fol
grazing purposes.
Some Great Grazing Grounds.
4 However, notwithstanding the thou
sands upon thousands Of acres within
the Rocky Mountain district that will
bFod,tee absolutely nothing upon
which stock may feed, there are some
rich grazing grounds. even within the
area OF greatest general altitude.
) have seen 1nxuriant growths Of grass
At an altitude approximating ten
thousand feet above the level Of the
sea.
But the range must be extensive.
# for it requires many times the acre
age to support COW or steer that
is needed in prairie sections where
the rainfall is ample.
sSs While it IS necessary to irTigate in
& order to raise paying crops in the
4 numerous valleys and parks Ca park
In the mountainous regions is but q
great basin and 3is usually devoid of
trees, in contrad distinction to the con
ceptien of ID park In the cities or on
the prairies1 rains are Of reqnent
visitation in the mountains, hence
3 grasses thrive better than in the val
leyss proper, where. for the most part,
there would be nothing but desert
were it not for the artificial Altering.
Throug hout the mountainous sec
tions, and especially along the foot
]. hills, there are vast herds of cattle
few within given area compared
with the number produced III the fer
tile valleys Of the Mississippi or the
I lower Missouri rivers, but great in the
aggregate because Of the extent Of
the territory involved.
Rich 4, Cattle and Sheep.
Colorado and Wyoming, while re-
garded as great mining sections, are
rich ia cattle and sheep and other live
stock q
Take. for: instances; the Grand Val
ley which Is: noted. so far as the out
sl,ie world sis concsrned, J, more especs
tally Tor itsi fruits than for 9its cattle.
vet its production Of cattle II the ae-
gregate. basSd pom the receipts at
the abroad sta tfons, outrsIns Its gross