The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1905-06-07
SOUTH DAKOTA OOMS
MILWAUKEE EXTENSION MAKES
ACTIVITY AT CHAMBERLAIN.
Railroad Construction Anticipated
for Many Years Now Being Built
-Pontoon Bridge Being Put To-
gethcr and Tracks Being Laiu.

The preliminary stages Of the greatest
boom in central South Dakota since the
early Sos are now being experienced at
Chamberlain and Oacoma, as the result
Of the commencement of work on the eS-
tension of the Chicago, Milwaukee and
st. Paul Railroad westward from Chahl-
berlain to the Black Hills.
For over twenty years chamberlain
has been the western terminus OF TINS
great railroad system. When the Inc
was constructed to Chamberlain in the
early sos the plan without question was
to extend it west of Chamberlain at least
AZ far as the Black Hills. At that time
the territory between the Missouri River
q short distance east of the foothills OF
the Black Hills, was embraced IN the
great Sioux reservation.
However, agents Of the railroad conn
pany, as the result of a grand council
with the Sioux Indians, secured the con-
sent Of the red men to the construction
of the proposed railroad across their res
eryation, and the treaty between the III
dams and the railroad company to this
effect was ratified by congress-.
But the death OF President Merrill, of
the Milwaukee Company, apparently
changed the plans Of the company, and
no attempt was at that time made to eX-
tend the road west Of Chamberlain. New
ertheless, successive congresses were call
ed upon to renew the right of way of the
railroad company across the reservation.
In the summer of 1888 negotiations
were opened by the United States gov
eminent with the Sioux Indians for the
surrender to the government OF the vast
territory lying between Chamberlain and
the Black Hills, as well as tracts located
else where. A commission visited The Va
rious Sioux agencies, but after arduous
efforts extending over several months
failed to secure the signatures of the
necessary number of Indians.
The following year-1SS9-anotner
commission, consisting of the late Gen.
Geo. Crook, the late eX-Gov. Charles
Foster, of Ohio, and Hon. William War
ner, recently elected United States sena-
tor from Missouri, was sent to renew the
negotiations with the Sioux Indians. This
commission was successful, and on Feb.
10, 1890, under the terms Of the treaty
negotiated by the commission, about H.
000,0 0 acres of land lying west of the
Missouri River, and including an extern
sive strip in the northwestern part of the
state, was opened 10 white settlement.
Commencing with the opening to set
Element of the territory lying between
Chamberlain and the Black Hills there
was Il renewed belief in the early extern
sion Of the Milwaukee Railroad west
ward from Chamberlain, through the
newly opened lands, to the Black Hills.
Each spring for year after year the
people Of Chamberlain and that part OF
the state lived in hopes that work on the
extension was about to begin. The UNI
loading in the Chamberlain railroad
yards of n carload or two of timbers or
ties was regarded as of sufficient impOr-
lance to warrant the circulation of sto-
ries to the effect that work on the long
ed for extension was about to COM
mence.
But year after year the plucky people
of the Missouri River town were doomed
to have their fondest hopes shattered by
the failure of. the railroad company to
commence work on the extension.
Last year, during the state capital cam
paign, it was rumored on apparently
the best of authority that work on the
extension would at the latest begin in the
spring of 1905.
Those directly interested, however,
having been disappointed go many times
and extending over a long period of
years, were slow to believe that these ru-
mors were based upon anything but a de-
sire to influence votes in the state capital
fight.
This spring when carload after carload
of bridge and other building material was
unloaded in the Chamberlain railroad
yards, and at points along the Missouri
River in that immediate vicinity. and 1T
was officially announced that work on
the extension was at last to actually be-
gin, the people of Chamberlain and Ca
coma. after years of waiting, had cause
for great rejoicing.
Their hopes of years were at last real
IL d, and without delay they set about
TIE task Of securing the greatest possible
benefit to their towns from the extension
and the resulting opening up of a vast
trade territory right ut their doors.
The two towns have an enterprising
and aggressive class of business men,
who will take advantage of every oppor-
tunity which will result to the benefit and
upbuilding of their towns. 1t is their
Intention TO place their towns among
the leading cities of the state, and that
they Will accomplish their object cannot
be doubted.
Instead of being n struggle for exist
ence between the two towns, as some
anticipate, the business men of Chamber
lain and Oacoma realize that there is
room for a good town on each side of the
Missouri River at the point where the
Milwaukee railroad crosses that stream,
and they will work to that end instead Of
engaging in a throat cutting warfare
which could not do otherwise than injure
both towns.
Oacoma, being the smaller of the two
towns, naturally will enjoy the greatest
boom, at least during the time the work
OF constructing the new railroad from the