Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 September 1908 — JUST AS IT IS IN SOUTH DAKOTA [ARTICLE]

JUST AS IT IS IN SOUTH DAKOTA

Former Jasper County Citizen Writes Without Embellishment of Conditions in South Dakota.

Burke, South Dakota, Sept. 21, 1908. Editor Republican: I thought I would write a few lines to my old neighbors and friends and try to tell them a little more about the “Tripp County Opening.” The proclamation states that it will be open for registration from the sth to the 17th of October. People here, who are posted, claim there will be 200,000 people register. But this land is not going to be as cheap as a great many people believe. I figure that it will cost the settler about $20.00 an acre by the .time he gets the first crop off. The railroad company will make more off this opening than the government. A round trip fare from Chicago to Dallas is $23.00. Board will be very high here, and after, registering, if they draw anything, they will have six months to wait before filing, and six months more before they are compelled to establish a residence on the place. They will have to pay about $206 down and the balance in four yearly payments. If you draw anything you cannot give your prize to a friend till after you have paid the $206. Then you can relinquish to the government and your friend will have the $206 to pay to the government again also. I am well satisfied with the climate and other thing here so far. I put in crops of oats and corn. My co n looks good. I threshed 40 acres of my oats 2 miles from home, and sold over the scales 948 bushels, 18 pounds at 44 cents per bushel. E. W. Gwin says he has made

more this year than any fiye years he lived in Indiana He threshed 1,300 bushels of oats, but has not sold them yet. H. H. Hayes sold 1,450 bushels at 44 cents. I have been going with the threshing machine the last four weeks changing work to get my threshing dona There is considerable flax to be threshed yet, and I still have some oats. Where I have been threshing Fall wheat has been running from If to 20 odd bushels and oats from 20 to 30 odd bushels. The weather has bfeen very hot and dry here for the last six weeks. We can not plow. People are discing end drilling wheat behind the disc. The shallow wells are all dry. But there Is plenty of water if they go down for it, and upon the whole the people here seem to be prospering A great deal of land changing hands In this part We have lots of tomatoes, water-melons, muskmelons, good navy beans, squashes, pumpkins and turnips. I also raised some cane and Kaffir corn. Anything that will grow In the east can be grown In South Dakota. We also have lots of good potatoes. But we have no fruit here, apples are $2.00 a bushel. We visited Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Gwin Sunday, and saw there Mrs. C. Grant and Mrs. J. Smith, of Rensselaer, also Mr. and Mrs. Gaston, and Mr. and Mrs. H. / Hayes, and E . J. Smith and family. We had quite an enjoyable chat Well, I have done the best I can, in explaining everything to the best of my judgment. Respectfully yours, JOHN STEWART. P. S. Hurrah for Taft and Sherman.