Richland beacon., 1888-02-18
A ROOM on THE FRONTIER.
A Town with Nothing but n Ncwspa.
per, hut That was Enough.

A correspondent of the st. Paul Pres
tells this story about A. G. Adams, cdi-
tor of the Webster, OAK, Farmer and
Reporter: After the war MAJ. Adams
determined to move to Dakota. He set
tied in Day County, far from the haunts
of man, took up a claim and built him
self sod shanty. He was printer by
trade and q newspaper man by instinct,
and having run paper in Iowa success
full, took a printing outfit with him to
his claim. He finally went to amusing
himself getting out newspaper. lie
WIS twelve miles from post Office, and
thirty-eight from railroad, but he 49,
sued paper filed with accounts OF the
occurrences which would ordinarily take
place in a town of 800 or 400 He de-
scribed the fireman parade, the concert
by the band, lectures by prominent peo-
pie in the town hall, church sociables.
and so on, drawing on his imagination
and past experience Unfortunately.
After printing a few hundred copies Of
these papers the Major would drive over
to the post Office and mail them to va
rious offices in the East and West for
general distribution.
One day the editor of this strange
sheet was standing i'll front of his sod
shanty when he saw horse and buggy
coming across the prairie. AS it drew
nearer he observed the figure OF a man
in the buggy, and he noticed that every
now and then the vehicle stopped and
the man stood up in the buggy and
looked anxiously about him. This pro
caeding was repeated as he approached
the shack, and finally Adams made out
the man to be an elderly gentleman
with iron gray whiskers, and evidently
man of business. At last he stood ul
on his seat, shaded his eyes with his
hand, and scanned the horizon IN every
direction. Then he sat down and drove
straight up to the sod shack.
"Hello," said Adams. "Ilow are you!
"Howdy do.' replied the strange.
"Wont You get ont and come in anC
rest p said the Major. n,
Eyes, 1 will, responded the traveller
and he did.
He took a stool and looked around tn
shack curiously, taking in the printing
outfit with the other furniture. Ihe'
an idea seemed to strike him.
"Look here" he said, edo YOU prin
the Western chat here e
eyes," said Adams. "Would you lik
to look at one r
I,ook at one." exclaimed the stranger
"look at one! No, thank you, I've look
ed at it good many times.
: "What do you think of it Z inquire
Adams.
"You want me to tell you r. responde
the stranger.
Certainly" replied the editor,
"Well, then, l think you are til
d-est liar l ever knew"
, "Why, you didn't take my fun
. earnest, did you? p inquired Adams.
"Fun nothing" said the reporter
. "Why, came out to your internal plat
to start hardware store.
Adams tried to prevail on the strange
whose name was Lawrence, to stay an
start the store anyway, but it was of 1
use. He went back to Iowa. But TO,
months from that time Mr.. Adams stot
in the door of his shack and counted /:
houses in sight. The boom edition ha
. brought others in who staid. Now raj
WAYS traverse the region, and a sho
distance from that first dwelling stan'
the thriving town of BrittOn, in Ma
shall county, Day having been divide
and a new county formed of that nam
eff Lawrence had staid and start,
the hardware store" says Adams, 81
would now he worth $4,000"