The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-09-30
NOV. HE spectacle o, a chur

The Methodist Church OF Andale has
just made the longest journey of any |
church on record. forty miles. IL
went overland 20 Peek. Kan, in the
wake OF three traction engines hitched
tandem.
The town OF Andale did not need the
church, and Peck dad; so the official
boards arranged for a transfer OF title,
aud the problem OF moving the prop
erty was before them. The railroads
asked a large sun OF money for freight.
and 10 ship the building in that way
meant TO tear it down and rebuild II.
The proposition OF taking it overland,
laughed a in the beginning was finally
accepted. and the movers secured three
OF the largest threshins engines Of the
county for the purpose. The building
was placed on trucks with large
wheels, and the long trip began.
Owing to the smooth roads and the
level lands OF the Arkansas Valley,
there was little trouble IN moving the
structure. Passiu. west OF Wichita.
il arrived at its new landing place
without a piece OF plaster being dis
when il left. Ii is in readiness for
worship, and the owners are proud OF
their success In obtaining so easily u
new edifice.
This experience is but a part of ;he
readjustment of the towns OF the
plains. Hundreds OF additions are
wiped out by every Legislature. The
last session in Kansas changed about
forty paper cities into farm land
Many OF these municipalities had
score OF buildings. ana some aspred
to be centres OF business activity. They
issued maps showing dozens OF rail
roads centering there, factories belch-
ing smoke, and street cars rlshing to
the far suburbs.
Eastern people bought lots on the
strength OF these maps, and then
waited for the towns 10 grow. Instead,
they faded away until whole munici
palities had but one family left 10
each. Schoolhouses costing thousands
of dollars stood empty, cattle were
sheltered in the onc-timc emporiums Of
trade. Out in Southwestern Kansas
q cattleman owns the entire town site
OF what was TO have been a county
seat.
Men were killed in the struggle to
make prosperous towns Of paper cities
which have at last gone back to the
open plain and have been sold by the
acre instead Of by the lot.
\ Boston woman owns a $4,000
schoolhouse in Western Kansas. A
bonesteader has taken possession Of
former county seat and its court house.
The dreams Of many an investor in
Western Nebraska and the DakOtas
have been shattered by the events Of
the last few years, while population
has been readjusting itself. They tell
you in North Dakota Of town built
for q great cattle packing centre, on
the theory that the packing houses
should be located near the range.
An Eastern syndicate put hundreds
OF thousands of dollars into the town.
II is described as having brick blocks
plate glass windows. dwellings enough
for 5000 persons. and a 100000 steel
brdge-but With no Inhabitants ex-
cept the caretakers.
II never succeeded in even the be-
ginnings OF its vast undertakings. The
people for whom it was built never
came.
The West is adjusting these errors
Of early judgment with characteristic
promptitude and directness. For in
stance, in Western Nebraska two
towns were rivals FOR the county seat.
one of them. Hemmingford, had Sc
cured the bonor, but Alliance obtained
the railroads favor. and Ii became evi-
dent that IL would Ire the larger Of
the two places. SO the court house,
wei Ching seventy tons. forty feet high
and mea suring thirty.six by forty eight
feet. was made rigid by trusses and
placed on four trucks of freight cars,
with diagonal guy ropes reaching to
coal cars carrying G0,G00 pounds each
and hauled by all engine at n rate OF
ten miles an hour 20 its new location,
where it now stands.
out in Western Kansas, at Page
City, in Logan County, was hotel
three stories high that became useless
because il was in a town with no in
habitants. 1t was placed on moving
trucks and five traction engines were
hitched 30 1t such engines as are used
in threshing the Western crOps-thC
automobiles of the plains. 1t was fifty
miles TO Cove City, but the engine:
had before them a track as smooth as
the surface OF a peaceful sea, and
they made the journey at swift
walking pace, nothing in the vas
reach OF level sod interfering witl
their trip. The sight was n novel one
as the huge building took its way ovei
the prairie and attracted. many specta
tors.
The changing fortunes Of Western
towns induce the moving OF houses
over long distances. NJ. Westhsver, o
Sterling. Ksa., decided 10 move e
Nickerson.
lie did not find q sale for his house
so he put IL on trucks that weighed
with the timbers, nine tons. hitche'
IL 70 a traction engine and took
ton miles over sandy roads 10 its nev
location. where IL was set down uain
iured. This would be possible onl.
with the level roads Of the prairi
region.
It will be many years before IN