The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1885-01-15
WahDetOn.

vvSSupOOO1ls
We mentioned the fact, two weeks
ago. that Editor F;llley spent New
Years among his friends at Breck-
enridge and Wahpeton, and this is
what he says in The Teller on his re.
turn home.
Wahpeton is very prettily locat-
ed town on Il gently sloping plain,
and drained by thorough system
Of sewers, which carry the offal into
the Red River. When NJ. r. Rich
settled on the presumption where
Wahpeton now stands, he took the
land not for farm or a townsite,
but because it Was good point on
the river to establish ferry. He
built small log house on the exact
spot where now stands his palatial
home, and had q small ferry boat
which he used in carrying settlers
and government troops across the
waters of the Bois des Sioux. and it
is related that many were the imag-
mary troops that crossed the ferry
only in the minds Of the proprietor
and commandment, but governmental
pay rolls would signify that consid-
cradle business must have been
done at that particular crossing.
Rich made money and pruspered us
The country surrounding attracted
attention. After awhile people
came along and wanted to start
stores and build houses on his farm,
and although Rich did not like to
have his pre-emption cut up with
houses and roads he was too accom-
modatingly inclined not to grant
any favors in his power. Suddenly
the idea Of plating the pre-emption
into town lots flashed across the
proprietor's mind, and Wahpeton
was started. But the "old tilner''
who was acquainted with Wahpeton
and its inhabitants then would not
recognize the Wahpeton of to-day
from any of the old land marks re-
naming. The old ferry boat has
changed into a great iron bridge,
the log cabins into beautiful, large
houses, the prairie roads into paved
thoronghfares, and lined with bust
ness houses, Offices, etc. The Head
quarters hotel, lately enlarged, is
perhaps the largest hotel in Dakota,
and certainly is the finest. The
public school building and the court
house are model structures, and
speak we'll for the enterprise of the
citizens. w. A. Seely is erecting
mammoth building near the Mani
toba depot to be used as !, machinery
hall and general exhibition building
Among the many popular institu-
tions of the town are the Novelty
Wood and Iron Works, by a. Il.
Whitehouse & Co., DR.. .Swaine's
and St. Euke's hospitals, and the
National Bank, of which j. w.
Hayward is president, and A. J.
Goodhue is cashier. This bank has
an abundance of capital, and is con-
Quoted on sound business principles.
1t is safe to say that Cashier Good
hue will never have occasion to visit
Canada after the style of modern
bank cashiers. The skating rink,
owned by Mr.. John Nelson and Mr..
F. II. Butler, is to be greatly en-
larged, and a stock compaRI,, is be-
ing formed, with capitakFc lex of
$4,000. The newspapers, a& Fahpe-
ton are first.class in theiis3eay y, and
are solid concerns. The Gazette, by
f. X. Morrill,, was established in
1878, The Gazette builliI& is one
of the incest business blocks on
Main street, and, perhaps, the print
ing outfit and force employed is
larger than that used by any other
country office in Dakota. The
Times, by G. P. CARED, is newsy
sheet. The Times has lived an
eventful life, but IS now sobereds
down. and runs along in regulat!
grooves. 1t was at one time tria
weekly, afterwards a daily, b.itS
when the "boom" excitement died
out the paper resumed its weeklH
issue and it's proprietor found H.
had sunken some thousands of dols4
lars in his effort to boom WahpetoNf
The Mercury by Greig & Glasier T.!
prosperous sheet. The editor is.s
humorous writer Of more than ordiaS
nary ability, as we'll as a satirist<
and 'logician. Among the law firms
we find Pyatt & Purcell, W. S. Lau-
der, G. T. Swasey, j. R. Buxton,
McCumber & Bogart, P. H. Hackett,
and S. II. Snyder These attorneys
are bright, keen men, and have
plenty Of business to keep them out
of mischief. The county offices are
filled by men vino are uniformly
courteous and accommodating
Ruggles, the register of deeds,
though he has lots of enemies, will
not be downed. Ole X. Ulsaker, the