Decatur County Journal Leon, Iowa Thursday, September 21, 1911 Editor Journal: I recently returned from a visit with relatives and friends at Leon, and old Decatur County, which I enjoyed to the uttermost. I found a very erroneous impression prevailing generally throughout Iowa that South Dakota was a drought stricken and destitute country, and that its inhabitants were on the verge of starvation. While it is true that a portion of the newer part of the northwestern part of the state was very dry and some of the homesteaders who were not well established had to seek work temporarily elsewhere, South Dakota as a state will rank high up among the sister states this year in farm products, and Brule County in which Chamberlain is situated and this portion of the state generally has had an abundance of rain during the latter part of the season. Corn is a bumper crop, hay is being shipped by the car load to less favored regions, flax and potatoes are immense, pastures are as green as in May and stock rolling fat everywhere without feed further than that obtained from the native pastures. I also received many inquiries as to the registration for the Rosebud and Pine Ridge lands which commences October 2, and closes October 21. For the benefit of my friends who are interested, will state that Chamberlain is the nearest, most convenient and accessible point for registration, and will also add that Chamberlain is the liveliest little city on this part of the map. It is beautifully situated on the Missouri River. An immense cement plant is being constructed here. Columbus College, the leading Catholic college of the northwest, is located here, also the Chamberlain Sanitarium, a large institution conducted along the same lines as the Famous Battle Creek Sanitarium. It also has a fine island park of over 1,000 acres donated by the United States Government to the city for park purposes, and is a progressive up-to-date city with city waterworks, electric light and gas plant, and it is destined to become the leading manufacturing and distributing city for the great country so rapidly developing to the west of us. Chamberlain for the third time has been chosen by the officials at Washington as a registration point, which indicates the confidence the officials have in Chamberlain's ability to take care of the crowds to their entire satisfaction. Chamberlain's live commercial club will see that everyone is properly provided for. There are 46,000 acres of land to be thrown open in Mellette and Bennett Counties in the rich corn, small grain and alfalfa producing belt of the state, and as this is about the last strip of Uncle Sam's rich domain likely to be thrown open to homesteaders for some time, it is an opportunity that should not be passed lightly by. Only a nominal fee of 25 cents for registration is all that can be charged, and cheap excursion rates will be given to home seekers during registration. With kind regards to all Decatur County friends, I remain Yours truly, E.E Dye Chamberlain, S.D., Sept. 15, '11 ------------------------------------------------------ Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert December 12, 2009 [email protected]