Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 55, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 December 1908 — SOUTH DAKOTA LETTER. [ARTICLE]

SOUTH DAKOTA LETTER.

Henry Hayes Writes of Farming Conditions About Burke. Burke, So. Dak., Dec. 7, 1908. Editor Democrat: Dear Sir: As we are in South Dakota we thought it might interest some of your readers to know our feelings about this country. We are located in Gregory county, a part of the Rosebud Indiana reservation which was opened for settlement four years ago. We like the country very well so far, although it is not the best place to rent. As a rule the improvements are poor and the land is new and hard to work and this part of the state is subject to hail more than the older parts. Nearly everybody takes out Insurance on their crops, but had but little damage this season. Our object in coming here was to get land in Tripp county that will be open for settlement next March, but none of us from Indiana were successful in drawing a, claim. The drawing took place in October. My intentions are to sell my farm in Indiana and buy a relinguishment if they are not too high, as land Is on the boom here at present and it will‘be but a feiy years untjl it will be as high as in the east. There are many people coming from other states, buying farms and moving on them, and others are buying for speculation. The day is past that a poor man can get land for nothing that is good for farming. There is some land in this state that can be homesteaded yet, but it is either rough or in the dry belt.

Well, we had a fair crop here this year, and got a fair price for our oats at threshing. I sold my oats at forty-four cents from the machine. Had 1,4.50 bushel all told. One third went to the landlord and T fed some, hut got $420 for my share. Raised about 1100 bushel of corn off of forty acres. Corn at present Is only 4 3 cents, has been as high as 47. Oats are 39 cents; Oats are the main crop here but did not yield very large this year. The hot winds ripened them too fast and cut them about half what they looked like they would make. The yield was from 20 to 35 bushel.

Corn went from 15 to 30 bushels, but this is not a corn country and they don’t count much on it. There is plenty of land and quite a lot planted this year, and about onethird of it is in the field yet. My brother Harry, who came out here after the election has a job husking at 5 cents a bushel wheti the weather is fit. He likes the country fine and was greatly surprised at the fine weather we have had this 1 fall'. But it has been winter for the last two weeks. We have about four inches of snow at present and it has been below zero for a few nights, but has been so that people could husk corn at times. Is thawing today. I like the weather here better than In Indiana. It is a dry cold, and one does not chill so easily. Of course you can't tell some people that and make them believe it. But we wi.ll have some cold weather this winter, people think. And it is not the warm kind, but people stay by the firq at these times. These spells only last but a few days at a time. The suii shines here three days to one in Indiana.

We have had plenty of rain this year. The rains seem to be working west more every year. Well, while I heard the news got started that I did not like the country and was coming back, that is not my intention. While there is some things I don't like, there is enough good ones to more btan pay. We were at Gregory about three weeks ago and met John L. Nichols on the street. He said he and Dali’s wife and children were just starting for Indiana, and also run into Irvin Lewis, son of County Assesor Lewis. We did not know he was out here, but he said he came last spring and filed on forty acres of land out by Dixon, which is about twenty miles from here We were glad to see him. Also saw Will Roudybush several times this summer. He works at Gregory. I was also at Fairfax, the county seat of this county, in August and run across H. C./Ruble, the man that run the pickle plant at Gifford for the last four years. He is in the electric light business there. He said he came out to Bee the country and liked it and was going to stay. There are many Indians here yet some of the old, long-haired fellows and others that are crossbreeds that are in business the same as the whites. They dress the same

and you would not know that they bad any Indian blood in them. All that have any Indian Wood get land from, the government. They don’t have to pay taxes and they have a right to register for the land drawings the same as the white people, and they get allowances from the government every three months. So you see the Indian has a good time and,, is not run over as the people of the east thought. Now 1 would say that I would not advise everyone to come here, but I do know some people there that could do much better here than they are doing there. But If a man has a good farm there he had better stay; if he nas to rent he would be better oft here, as rent is cheap and there is plenty of land. The main object is to have the horses and you can do lots of work. Hoping this will Interest some of your readers, I will close Yours truly, H. H. HAYES.