Dakota Territory History - 1882 This information appears in Chapter LIV of "History of South Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904), pages 310-312 and was scanned, OCRed and edited by Joy Fisher, http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00001.html#0000031 This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/sd/sdfiles.htm CHAPTER LIV 1882 - A YEAR OF POLITICS AND BOOM. The terrible winter of 1880-81 was followed by the other extreme in 1881- 82. There was simply no winter at all. Day after day and week after week Dakota was flooded by the glorious sunshine. In every month plowing was done. Men drove throughout the winter without overcoats, the cattle fed in the open and waxed fat upon the luxuriant, sun-cured grasses. In February seeding began and by the middle of March the most of wheat seeding was completed. At the time of the vernal equinox a flurry of snow came, but it disappeared in a few days and spring broke in full beauty before April. All through the winter the inflow of immigrants continued and with the advent of spring the flood of immigration became a deluge. It is probable that more Dakotans date their residence here from 1882 than from any other single year. The available public lands were well-nigh exhausted this season and the prairie villages rapidly became metropolitan. A curious situation grew up. At that date the most astute could not tell with certainty where the chief centers of population were to be, and in every village were gathered a band of strong men determined to make that village the ultimate metropolis of the section, and in consequence the rivalry was intense. No place was so inconsequential but that it aspired to be the county seat, and frequently, likewise, the capital of the future state. As illustrations of the condition then existing, Ordway, now only a flag station, was supposed to possess vast advantages over Aberdeen, and Bigstone City patronized Milbank as a promising suburb. Out of these conditions there grew up fierce contests for advantage, and county seat fights were precipitated which in some instances nearly disrupted the community. Men of power, who were capable of meeting the great captains of industry upon equal terms, or who would have graced the senate of the United States, threw themselves with all the spirit of their strong personality into these fights for urban supremacy. During this period Milbank won the county seat from Big Stone, Chamberlain from Brule and Salem from Bridgewater, in each instance the fight resulting in the utmost ill feeling and heat of passion. The development of the mining interest in the Black Hills kept pace with the agricultural development on the east side. For the month of August of this year the Homestake mine alone produced three hundred thousand dollars, and it may be stated that it has not produced less in any subsequent month down to the date of this writing. At Huron, on the 27th of July, the Southern Dakota Press Association was duly organized, with John Cain, of the Huron Times, president, and George W. Hopp, of the Brookings Press, secretary. Among those taking part in the organization were N. C. Nash, still with the Canton News; J. F. Stahl, of the Madison Leader; Gen. S. J. Conklin, then editor of the Watertown News, and Porter Warner, now deceased, editor of the Deadwood Times. Three Dakota men, John D. Cameron, the Sioux Falls banker, E. E. Carpenter, a railroad promoter of Canton, and William D. Russell, of Yankton, entered into a conspiracy to defraud the government by the issue of a large amount of land scrip, known as Santa Fe scrip. They got their stock issued all right, but were apprehended and imprisoned. They were tried at Yankton and again at St. Louis, but finally escaped conviction. The conspiracy created a nation-wide sensation and had much to do in injuring the reputation of Dakota securities. On the 2d of October United States land offices were opened at Aberdeen and Huron. About one thousand filings were made at each office upon the opening day. On November 15th, Brave Bear, the Indian who killed Joseph Johnson, of Cheyenne river agency, while enroute to the home of his brothers in Brown county in April, 1879, was hanged at Yankton. The politics of the year centered around the delegate nominations. Senator Pettigrew was a candidate for renomination and was opposed by George H. Hand, of Yankton. The pre-convention campaign was a most exciting one. John R. Raymond, of North Dakota, was also a candidate and when the convention assembled at Grand Forks on September 6th it was found that Raymond held the balance of power. There were many contests, but upon the face of the returns Hand appeared to be the leading candidate. After a good deal of milling Senator Pettigrew made a quick turn, throwing his strength to Raymond and giving him the nomination. The Democrats met at Mitchell on September 27th and nominated William R. Steele, of Deadwood, who had formerly been the delegate from Wyoming. After the adjournment of the convention, Mr. Steele, who was not present, telegraphed, declining the honor, whereupon Judge Brookings obligingly consented to the use of his name for the thankless position. The election resulted in the election of Raymond by more than thirty thousand majority. The legislative elections developed a good deal of hard feeling and several contests. At that time all of the north half of South Dakota constituted a single legislative district, with one councilman and two representatives, and here a split occurred among the Republicans and a con-test before the legislature. In September the Sioux Falls Daily Press was born. Near the beginning of this year Spotted Tail, the renowned Brule Sioux chief, was shot and killed at Rosebud agency by Crow Dog, a sub-chief of the Oglalas. Spotted Tail, with all his good qualities, was in his private life a lecherous rake. He had seduced the wife of Crow Dog, who promptly shot him. Dr. DeLorme W. Robinson, the biographer of Spotted Tail. says of him: "From the standpoint of civilized opinion, Spotted Tail was in many respects one of the greatest red men of the past century. * * * During the turbulent and exciting period of first occupancy of the Black Hills by the whites, Spotted Tail proved himself a reliable friend of the government and a judicious adviser of his own race. * * His fine intelligence, rare tact and courageous leadership had much weight in limiting the influence of the more hostile chiefs, and secured for the Sioux nation the best possible terms for the relinquishment of their claim to the coveted region. He was not a hereditary chief, but rose from the ranks. * * He became a much beloved leader of his band and a power among all the branches of his Dakota kindred. * * * In the midwinter of 1876-7 he made a long tour to the camp of his nephew, Crazy Horse, on the Powder river, and finally prevailed upon him to abandon the war path and come to the agency. * * * As an orator, diplomat and acute and powerful reasoner few Indians have excelled him. He is said to have been dignified and commanding, and, for one of his race, p05sessed great kindness of heart and mature judgment. * * With the probable exception of his great oglala contemporary, Red Cloud, Spotted Tail's career is more conspicuous for conscientious and intelligent loyalty and devotion to what he considered the interests of his people than any other chief." Captain Burke, in his well known work, "On the Borders with Crook," says of Spotted Tail: "Spotted Tail was one of the great men of this century, bar none, red, white, black or yellow. When Crow Dog murdered him the Dakota nation had good cause to mourn the loss of a noble son."