Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 129, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 December 1909 — Observations and Experiences of John Stewart In South Dakota. [ARTICLE]

Observations and Experiences of John Stewart In South Dakota.

Sulphur, S. Dak., Nov. 29, 1999. To the Editor of Republican and my Jasper County Friends: I thought I would write a few lines and let you know something .about homestead life in Butte county, near the Black Hills. When I was in Jasper county the people told me I would freeze to death in South Dakota. When I was in Gregory county, S. Dak., the people said I would freeze to death in Butte county. People sometimes talk of things they know nothing of. The weather has been very fine in this part. 'lt is true that while you have had considerable rain in Jasper county, we have had lots of snow here in Butte county. Have had one foot of snow on the- level. But the sun has shone warm and the snow is all gone, and cattle are doing fine on the pastures. As fat a bunch of cattle as I ever saw go to market came off the grass about three weeks ago, having been fed no grain of any kind.

But we have a great many drawbacks here. First. We are a long ways from market, and it takes from three to four days to make the round trip in gdod wehther. The railroad is graded from Belle Fourche to Vale and the iron will be laid next spring, then we will be 28 or 30 miles from a railroad town. When the railroad is completed we will be from 5 to 7 miles from a railroad town.

We have stores ~3, 4 and 6 miles from where we are now. We can buy anything we want, but the cost is a little more. We have coal dll around us, but I went about 15 or 18 miles for mine. Now you want to know if the land is good soil. It is just like any other place I have ever been. There is some good and some poor land. There is lots of hay on the ground. Have been selling hay all fall up till now. It is buffalo and salt grass. I think I will cut hay oft and on all winter until new grass comes next spring. Some people call this land Gumbo, but it is mixed, some nigger-wool sod with a clay subsoil. Then there is some black, loose soil called Gumbo and most every man has more or less of it on his place. The water in general is not very good. But no one really has any wells t 6 speak of. We get water from the creeks, after the cattle and sheep have tramped through it all day, but have melted snow when we could get it, for our own use. We hope that when we get wells that things will be better.

I have 160 acres and George, my son, has 80 acres of good land joining mine, and my daughter, Agnes, has bought a relinquishment of 167% acres one mile north of me. The land in this neighborhood is practically all taken, but there is lots of land west of her to take yet, known as the Gumbo Hills, and I believe it is just as good as any that has been taken. There are hundreds of men in Jasper and adjoining counties renting land, who, if they only knew, could better their condition greatly by coming west.

E. W. Gwin and wife were over at my place today. They have a nice little house, barn and hen house. We had an enjoyable time talking over old times In Jasper. They look well and are well pleased with their situation. H. H. Hayes has built himself a nice square rock house with upstairs. Himself and family look healthy and well. You want to know if we can raise corn here. We can raise good sound corn here, and better oats than I ever saw in Jasper county. I bought one full gunnysac of oats the other day and there were 110 lbs. in it, cost $1.50 per bushel. Everything is sold here by the pound. Mr. Hayes raised good corn here, and one neighbor, McDonald, 1 mile east of me, planted corn on sod and had good sound corn. As fine potatoes and apples as I ever looked upon I saw between here and Belle Fourche. There are a great many people would not like this country because "Pa and Ma" are not here. But if a man has about SBOO and nerve and backbone, he can come out west and get a good home. This part of the country is filling up very fast. Hundreds of people on the road every day. My nearest neighbor, Wm. Siler, has Improvements which cost $l,lOO and his neighbor on the west is building a nice large square house of 8 rooms. I expect to see rather'hard times for two years, for "it’s all goin’ out and nothin’ cornin’ in.” But I feel good at present anyway. Yours Very Truly,

JOHN STEWART,

Sulphur, S. Dak.