Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 December 1908 — Letter From South Dakota. [ARTICLE]

Letter From South Dakota.

Burk, S. Dak., Dec. 17, 1908. To the Editor and all my old Friends in Jasper County: Well, I thought I would write you a few lines and let you know I am still alive. Tripp county has opened for settlement and the registration is over. Not one of us Hoosiers drew anything | but we expect to get land yet. There : was quite a throng of people out ! here at that time; I think something I like 200 automobiles running the people over the country and unsteeled prairie. I told you in my last letter that I thought the railroad company would get more than Tripp County was worth. I see by the papers that they have already received $2,300,000. I don’t think that over one-third of those who drew anthing will file. There is too much expense connected with it, especially for those who live some distance or who are not already in the farming business. A great many will pay from $25 to SSO to be located, then they will have to make the first government payment of $206 when they file. Now they have the claim to 160 acres of land, it may be good land and it may be ppor land. They will have a house and stable to build, a well to dig, and must make their home on the | land; and also have their annual payments to make to the government. |So it will cost a great deal more than some people figure on. I am very much satisfied with this part of the country and have done real well this year, but I was fooled in my corn crop. Comparing it with the corn back there, I thought, while it was still growing, it would make about 40 bushels to the acre; when I began husking it I thought it would make between 30 and 35 bushels; when I hauled it over the scales it weighed out about 28 bushles to the acre. So you see how I was fooled. Corn has been selling at 45c taking 70 pounds. Oats are selling at 40c and 41c, although they were as high as 45c. Upon the whole though we have had very fair crops this year. H. H. Hayes’ children are attending school. E. W. Gwin had some bad luck two or three weeks ago, losing one of his best mares with spasmodic colic. We were over helping them to butcher their hogs about a week ago. They are getting along very nicely, and are coming to help us butcher tomorrow. Our towns here seem to be thriving and lots of new building going up. Burke is getting new water works put in now and will soon be completed. Land is selling from $4,500 to SIO,OOO per quarter, and lots of it changing hands, bringing lots of money into this new country. The weather has been very nice here this fall. Have had about 2 inches of snow laying on the ground the past two weeks. Have had very little wind. We had 4 below zero weather one or two nights; but, upon the whole, I think it has been an excellent fall. , There is a great deal of winter wheat in, but it was quite late in being sown. I am reconciled to everything he e but the priqe of coal —it is from $7 to $9 per ton. But we got plenty of work during threshing season at 30c per hour and made enough in one week to buy our winter’s supply. We have nothing to do from now to the middle of March, with plenty to eat and burn. Boys you know I like a day or two’s rest, but when it comes to two or three months it makes me tired. With love to all my old friends, I am, yours respectfully, JNO. STEWART. P. S. Enclosed please find one dollar fifty cents ($1.50) for which I wish the Republican sent to my address the following year. J. S.