Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-11
TOWNS MOVING IN PROCESSION.
Buildings of All Kinds Being Wheeled
to Distant Sites.

From the Sioux Falls ArgusLeader
Ordinarily to say that town Is on wheels
implies a figure Of speech, but when ap-
piled to six towns in Charles Mix county in
this state it is literal truth. There Is no
figure Of speech involved when 1t Is said
that the towns of Edgerton. Old Platte.
Castalia. Academy. Colvin and Jasper are
actually on wheels, and are moving toward
Platte and Geddes. on the Yankton and
Tyndall branch of the Chicago, Milwau
kee and st. Paul railroad.
Charles Mix county. one of the largest
and most fertile counties in the state, has
never had a railroad within its borders.
and Bon Honme. an adjoining county. has
had only one lire. and it runs through
portion of the county where 1t has been of
little service to the hundreds Of thrifty
farmers. These counties are not only rich
in soil, but they are in the southeastern
part of the state, where there is an abun-
dance of rain, and where corn and wheat,
the principal grain products. have never
have become quite thckly settled with pros
porous farmers and large number of
small towns with from three to six hun
bred inhabitants have grown up.
Charles Mix county lies stretched along
the Missouri river, and many towns in this
county sprang up near on the banks of
the river. Observing the advantages Of
running a road through a country rich
and st. Paul railroad surveyed and is now
building what is known as the Yankton and
Tyndall branch from Yankton TO point in
Charles Mix county. about 125 miles distant.
But the railroad was not surveyed through
the towns along the river, but through the
richer lands lying along the middle line Of
the county. where no towns have happened
to spring up. Sites for five new towns were
surveyed at different points on the railroad,
and. beginning on March 20. the town site
companies began selling lots, which We're
purchased quickly and at high rates. In
less than six weeks towns of from three to
eight hundred inhabitants sprang up at
Platte. Geddes, Lake Andes, Wagner and
Avon.
The people living in the old towns sit
uated eight or ten miles from the railroad
have discovered that their fate is sealed
and have begun moving into the new towns
or, rather. moving the old towns into the
new town sites. The country roads are
very smooth in this section, so most of the
buildings are being moved on trucks and
wagons. All are in a headong rush to get
into the new towns to get the benefit Of the
immense trade incident to the presence of
other laborers. all of whom are earning
good wages and spending their money
freely. AS consequence, the towns of
Old Platte. Edgerton, Castalia. Academy.
Colvin and Jasper are literally on wheels.
Families remain in their home and are
moved from six to ten miles across the
country. Stores with their goods on their
shelves, carpenter shops. blacksmith shops,
small office buildings, barns. saloons and
churches are actually on wheels, and are
moving over the prairie In six veritable
professions. The strange irony of fate Is
seen in the fact that the two classes of
buildings that are not being moved are
school houses and those containing post
offices. with postmasters whose patrons
and fees alike have taken a hasty depar-
tnre.