Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1901-01-31
DEVELOPING N. OAK.
Projects Of Opening the Lands 10
the Ceatral Part OF the
State p
Good Farmine and Stock Ceentry
2 UnoCCspied Ferry at WASH
burn.
Somethiae About the Mining Oper'
atjensiat Wilton-.f Electricity
and Dynamite

atiehsiat Wilton. Electricity
and Dynamite
There lis little doubt but what the
Washburn railroad will be extended
this year from it's present terminus at
Wilton, % miles north of Bismarck to
Washburn, distance of IL miles. The
4, country Is or 20 miles ncrth Of Bis
marck grows less billy and rugged and
the undulations of the land form shal-
low valleys and low hills and make a
good farming country. The town OF
Washburn, further upthe river, pro
misses to be the northern terminus of
the road for some years, and snth-
ern,connection with the 500 leading
into South Dakota and Minnesota will
also undoubtedly be built.
West of the river there is q tine
farming county, now unoccupied for
lack of transportation facilities.
Gen. Washburn intends putting in a
steam ferry at Washburn when the
line is extended and thus will open al
market for the new settlers who are
expected to take up land in Mercer
and Oliver counties. There is great
deal of good farming land in these
counties lying west Of the Missouri
Much of it belongs to the Northern;
Pacific railroad and as the policy Of
that company is to dispose of the land.
for the purposes of settlement, it can
he expected that sales west eof the,
river will be Forthcoming soon.'
Mercer and Oliver, counties are drain.
ed by the river ard it's many tnbutar-.
les. The country is a fine stock re-.
gion and contains great beds OF 'ligniteti
,ccal.
The Northern Pacific extension OF.
about 60 miles from BOwdon to the Mis-
,sonri river mustbe built to open up
the lands OF Mclean county. This.
will undoubtedly be done in the near:
future as settlement demands.
The Washburh company purchased.
$4,000 acres OF the original NGrthern
Pacific land grant, OF which $4,000
have been sold. These lands eXtend
from south of Walton to northern Nc
lain county, and range in the price
from SIS to So Per acre. They were
BOUGHT for about 81 an acre. The
lands sold haye heen taken in most
cases by small farmers, and the
classeof purchaserS,is of the best, be-
ing mostly Germaas and ScandinSvians
from Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota
and osher north central states. Fully
500 new families are expected this
spring.
WoIk Of mining the Ignite coal at
Wilton is going On day and night
THERE'S spur track from the stanton.
At the mine there Sa 1OOH. p. engine
which developes electricity for operat-
the mine, for lighting it and running
the hoisting machinery &c. There is
"a boarding house far 70 men; side
tracks and out buildings. The open
ing Of the mine looks like door to a
root cellar. Once inAide there is en-
incline $50 feet long terminating on a
level 10 feet below. This is walled by
plank and lighted by electricity. The
track for hauling out the coal in cans
nearly fills the width Of the tunnel
The cars are drawn by "a wire cable
The interior of the mine shows walls
OF solid coal with branching galleries
of coal. The bed now being worked is
from IL to Is feet in thickness. Below
is a vein Of fine clay three feet thick,
then two foot coal vein and then
other strata of coal not disturbed.
All the work is done by electricity.
In attacking the wall of coal ma
chine is used which, by means OF
strong teeth fixed to an endless chain,
makes cutting at the floor level four
inches high four feet wide, and seven
feet in forward line. The machine
is then set over four feet, and another
cutting is made until-the entire wall
is undermined. Electric drills are
then used, and holes are bored at in
tervals. There are three cutters and
two drills at work. When all is ready
dynamite is placed in the holes, a wire
is attached, the men retire, the cur
rent is turned on, and with a mutfled
roar several car loads OF coal fall shat
tered to the floor. The sides and CELL
ing are trimmediwith picks, and visit
ors try their:hand at picking, without
much success. Ventilation is pro-
vided by means ofstwo powerful elec-
tric fans, which draw fresh air down