Hiring of Teachers for New Term
Will Be "in Air."
According to a decision of Attorney
General Pyle. rendered under a form
er change iu school laws of the state
»nd the provisions of the school law
of last winter, there is material for a
treat deal of trouble In the matter of
lelection of teachers in this state for
the next school ve&r.
Under the old system, with two
members of the board of education se
lected from each ward in a city, half
the membership changed each year,
fcnd the board was continuous Under
those conditions it has become the
custom of the boards to select their
teachers early in the year, on the
grounds that the teachers desired to
know as early as possible what they
might expect for the next year, and
on the further ground that the old
board was in a better position to
know which of the old teaching force
they desired to retain, than would
new members.
Under the provisions of section 179
Df the new law, the oid boards are
wiped out, and a board of five mem
jers to be selected at large takes their
place. This provision leaves no con
tinuing board, and provides an en
tirely new organization for the con
trol of the schools. The date of elec
tion is also changed from that of the
regular city election to the third
Tuesday in June.
In this selection of a complete new
board is where the trouble is likely
to show up. Old boards over the state
ire following the usual custom, and
making selections of the teaching
force lor th» next school year, which
will be entirely outside of their Juris
diction. and an inquiry to Attorney
Genera! Clark In regard to their
rights brings a reference to an opin
ion by Attorney General Pyle in 1899,
in which he holdB: "The school year
begins July 1 of each year, the board
had the right to control and manage
the schools would be prevented from
tmploying such teachers. According
ly it has been held that the school
board, acting in good faith, can make
a contract for the services of a teach
»r where the term commences during
the life of the board hiring such teach
ers, but cannot make a contract for
the teaching of a term which begins
during the term of their successors."
This construction would leave the
leaching force in towns in the air un
til after the new board assumes con
trol practically would annul any con
tracts made by present boards, and in
case where the present board had se
lected a toucher not satisfactory to
the incoming board, it will open the
way to serious tangles.
PLAN ANTI-DIVORCE WAR.
Bishop Hare and Other Clergymen
Will Work for Favorable Vote on Law.
A number of ministers and others
interested in the presentation of the
referendum divorce law at the fall
election, met at Huron. The discus
sion was quite animated and a com
mittee was named to summarize and
prepare facts for publication and dis
tribution throughout the state. These
are to be sent to the secretary of the
committee. Dr. W. H. Thrall of Huron.
The opinion prevailed that if the
people of the state were made ac
quainted with the facts as they ex
ist concerning the present divorce
matters in South Dakota, there would
be no doubt as to the result at the ap
proaching election.
Bishop Hare of Sioux Falls stated
that ninety-nine out of every one hun
dred who came to Sioux Falls from
other states, for the purpose of pro
curing divorces, leave the state as
soon as the decree is Issued. It was
his opinion also that the people, if
rightly informed of the facts, would
unite in removing the stigma of di
vorce that now attaches to the name
of South Dakota.
WILL NOT PART WITH STRIP.
Cheyenne River Indians Will Hold
Land Providing Way Into LeBeau.
Indians at White Horse, Thunder
Butte and Cherry Creek by telephone,
who said they would agree to open
a strip twelve miles wide along the
northern border of the reserve, bring
ing the open strip down to Le Beau,
and also to give up the Schnasse
county country, a tract of twenty
townships in the northwest corner of
the reservation, including Thunder
Butte, did not Toice the prevailing
sentiment. Since that time the coun
cil of that reservation has held a
meeting and will not agree to let go
of the strip along the northern line.
The Indians are willing to release the
Schnasse county country, and want a
special agent sent out from Washing
ton for a conference before any action
is taken toward opening any portion
of the reservation.
Will Build Briek Plant.
The Mitchell Brick and Tile com
pany is the name of a new company
that has just been organised with a
capital stock of $50,000 for the erec
tion atad operation of a brick and tile
^factory at Mitchell. Loeal capital has
Ifctan interested with Irving Dumm of
dqPtanbus, Ohio, in the starting of the
Industry, and work will commence on
the erection of the plant within thirty
days, the capacity of,which from the
start wtQ be from 40,000 to 60,000
brick per day.
In ana About the State
NEW DREW TROUBLE. HOMESTEAD FILINGS IN BUTTE.
Most Filings of Last Month In Rapid
City and Belle Fourche Districts.
The filing records of the three land
offices at Pierre. Chamberlain and
Rapid City, covering the country in
South Dakota, west of the Missouri
river show that for March 1,016 home
stead filings were made, most of them
being in the Rapid City district, cov
ering the Rutte county country. This
took up a total of lfi2,000 acres of
government land for lie month. For
the same time probably 50.000 acres
more were taken through the desert
land, and declaratory provisions of
the land laws.
For the same month final titles
were taken by claimants in the same
districts to 414 tracts through cash
entries and final homesteads, the
greatest number of cash entries being
in the Chamberlain land district .se
curing title to over 66,000 acres of
land or more than three townships.
Evidences of the class of people
which are going into the western part
of South Dakota at the present time
is shown in the cars of emigrant
goods which are going out. The
March record at this city reached
near the five hundred mark, and
Chamberlain and Rapid City both had
their share, while many more went
out over the northern line of the Mil
waukee to locate in northern Butte
county. All of these cars mean ac
tual settlers, and an examination of
the cars as they go through show that
nearly every one contains a number
of milk cows and several crates of
chickens. Another evidence of what
class of people are going now was
shown by the count on each coach on
the passenger train west from here
last evening. After the passengers
had settled themselves, a count of the
car showed twenty paid fares, and
twenty-eight children too young to
pay fare, and most of the paid fares
were the mothers of the young
broods, the fathers having gone out
with the emigrant cars, and prepared
for the coming of their families. This
means actual settlers, and not merely
a speculative movement to get cheap
lands, then leave them.
JOHN W. MARTIN,
The reform candidate for mayor of
Watertown. was elected on Tuesday.
His opponent was Mayor Thomas, the
present incumbent of the office. Mr.
Martin, who twice before has been
mayor of Watertown, had the support
of the ministerial union and a young
voters' league, two strong reform or
ganizations.
COLD PLUNGE 3AVES LIFE.
While striving to rescue the hat of
a woman friend, Amos Schook, a well
known resident of Lyman county,
nearly lost his life.
Desiring to make a visit to Ameri
can Island, Schook and two women
friends decided to make their way
over the railroad bridge, which is
composed of trestle work. They had
proceeded only a short distance when
they heard the rumble of an ap
proaching train. Realizing that time
was not to be lost Schook hurried the
two women to the outer edge of the
bridge and ordered them to seat
themselves on the extreme outer ends
of the ties. He seated himself beside
them. The train, upon rushing by
them, formed a suction which drew
the hat from the head of one of the
women.
Schook partially arose and grabbed
for the hat which was floating nearly
against the rapidly moving train. The
next instant he was struck a violent
blow on the head by the step of one
of the cars. He was made unconscious
and was knocked off the bridge into
the river. The cold water speedily
revived him and his overcoat and
heavy clothing kept him afloat until
he could make his way to shore.
When he reached shore he was near
ly exhausted, but bis cold plunge had
saved his life.
CLAIM8 COUNTY 8EAT.
The people of Presho are enthusi
astic over the result of their efforts
in circulating petitions asking for a
vote on county seat removal from
Oacoma to Presho. They have 1,560
names on the petition which they are
presenting to the county commission
ers, and with only a vote of 1,800 at
the last general election, they think
they have not only enough names to
assure the question being submitted,
but enough to guarantee them a fa
vorable vote at the election In No
vember.
tPENALTY IS THREATENED.
State Census Superintendent De
mands More Prompt Returns.
Doane Robinson, superintendent of
census, has returned from a trip to
the southern part of the state where
he went to look into the question of
neglect in making the proper sta
tistical returns to the department. On
investigation he found that the cause
of the delay and neglect is generally
on the part of justices of the peace,
who fail to make a return of the cer
tificates filed with them. In some
cases no returns have been made at
all, and in many cases there is delay
in tfle work. He is investigating, and
if he finds that the neglect or delay is
wilful on the part of the officials he
intends to apply the penalty provided
by the vital statistical law, iu such
cases, and to find if it is not possible
to get a more prompt service.
AFTER MARKET HUNTERS.
Men Who Follow Game North and
South Are Alleged Law Violators.
In the belief that professional mar
ket hunters have commenced opera
tions at Lake Andes, Charleft Mite
ounty^ the game warden of that coun
ty and the true sportsmen of that part
af the state who do not want the law
violated are maintaining the utmost
vigilance in the hope that the profes
sional hunters who are supposed to
have appeared at the lake may be
caught red handed and made to suf
fer the full penalty of the law. It is
claimed that these professional mar
ket hunters follow the spring flight of
fowl from the Gulf of Mexico to Can
ada, and from Canada to the gulf,
each hunter in a single season kill
ing and shipping thousands of the
fowl. With them hunting is not a
sport, but a business.
DISCUSS MORAL REFORMS.
Charities and Corrections Delegates
Meet at Redfleld.
At the South Dakota state confer
ence of charities and corrections,
which held its annual session at Red
field, addresses were made by Presi
dent H. K. Warren of Yankton college
on needed legislation Dr. Thomas
Nicholson of Dakota Wesleyan uni
versity on "Some Fundamental Fac
tors in Moral Reform Dr. F. M.
Crain presented a paper on "Tubercu
losis" and Prof. Q. W. Nash of the
Northern normal school addressed the
conference on "True Philanthropy vs.
False Philanthropy." In the afternoon
the principal speakers were Charles
M. Stevens of Aberdeen, Judge G. S.
Robinson of Des Moines an penal re
form, and Bishop Hare of Sioux Falls
on the divorce problem.
LARGER ACREAGE LEASED.
State Land Returns Show Bigger De
mand for Tracts for Rent.
The lease returns being made by
he different counties to the state land
iepartment show a healthy demand
for state lands this year. In Butte
county where a short time ago no at
tempt was made to lease lands, the
report shows eighty-five sections
aken. In Brookings county some of
the leases went as high as $1.50 an
acre a year for hay lands. The re
ports generally from all the counties
show an increased demand for the
land with better prices for the leases,
and the result will be a larger reve
nue from leases than in former years.
LOST— CARLOAD OF CATTLE.
Unloaded for Feeding, 8tock Is Miss*
Ing In the Morning.
That a carload of thirty-four cattle
could drop out of existence in a night
and leave no trace to tell what be
came of them seems incredible, and
yet such a case has kept two Minne
apolis & St. Louis detectives busy in
Watertown for four days. Monday
night a carload of cattle was unloaded
in the local stockyards for feeding
during the night. In the morning not
a trace of the bunch was to be found
nor has a clue yet been found leading
to the solution of the mystery.
TO BE BANNER GAME SEASON.
Migration of Ducks and Geese Is
Heaviest in Hunting History.
Sportsmen say that not for years
has the spring migration of ducks and
geese been anvwhere near so large as
it is this year. The flocks are larger
and there are more of them. Not for
twenty years, since the country was
settled up around Watertown, has
there been the prospects for game
that exist now. The Troeh boys, in
two hours, bagged eighteen geese and
twenty ducks from a field two miles
south of Watertown.
The Overworked Muse.
The poet once penned triolet*
To buy his sweetheart violets.
They later wed
And then the muse wrote dainty odes
To purchase dresses in the modes,
So it is said.
A welth of babies came along
And now the grind is pretty strong
For the poor muse.
Which has te turn out street ear ads
To buy grub for endless tadsi,
Also their shoes.
LOCATORS VICTIMIZE MANY.
Land Commissioner Seeks to Stamp
Out Evil.
While the present inrush of settlers
into South Dakota has resulted in se
curing good homes lor many, some
of the evils attending the settling up
of the country are now manifest.
Probably the most conspicuous of
these is the unusual number of land
sharps and would-be locators who
have sucoeded in fleecing or deceiv
ing the newcomers at "cut rates."
Steps have been laken by United
States Land Commissioner Roy Scott
for the Camp Crook district to stamp
out the evil, and to some extent he is
succeeding.
All along the Milwaukee railroad
the small towns are infested with
organized gangs of these fake locators
who are finding many victims. Every
incoming train is boarded from the
moment it crosses into South Dakota
by the sharps, and hundreds of mis
locations have been the esult of
trusting in their "judgment." Mr.
Scott sent out literature advising
prospective settlers either to consult
a United State commissioner or the
lay of the land or to inform them
selves first and make their own loca
tions. In numerous instances old set
tlers were asked for aid in making
locations, and while they knew the
land, their unfamiliarity with the sur
veys caused trouble This now is
causing the land offices a great
amount of additional and troublesome
work.
So far as known, no attempt has
been made by government agents or
individuals to secure the punishment
of false locators, and many a settler
who thought he had located for a fee
of $25 a choice piece of level land has
found himself on a rocky knoll.
Complete surveys of most of the
laid in this section of the country
were made last winter, and the in
formation is here for the asking if
the settlers take the trouble to learn.
REDISTRICT COUNTY.
Two New Commissioner Districts to
Be Added to Pennington.
The county commissioners of Pen
nington county have decided to add
two more districts to the county, mak
ing a total of five in all. As the ap
portionment of districts now stands
there is no representation from that
rapidly growing district btween Rapid
City and the Missouri river, and the
taxpayers demanded that tliev have
commissioners. Petitions were pre
pared in the county treasurer's office
in Rapid City and promptly signed by
almost all of the residents of the sec
tion east of Rapid City. The law re
quires that the new districts be cre
ated when one-third of the legal vot
ers petition the board, and the neces
sary number is already passed, and
all the petitions are not yet in. Wall
and Scenic, two of the new towns
along the North-Western's Pierre line,
will be the principal towns benefited
by the move.
WARNS COUNTRY EDUCATORS.
Wisconsin "U" Professor Deplores
Mechanical Training of Pupils.
More than 1f0 school teachers of
Lawrence county attended the annual
institute which this year was the
largest that ever has been held in
the county. Supt. A. H. Bigelow of
the Lead schools conducted the insti
tute and some speakers of national
prominence were present. One of the
ablest addresses was by Prof. M. N.
O'Shea of the University of Wiscon
sin. who declared that no education
at all is far better than the mechani
cal training so frequently found to
day in the schools of the country. The
latter, he claimed, unfits a child for
the problems of life and robs it of
any individuality it may otherwise
possess. Miss Ida C. Bender of Buffa
lo, N. Y., spoke on "Primary Work
and the Necessity of a Good Founda
tion."
"JUGGED" STILL THEY LOAF.
Deadwood Tries Street Work for Ho
boes, but Gives It Up in Disgust.
What to do with the horde of
tramps that for weeks have been in
festing the city of Deadwood is a
problem with which the city authori
ties are now wrestling. Many of the
"bums" were attracted through the
opening up of new lands south and
north of there, and all seem to have
made Deadwood their loafing place.
The police have been kept busy ar
resting offenders several times over,
and warnings to leave town have
no effect. Street work was tried,
but the men proved BO idle that it
was given up in disgust, and the city
now has a number of human "white
elephants" on its hands with no ap
parent way out of the difficulty.
CALL FOR WARRANTS.
A Half Million Taken Up Since First
of March.
The state treasurer has issued a
call for $225,000 of state general fund
warrants for the tenth of this month.
This makes over a half million dol
lars of such warrants taken up since
the first of March, and brings the out
standing warrant debt down to ap
proximately $50,000, with a possibil
ity of yet another small call of war
rants from the receipts of the March
call.
Pass Worthless Checks.
Clinton. Iowa, April 12.—"Worthless
check" grafters have been unusually
active in this section of the state dur
ing the last week, and every day or
two a check of the bogus description
is passed Into a local bank for collec
tion.
SOUTH DAKOTA IS
IN TAFKOLUMM
Republican Convention Names
Eight Delegates to Nation*
al Convention.
IS A UVELY
Resolution Favoring Nomination of Sec
retary Taft Is Adopted by
Acclamation.
The Republican state convention to
name eight delegates to the national
convention at Chicago was in session
at Huron less than five hours and was
one of the most exciting and intensely
interesting of any convention ever
held in this state. Every county was
represented by a full quota of dele
gates. There were 222 1-2 stalwarts
and 266 1-2 progressive votes.
The stalwarts, who are followers of
Senator A. B. Kittredge, and the pro
gressives, adherents of Gov. Coe I.
Crawford, were fully organized. When
the first show of strength was made
Hamlin county gave four votes to
the stalwarts and Spink county gave
ten votes to the progressives.
Frank McNulty of Roberts county
was made temporary chairman and
M. J. Chaney of Clay county perma
nent chairman, with W. E. Sweeney
of Lyman as secretary.
All went smoothly until the report
of the resolutions committee was pre
sented. Then the stalwarts objected
to the resolution indorsing Gov. Craw
ford's candidacy for United States
senator and commending his adminis
tration of state affairs.
District Issue Is Made.
Effos*8 were made to outgeneral the
progressives in the adoption of this
resolution and some strong speeches
were made. Finally a motion prevail
ed dividing the resolutions so that a
vote on that portion referring to Gov.
Crawford would be had before taking
a vote indorsing Secretary Taft for
president.
Th« roll was called and Crawford
was indo
Bed
by 2661-2 against
222 1-2. Then that part of the resolu
tion favoing the nomination of Secre
tary Taft for president was adopted
by acclamation.
Other resolutions, adopted without
objection, favored:
The policies of President Roosevelt.
Protection of American industries.
Revision o the tariff schedules to in
clude the placing of lumber, coal and
iron, and also articles manufactured
and controlled by trusts or monopolies
on the tree list.
Asking for the enlargement of the
powers of the interstate commerce
commission with absolute power to
fix and establish rates on interstate
traffic and public service operations
and empowering the commission to
prosecute trusts and monopolies.
Requiring public service corpora
tions to keep uniform system of ac
counts to be open to inspection of the
interstate commerce commission at
all times.
The establishment of state railway
commissions and assessment boards
for states.
Enactment of a law providing for
the power of granting temporary in
junctions.
Enactment of an employers' liabili
ty law.
National graduated income tax.
Tax on inheritances.
Gov. Crawford briefly acknowledged
the honor shown him.
Delegates te Chicago.
Delegates to the national conven
tion are:
Gov. Coe I. Crawford of Huron, E.
L. Senn of Oacoma, K. O. Strand of
Howard, A. W. Ewart of Pierre, C. H.
Dillon of Yankton, A. L. Lockbart of
Clear Lake, R. C. Grimahaw of Dead
wood, P. H. O'Neal of Faulkton.
Alternates—C. J. Anderson of Au
rora, C. H. Lavery of Stanley, C. W.
Pratt of Charles Mix, George W. Mer
ry of Grant, H. C. Alexander of Greg
ory, O. S. Swenson of Minnehaha,
Frank A. Brown of Brown, G. A. Hoff
man of Walworth.
A number of brief addresses were
made, among the speakers being At
torney General Ellis of Ohio.
UNFORTUNATE FAMILY.
Both Children Lost and Their Home
Is Childless.
Again sorrow has visited the family
of James Flaugher of Sturgls. and un
der somewhat similar circumstances,
a second son has been called by death
within a few weeks. Less than two
months ago the Flaughers lost their
oldest boy from appendicitis, the child
dying within a few days of the attack.
Now death has taken John, aged six
years, after a three days' illness, with
croup. The child was brought to the
hospital at Deadwood, but was past
medical aid. The Flaughers live on a
ranch near Sturgis and are now left
childless
Camp at Land Office.
John N. Spachman of SIsseton
camped at the door of the United
States land office at Aberdeen all
night In order to be first to file on a
canceled Indian allotment, and he won
out. Another man, John W. Hines.
jr., also of SIsseton, was the second
man. He filed BO that in case any
thing should be discovered which
would deprive Spachman of his rigEl
to file, Hines will be successor to the
title. The land In question is In Rob
erts oounty and Involves about 120
acres of good agricultural land.
BRYAN INDORSED
«Y DEMOCRATS
South Dakota Democracy Sends
Bryan Delegates to Denver
Convention.
JOHNSON MOVE FAILS im
Resolutions Call for Abolition of Tariff
on All Trust Controlled
Articles.
The Democratic state convention
met at Mitchell last week, elected
eight delegates to the national con
vention and instructed them to vote
for William Jennings Bryan for the
presidential nomination.
It was midnight before the conven
tion finished its labors. At the open
ing of the evening session a fight was'
precipitated over the manner of
choosing delegates. There was a di
vision of opinion as to whether the
districts should elect them or the con
vention as a whole. On roll call the
duty waB left with the districts.
Col. W. A. Lynch of Huron was
elected permanent chairman and
Thomas Taubman secretary. S. A.
Ramsey made the report on resolu
tions, which were exhaustive and de
clared in favor of the absolute aboli
tion of the tariff on all trust-controlled
articles, favored a graduated income
and inheritance tax, favored a law
compelling all foreign corporations to
appear and stand trial before state
courts, asked for the vigorous en
forcement of the criminal law against
trusts and magnates, urged tariff re
form by the reduction of Import du
ties, favored the instruction of the del
egates of the convention to vote for
the nomination of William Jennings
Bryan first, last and all the time and
for nobody else. The resolutions were
adopted.
8tarted Johnson Move.
Henry Volkmar of MUbank took the
platform and started another fight
over the positive instructions for
Bryan, urging that the convention
should permit the delegates to have a
second choice. He offered an amend
ment to the effect that the delegates
be instructed for Bryan so Ion gas his
name is before the convention and
then to uBe their best judgment in se
lecting a second candidate. When
pressed for a second choice Volkmar
named Gov. Johnson, of Minnesota. A
dozen speeches were made against
Johnson, and Senator Pettigrew took
the platform and denounced the at
tempt to create the flrBt break in the
solid support fir Bryan. Volkmar's
amendment was defeated practically
unanimously.
Two other resolutions were present
ed and adopted. One was for the in
dorsement of Andrew E. Lee for the
nomination of governor and the other
was to the effect that it was the sense
of the convention that no nomination
should be made for United States sen
ator at the June primaries.
The following delegates and alter
nates were elected to the Denver con
vention
F. M. Ziebach of Gregory and C. M.
McCullom of Gregory for the First
district, R. F. Pettigrew of Minnehaha
and F. I. Pixley of McCook for the
Second district, Andrew F. Foley of
Watertown and William Madden of
Hamlin county for the Third, Edward
E. Leehan of Mitchell and Zacht Sut
ley of Lyman county for the Fourth,
Dr. H. J. Rock of Aberdeen and John
Parrott of Day county for the Fifth,
Judge David Moore and Frank Tracey
of Ipswich for the Sixth, Frank M.
Stewart of Custer county and A. J.
Colgan of Edgemont for the Seventh,
W. L. McLaughlin of Deadwood anfl
J. D. Hale of Meade county tor the
Eighth.
The following committees were ap
pointed at the afternoon session:
Credentials—Fred Rowe, John Hale,
H. P. Cooley, J. P. Hamaker, J. P.
Croal, William Boehmer, Lewis Stock
old, John P. McElroy, Charles May.
Resolutions—S. A. Ramsey, Henry
Volkrnan, E. Alexander, Charles Bast
man, Frank Tracey, A. H. Olson, El
M. Doyle, R. P. Pettigrew, Hugh
Smith.
Permanent Organization-— W. J.
Healey, Brown, Simmons, Wade,
Thompson.
Read Dime Novels.
Because he found the reading of
dime novels far too attractive to at
tend school, and through his Wild
West notions became incorrigible,
Ethan McNabb, aged eleven, was com
mitted to the state training school by
Judge Bennett in the county court at
Deadwood.
Young McNabb, with some equally
youthful companions, secured a cave
near town and preferred living there
to the home of his parents. lie was
accused of numerous petty mischiefs
and the court decided that he needed
better care than be could get in Dead
wood.
Keeping Up Land Rush.
There was no abatement in March
of the rush for land In the vicinity of
Rapid City, and the records of the
land office at that place return large
figures. There were 707 original en
tries, 56 desert entries, 10 reservoir, 1
coal, 17 soldiers' entries, making a to
tal of over 126,000 acres appropriated
by original entry. There were also 89
cash entries, 14 final entries and 2
final desert proofs, making a grand to
tal of 897 entries, embraaing 143,
048.69 acres around Rapid City for the
month.