The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-06-02
BOON FOLLOWS ROAD
EXTENSION IS
MAKING A BIG BOOM.
LAND PRICES GO UP LIKE ROCKETS
and Oacoma Exper-
ience What Will Soon
Strike the Hills.

ience What Will Soon
Strike the Hills.
The preliminary stages of the
greatest boom in central South Oak
ota since the early eighties are now
being experienced at Cham berlain
and Oacoma, as the result of the
commencement of work on the eXten-
sion of the Chicago Milwaukee and
st. Paul railroad westward from
Chamberlain to the Black Hills.
That the line will Ultimately be ex-
tended to the Pacific coast cannot
be doubted, in view of the recent
statements made by President A. ].
Earring OF the Milwaukee company,
and by prominent members of the
board of directors of the road, living
in New York city.
For over 20 years Chamberlain has
been the western terminus of this
great railroad system. When the
line was constructed to Chamberlain
in the early eighties, the plan, with
out question, was to extend it west
of Chamberlain, at least as far as
the Black Hills. At that time the
territory between the Missouri river
and as far west as the Cheyenne
river, a short distance east of the
foothills of the Black Hills, was en-
braced in the great Sioux reserva-
tOn.
However, agents of the railroad
company, as result OF grand
council with the Sioux Indians, Sc.
cured the consent of the red men to
the construction of the proposed
railroad across their reservation
and the treaty betwee the Indians
and the railroad company to this ef,
feet was ratified by congress.
But the death of President Mer-
rill of the Milwaukee company, ap-
parcntly changed the plans of the
company, and no attempt was at
that time made to extend the roat
west of Chamberlain. Nevertheless
successive congresses were called
upon to renew the rightof- way
across the reservation, which wa>
finally done in 1SS9-9O at a confer
>epce between the Indians and the
late General Crook and others.
The commencement now of work
on the extension of the railroad
westward, through Lyman county,
toward the Black Hills, is having a
wonderfully stimulating effect upon
prices of farm laRd in Lyman coun-
ty. A year ago lanG,in the county
went begging for buyers at IS an
acre. Today it sells readily at SIS
an acre, and by next fall ri doubt
less will reach from $22 to s.25 per
acre.
A visit to Chamberlain and Oaca,
ma discloses scene of the greatest
activity. Trains arriving at Cham
berlain nvariab!y are crowded to
their utmost capacity, while the ho-
tells. boarding houses and restau
rants in the two towns are doing
"land Office business. Everything
indicates that within the next month
or two The boom days of the early
eighties will be totally eclpsed in
this part of the state.
On the Chamberlain side of the
river large numbers of men are con
stantIy employed in track laying, in
enlarging the railroad yards, in con.
structing the monster pontoon boat
which will serve as a draw for the
temporary bridge across the Mis-
souri, river, and in performing the
numberless other tasks incident to
the important extension OF great
railroad system. West of the river
a number of grading crews are
actively at work.
The pontoon boat, which will
serve as draw for the railroad
bridge in the main channel Of the
river will be 366 feet long, making
it one OF the largest Of its kind in
Al II