Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1888-01-04

largest profits. a game, beside which
the professional gambler playing with
farmer and using deck of marked
cards, was square deal. The rankest
break they ever made, and yet their
most successful. We refer to the Doug
las, Wyoming, excitement The rail-
road had built to Lusk, new town sur
rounded by comparatively good coun-
try. They built on towards TT. Fetter-
man, athe garden spot of Wyoming
as they were pleased to call it, It was
advertised that the road would build to
that point, and circulars and subsidized
newspapers containing glowing accounts
of that western paradise were scattered
by the million from one end, of the con-
tinent to the other. As the road neared
the objective point people rushed in by
hundreds. Emigrants came in droves,
in their prairie schooners; stages came
packed full OF strangers; conveyances Of
all descriptions brought in the settlers.
What did the railroad company dor
Stopped six or eight miles east OF TT.
Fetterman, on plain covered with cac-
tus. sage-brush and sand, where jack
rabbit could not live in summer unless
he carried his pack with him. A place
that snakes had too much self-respect
to be found in, and where the sneaking
coyote never came, knowing full well
that he would starve to death if he had
to rely upon the country to give him
his support There, in this bed of sand,
cactus and red ants, this wonderfully
benevolent society plated town, sur
veyed avenues aud streets, and called
loudly to the world to come and buy in
this garden OF the gods" And strange
to say, the poor deluded public, not
content with their experience at Gordon,
Chadron and Buffalo Gap, rushed out to
this desert, and ran straight against the
sbrace- game" as operated by these land
sharks, and blew their money in, receiv-
ing in exchange patch OF ground. that
it would everlastingly disgrace pole
cat to be buried in. There was not a
blade of grass on the whole TOWNSHIP.
Sage brush had to be cut down and cac-
tus dug up in order to lay out the
streets. But still the people hocked in
and spent their money. There seemed
to be no end to the foolish ones. Why
did the company build just to that par
ticular point and stop? Did they want
to build into good country? Then why
not stop at Lusk? Did they want to
get farther west than Lusk that parti-
eular season? Then why did they not
lay the iron to the end of the grade al
ready built, a few miles beyond where
they located their city of Douglas?
They could at least have gotten into
country that would have raised grass?
It would have been to the best interests
Of the railway company if iron had been
laid to OF little beyond TT. Fetterman,
but if it had, this enterprising, honest,
sagacious and philanthrophic town lot
company would not have made as much
money as it did by getting between two
good points, and locating their town in
the midst OF this great desert. They
cleared their thousands out of it. It
was another Buffalo Gap, only on q
much larger scale. Prices were away
up in the hundreds. Corner lots sold
from 5000 to $1,000. A lot could
hardly be looked at for less than $500.
But still the people bought, urged on
by the cappers Of the game. But at
last the end came. Down went every
thing. Business houses failed People
could not live off the surrounding coun-
try. There was nothing there. Those
who had money took the train back east
or staged to Buffalo, cursing the coun-
try and the company. Those who did
not have the cash tramped out, or stole
out on freight trains. A few however
remained and are still trying to
rustic living. This summer the
road built on thirty-five miles to Glen
Rock, and there another town has been
started by the same company, but how
ever with better prospects, as coal has
been discovered in large quantities.
People can manage to live there. This
Douglas deal was one of the most gil
gantic outrages ever perEetrated in this
country. tt was downright fraud.
The town lot company has never
touched a town yet, whero it had extens-
i've interests, but what it left blight.
but what it withered it, and Slapped what
life it had. 1t has acted the part of
leech and blood sucker all along the gi-
gantic system of railroads that has
fostered and protected it. Ten years
ago the aiders and abettors Of it would
have been served as they were in Lead
vile, Colorado, either driven from tho
country by the vigilantes or hung to the
most convenient tree They have ruined
more than one man and family, and have
filched the hard earned dollars of many
an honest laboring man who from their
representations was induced to invest.
Hundreds of other facts could be given.
regarding their transactions, but these
few are enough to call the attention of
the public to what they have done in the
past and what they will continue to do if
people WILL patronize them and allow
them to make fools of all concerned.
What we have said concerning this
company, has not been said in malice or
through resentment, but it is merely
the presenting in a public manner what
has come under our observation at diff
ferent times during our perambulations
through the west.
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