USA > South Dakota > History of Dakota Territory, volume III > Part 67
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watercourse at some point where it will render the greatest benefit to the lands to be effected thereby, and shall make and file with the county auditor of the county wherein such well may be located, a full report of his proceedings in locating and establishing any such well, together with the petition on which such proceedings were based. He shall at the same time file with the county auditor an estimate of the total cost for constructing and putting down such well.
Section 2649. On the receipt of the report of the engineer of irrigation, locating any well as herein provided, the county auditor shall appoint two disin- terested persons of his county, who shall, together with the county surveyor, con- stitute a board of viewers, who shall, without unnecessary delay after being duly sworn to a faithful performance of the duty, proceed to personally examine the location of such well, and the course and extent of the natural watercourse along which the water from such well would flow, and the lands located on such watercourse which would be affected by the flow of water from such well.
Section 2655. When a county shall have voted for the issuing of artesian well warrants, as provided in this article, the county commissioners shall cause a notice to be published in at least one official newspaper of their county for three successive issues of such paper, asking for bids for the sinking and casing and construction of such wells. The notice, so printed, shall give the size of the well, kind of piping to be used, the valves and appliances necessary to con- trol the flow of water from such well, and the date, as near as may be, when said well shall be completed.
Section 2662. Whenever artesian well warrants are voted by the electors of a county, as provided herein, it shall be the duty of the county commission- ers to create a county fund, to be known as the artesian well fund, and all pro- ceeds from the sale or other disposition of artesian well warrants issued under this article shall become a part of such fund. The county commissioners shall levy a special tax upon the lands to be benefited by such well, shown by the report of the board of viewers, and the amount of tax to be levied on each tract of land shall be the same as shown on the report of the board of viewers as corrected and confirmed by the board of county commissioners. Such levy shall be entered on the tax books of the county, and shall be collected by the county treasurer in the same manner and with the same powers to force collection as general taxes on real property are collected.
Section 2681. Whenever a majority of the qualified electors of any civil township in the State of Dakota shall make application in writing to the state engineer of irrigation, requesting him to locate within said civil township artesian wells, not to exceed nine in number, if said wells shall be six inches in diameter, and not to exceed sixteen in number if said wells shall be 47/2 inches in dameter, for the purpose of supplying the public with water, it shall be the duty of said engineer within twenty days from the presentation to him of said application to locate or cause to be located in said township the number of wells mentioned in said application, not exceeding nine if said wells be six inches in diameter, and not exceeding sixteen if said wells be 47/2 inches in diameter, at such places as shall in the judgment of the state engineer of irrigation best subserve the inter- est of all the landholders of the township. The majority of electors is to be determined by the vote of the civil township as shown by the poll list thereof at the last preceding general election.
CHAPTER XIV
AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE, LIVE STOCK, ETC.
When South Dakota came into existence as a state the agricultural, horti- cultural and manufacturing industries were all that could be expected, consider- ing the adverse circumstances. The Horticultural Society, about 1885, passed resolutions in favor of co-operative farming, but at first was laughed at as visionary dreamers. They were not disconcerted, because they had the approval of the State Agricultural Society and the United States commissioner of agri- culture. About 1889 they secured 320 acres near Watertown and began opera- tions. George P. Crose was president of the co-operative society in 1889. That year was a hard one, owing to the drouth, prairie fires and blizzards. Several counties needed and received help to recover from the losses. The society recom- mended farmers and others to plant the following trees: Forests-box elder. white or green ash, rock elm, larch, white birch, soft maple, butternut, cottonwood and black cherry; windbreaks-white willow, cottonwood and box elder; street trees-hard maple, white elm, basswood, ash and hackberry ; ornamental trees- bird cherry, larch and white birch; forest evergreens-red cedar, white pine, Euorpean larch, American arbor vitae; ornamental evergreens-Colorado blue or white northern (Norway) spruce; Siberian fir; Scotch pine, dwarf mountain pine, red cedar and arbor vitae. Under this recommendation the first efforts to reforest the South Dakota plains were made. Later other varieties were added. Many thousands of trees were planted in territorial days.
As early as 1886 the farmers had established a farmers' insurance organi- zation, and issued policies against fire, hail and drouth. The Huron Board of Trade was organized in 1889, and encouraged farmers' organizations. Sioux Falls, Yankton, Watertown, Aberdeen and other towns had similar organizations. They were established mainly to "boost" their towns and aid the farmers.
In his message of November, 1889, Governor Mellette stated that all the land of what is now South Dakota was fitted for agriculture except perhaps a small portion which was good for grazing the whole year through. It remained for the department of agriculture, a few years later, to announce that "no land is worthless." The Governor further said that mixed farming was more general, stock growing was increasing very fast, dairying was becoming important, irri- gation was already common and grain farming alone was going out of date.
Perhaps the most important question with the farming community this year was the artesian well system of the "Jim" River Basin for irrigation. It came to a climax owing to the severe drouth in certain portions of the valley. Almost every county east of the Missouri River held mass conventions on the subject near the close of the year. Often special committees to investigate were appointed by county boards or city authorities. It was not known or realized at this time
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that the process might injure the crops. The average cost of an artesian well was about $1,000. The power developed by the pressure was another important object. Already many industries were utilizing this power.
Flax was grown extensively at this time-for seed mainly-not for fiber. The farmers urged the department of agriculture to find a way to use the fiber. Important sugar beet experiments were in progress at the Agricultural College, Brookings. A gopher exterminating campaign, organized at Howard, destroyed 1,428 of the pests in a week's time. Already great efforts to extend the "corn belt" farther northward were being made. All the hardy varieties were intro- duced and tried. In the end the result is that the belt has been extended over nearly the whole state. This movement brought the famous Ree Indian corn into prominence. It was learned that Elijah Boley, an old settler of West Dakota Territory, had grown the Ree corn for many years, and that it had been grown by the Indians over nearly all of Dakota Territory. Mr. Boley planted only the best kernels from the best ears, and within a few years advanced from short ears with from four to six rows, to long ears with twelve rows. He claimed there was more nutriment in the Ree corn than in the ordinary varieties. It was hardy, grew rapidly and ripened fast. For many years a considerable quantitiy was grown near Mandan. For an unknown period of time, it had been grown there by the Aricaras, after whom it was named-Ree, the early pronunciation of the last syllable.
The South Dakota Fair was held at Aberdeen in September, 1889. It was not a great success owing to the cold weather and the excitement over the approaching state election. However, it was estimated that five thousand people were present on both Wednesday and Thursday. There were days called veteran, school and capital. It was decided at this fair to hold a series of farmers' insti- tutes. This year the Holstein-Friesland (as it was then called) herd of cattle of the Friesland Live Stock Company's barn, near Aberdeen, was exhibited at the Minnesota State Fair. Their cow, Lina Twisk, beat the world's record for milk, defeating a Jersey cow from New York valued at $10,000. Twenty ani- mals were in this test, among them being several famous prizewinners. Already South Dakota was widely known for its milk cows, dairies, creameries and but- ter. Wool growing was already a large industry. In July three growers of the Black Hills shipped to market 35,000 pounds of wool. It was believed that the Merino breed of sheep was not suited to South Dakota, as the wool contained too much grease, which caught the dust until the coat became too foul. One fleece of a Merino, marketed at Yankton, weighed thirty pounds, but when washed, weighed only 514 pounds. Neither was the mutton of the Merinos palatable. Coarse-wooled sheep were the ones first sought.
In May, 1889, stock to the amount of $1,000,000 was subscribed for the purpose of building a large packing plant at Sioux Falls. The incorporators were: R. F. Pettigrew, of that city, and E. M. Stedman and James H. Dyer, of Portland, Maine, the name chosen being the Sioux Falls Stock Yards Com- pany. Next to the Homestake Mining Company it was the largest corporation in the state.
In 1889 the Bureau of Agriculture became the United States Department of Agriculture and experiment stations were provided. One was located at Brookings in connection with the agricultural college. The year before the
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Farmers' Alliance, in conjunction with Minnesota organizations, united for the purpose of building farmers' elevators to take the place of those conducted by men whose methods were questioned by grain growers. Quantities of the stock were sold in England.
In 1888 and 1889 glanders and anthrax prevailed alarmingly in portions of the state. Many animals were destroyed by Territorial Veterinarian J. S. Allo- way. The owners were recompensed. Much complaint arose over the course of Doctor Alloway. It was said that he did not seem to know what the cattle dis- ease was-said it was not anthrax, but was caused by eating too much dry food. He killed a horse alleged to have glanders, and valued at $3,000, when it was declared by experienced farmers that it had only an ulcerated tooth. But he was probably right. He was finally removed, no doubt through prejudice, and Dr. D. E. Collins was appointed in his stead by Governor Mellette. He called the cattle disease "splenic apoplexy." Eighty-four cattle near Yankton died of the disease, a number belonging to the insane asylum herd. Hogs died from eating the meat of the dead cattle. Doctor Collins ascribed the disorder to the Rhine water, but was no doubt wrong. Later it was shown beyond doubt to be anthrax, or charbon of France, or miltz of Germany. Hog cholera prevailed in many portions of the state this year, but could not be prevented nor cured.
In many towns and cities where there were gushing artesian wells the water power was used to run flour mills and other manufacturing concerns.
The Farmers' Alliance met at Huron in January, 1890, with President Wardall in the chair. He said that the alliance, expecting a large business in 1889, had placed many agents in the field, but that the drouth which generally prevailed cut short their expectations; however, they had insured 458,301 acres. The alliance had thus far never sued nor been sued, had grown rapidly by hon- est dealing, its receipts for 1899 being $87,525.70, a part of which belonged to the Alliance Aid Association. Their newspaper, the Ruralist, was issued at Aberdeen, but the headquarters of the alliance was at Huron. The executive board of the alliance controlled the paper. H. L. Loucks was one of the leaders of the alliance.
The Morrill Bill of 1889 gave the agricultural college $15,000 in 1889 and then increased the amount annually for a few years up to $25,000, when it became permanent. This appropriation set the machinery of the school in opera- tion. In addition $15,000 per year was appropriated for the experiment station. By January 1, 1891, both institutions had received a total of $48,000 and were well started on their work.
Many immigration movements were conducted this year. The National Land & Trust Company of Huron brought in fifty-three families of Finlanders on April 1; all located in Beadle County. The Farmers' Alliance this year reorgan- ized upon a secret plan and engaged in the game of politics in conjunction with the Knights of Labor.
The South Dakota Sheep Breeders' Association met at Huron in June. Col. J. D. Eddis, of Virgil, was chosen the new president. Several interesting papers were read and several committees were appointed and instructed to report at sub- sequent meetings.
A big problem throughout the state was how to get plenty of cheap fuel. Much of the native timber was being cut off for posts, fuel, etc., and great
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efforts to bring into use the local lignite beds were made. It was planned to get out this lignite in North Dakota, and ship it on barges to all points down the Missouri River, to be then distributed through the out settlements.
The cities of the state were growing rapidly this year. Sioux Falls had in view, or already in operation, a packing plant, woolen mill, electric railway, graded streets, a dozen big brick business blocks, many fine churches and schools, and scores of beautiful residences. In 1883 the assessment of Sioux Falls was $857,546; in 1890 it was $6,145,354. The wealthiest citizens were assessed as follows : William Van Eps, $108,000; A. Gale, $96,000; P. H. Edmison, $95,300; R. F. Pettigrew, $91,597; Hollister estate, $88,000; Drake property, $87,400; Melvin Grigsby, $85,450; Pettigrew and Tate, $71,085; D. Hayward, $68,000; P. P. Peck, $61,250; C. G. Coates, $57,000; Daniel Scott, $46,500.
In July, 1890, the Farmers' Alliance sold large quantities of farm machin- ery throughout the state and loaned money extensively at a low rate of inter- est. Its members were insured against crop losses by hail. At this time the alliance was doing more insurance among the farmers of the state than all the other insurance companies combined.
The Sheep Growers' Association this year established the following essential conditions for success: (1) Must have the right breed; (2) must be kept dry and have shelter; (3) long wool grade merinos were most valuable because they yielded from seven to ten pounds of wool worth 17 cents a pound; (4) the cost to maintain a sheep per year was $1 ; (5) sheep raising was very profitable, both for the wool and the mutton, the latter having been greatly improved by crossing ; (6) breeding ewes were worth $4 each. At this time there were many large herds in the state varying from five hundred to fifteen hundred head.
The state fair of 1890 at Aberdeen was a success. That city paid about $1,700 to secure it and drew large crowds with its attractions and pre- miums. Over four thousand persons attended on Wednesday and Thursday each. Many conventions and other public assemblies were held there during the fair in order to increase the crowds. The grain, live stock and domestic products exhibits were good. The attractions were trotting, running, balloon ascension, tight rope walking, etc. The South Dakota district fair was held at Center- ville in October and was likewise successful. A number of counties held small fairs of their own.
In November cattle were shipped from Custer by rail for the first time. Im- portant tests at sugar beat growing were made this year by Professor Shephard at Brookings. In experimental crops he produced 14.17 and 20 per cent of sugar, when the usual average was 12 to 14 per cent. The growing of sugar beets was taken up in many places in the state at this time, more as an experiment than as a money making project. This year the state produced more corn than wheat. Beadle County raised 35,925 bushels of potatoes this year. This tuber was grown extensively.
At the Farmers' Alliance meeting in November 300 delegates were present, among them being Loucks, Wardall, Scott, Cozand, Lowe, Leavitt, Goodfellow, Cummings and Bartlett Tripp. This was mainly a political session. The Single Tax League met with them. The census this year gave the state a population of 328,808. The flax crop of Brookings County. this year was valued at nearly one million dollars.
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Up to January 17, 1891, the winter was the pleasantest South Dakota had experienced in thirty years. The fine weather brought together many farmer organizations. The horticultural society met at DeSmet, with A. C. Warner as the new president. The stock breeders' association met at the same place, with O. P. Kempt as president ; so did the dairymen's association, with A. H. Wheaton in the chair. A new sheep growers' society was organized in Beadle County about this time. They appointed a committee to secure certain legislation. In February the State Alliance Relief Committee secured large quantities of seed wheat at Minneapolis; W. H. Curtis was secretary. During the year they did much for the drought sufferers-flour, corn meal, coarsely ground corn, ground or chopped feed, bran, wheat, seed corn, etc., in large quantities were furnished. The Huron National Bank, L. W. Hazen, president, which had closed its doors in December after a heavy run, due, it was claimed, to an unfounded report, resumed business the following February.
In the spring of 1891 the settlers of the Crow Creek Reservation to the number of 568, who had been evicted under the orders of President Cleveland, asked payment for their claims, which amounted to $205,398.47, and more to come.
Among the important items of history in 1891 were the following: Yankton's woolen mill was in successful operation, propelled by artesian water power; several townships, here and there, issued irrigation bonds; Governor Mellette fixed May Ist as Arbor Day; the state was placed within the sugar beet and corn belt by the official isothermal line; the big pontoon bridge at Pierre was completed in May; there was a great increase in the number of artesian wells; Chamberlain was authorized to issue bonds to build a bridge over the Missouri River; by the middle of June Wessington had shipped over 50,000 pounds of wool; many large herds of sheep were brought to the state-Beadle County alone had over 30,000 head-they came largely from Montana and Wyoming ; a special grass from Austria, suitable for semi-arid regions, was introduced by the Government ; drought conditions were attacked from all sides- rain making, irrigation, reservoirs, conservation of moisture and drought resistant plants ; large increase in the population mainly through the efforts of the irrigation com- missioner ; flax acreage this year 354,951 with 1,801,115 bushels of seed, the largest in the United States ; immense damage from prairie fires-companies and communities organized to fight ; many thousands of chattel mortgages paid off from September I to November 20, 1891-in Beadle County alone 2,000 of such mortgages were liquidated; over 100 bushels of oats were raised on one acre in Beadle County on irrigated land; efforts to secure a sugar beet factory for the state were made; in September a farmer at Pierre sold a load of wheat for $97- he threshed 115 bushels from two acres; what to do wtih the Russian thistle was the big problem ; this year the state consumed 17,640,000 pounds of binding twine ; the crops were so large that there was a great shortage in freight cars in November ; efforts of the rain-makers to help conditions failed.
The Legislature of 1891 authorized the board of trustees of the agricultural college to provide for holding farmers' institutes, but meanly failed to make an appropriation therefor, thus throwing upon the communities the burden of expense. President McLouth and Professors Foster, Keffer, Orcutt, Sheppard, Phillips, Frost, Wheaton, Walters, and others were active in this movement.
ADMINISTRATION BUILDING AND AGRICULTURAL HALL, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE COLLEGE, BROOKINGS
WENONA HALL-LADIES' DORMITORY-SOUTH DAKOTA STATE COLLEGE, BROOKINGS
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The corn bulletin issued by the agricultural college in May, 1891, showed. that the southern tiers of counties would grow Dent corn and the central and northern counties Flint corn, but it was stated that the northern portions would do better to plant the other cereals and raise live stock as well as corn. This year the Department of Agriculture marked Minnesota 100 per cent as a wheat producing state and South Dakota 99. This was why South Dakota paid off its mortgages this year to the amount of several million dollars.
The new banking law required all banks to reorganize thereunder, subject to a fine if they did not. Brown County received an addition of over ten thou- sand head of sheep in the fall. By August the State Millers' Association operated thirty mills and $750,000 worth of machinery. They met this year at Madison, being four years old and having met previously at Aberdeen, Watertown and Huron. L. J. Begnon was president in 1891. The Fidelity Insurance Company at Huron was auxiliary to the Farmers' Alliance ; Alonzo Wardall was its presi- dent in 1891. It became seriously involved.
The state fair of 1891 was a success. It was held at Sioux Falls. Racing purses as high as $500 were offered. It was estimated that ten thousand persons were present on Wednesday and more than that number on Thursday. Yank- ton County won with vegetables and Clay County with fruit. The latter county took first prize of $300 for the best agricultural exhibit. The live stock was better than ever before. Scotland held a district fair this year-the counties rep- resented being Yankton, Bon Homme, Douglas and Hutchinson. At the state fair Pettigrew and Tate, of Sioux Falls, exhibited a herd of twenty wild buffalo and seven head of wild moose.
The third annual meeting of the State Horticultural Society assembled in the city hall, Yankton, December 9th, with H. C. Warner in the chair. All the southern counties reported large crops of fruit. The president said that for three years they had asked for aid from the state annually to publish their report, but had failed to receive any. "But here in this vast treeless, wind-swept state a Senate committee, a majority of whom were farmers, voted unanimously to postpone indefinitely a bill for publishing the proceedings of hte State Horti- cultural Society and to pay the annual expenses, which amounted to about five hundred dollars. I earnestly recommend that the horticulturalists of the state pledge candidates for the Legislature next fall to support a bill for publishing the proceedings of this society. South Dakota is almost the only state in the Union that fails to make an appropriation for her horticulture society and where is there another state that needs the benefits of horticulture and forestry as much?" All over the southeastern portion of the state at this time thousands of seedling fruit trees were being grown to fruitage in order to develop hardy and desirable varieties suited to the soil, climate and rainfall. George H. Whiting, A. L. Van Osdel, Paul Landmann and President McLouth of the agricultural college participated in the exercises. Prof. C. A. Keffer, of the agricultural college, read a paper on "Forestry as a Government Problem," in which he showed (1) forests are effective windbreaks; (2) they prevent the rapid flowing away of water; (3) they increase the apparent moisture of the atmosphere; (4) they lessen the extremes of heat and cold; (5) they promote the even distri- bution of rainfall. Noxious weeds were duly considered-Russian thistle, cockle burr, etc.
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Early in 1892 Governor Mellette, in response to a general demand, appointed a Russian famine relief commission and on February 12th of that year issued a proclamation authorizing them to commence the work of soliciting donations of flour, grain, cash, etc. The commission went to work promptly and continued until free transportation ceased, when they were compelled to convert the grain contributions into cash, which was done after considerable trouble and expense before scarcely one-third of the state had been canvassed. They had divided the state into eight districts, had appointed a commissioner for each and in the end received in cash $3,807.63 ; flour, 250,000 pounds ; corn, two carloads. These products were forwarded to the foreign authorities.
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