The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1905-05-24

Bright, sparkling, vivacious
Velva. That is a term a travel
ingman used when he referred to
the brilliant little city about
twenty-five miles down the 500
from Minot, the day that the In
DEPENDENT reporter dropped in
to the place something over two
months ago. We have had it in
mind every week since to tell
about the progressive business
men OF the place, but wanted to
wait till we could do justice to
them.
Velva is a winner. Lying in
the shadow OF hills neither side,
the murmuring Mouse running
nearby to the north, surrounded
ior many miles on all sides by
fertile, we'll cultivated farms and
productive stock ranches, why
Should she not be a total success?
And the business men. The INDIE
PENDENT man found not one to be
a knocker. Everyone has a good
word for his little town and is
ever ready to help apublic enter
prise. The little city teens with
bright bankers, energetic, hust-
ling merchants, good doctors
and in fact nearly every class OF
business is represented.
TO what can we attribute this
success /? Velva draws from
a vast territory. But why
does Velva draw from such a
territory? Are there no other
towns in that part of the state?
Yes. Then what is the secret,
you may ask, Go to Velva.
Watch the business methods
of the business men. Every in
Nducement that can be made to
draw the farmers there to trade
is made. The banks are courte-
GUS to them. The merchants al
ways give good bargains. The
elevators always pay the best
prices for their grain. The TAR
mers always get the highest mar.
/. ket prices for their butter and
eggs. The creamery pays the
highest price for the cream;
These all go to make up a good
town. A merchant can easily
draw trade or he can just as easl-
ly drive it away.
Let us acquainted with some
,Of the business men.
81 When one thinks of public en-
sterprise and everything that is
good for a town, he thinks OF &.
IN. Livdahl cashier of the Mer-
chants State bank, President OF
Velva's Commercial Club, Village
Trustee, and all around, general
good hustler.
The Merchants State bank is
a strong banking institution,
whose capitalization is s., 1000.
1t could be larger, but that a.
mount is enough. A. NJ. How
land is president. His home is
in Minneapolis. J. P. Smerud is
vice PRESIDENT. Mr.. Livdahl is
cashier. This bank is associated
with the Merchants and Manu-
facturer's State bank Of Minnea-
polls; The First State bank Of
White Earth and The First State
bank of Lansford. The surplus
and undivided profits amount
to $4,000. This is an excellent
record when one considers that
the bank started business Dec.
1st, 1900. The home Of the bank
is one OF the most beautiful
structures in the state. We
print it in this issue. 1t is made
of native sandstone, gotten from
quaries a mile from Velva. There
is an immense quantity OF stone
in these quaries and in a little
time, this will be quite an in
dustry.
!, The Velva Creamery is said to
be q good paying institution:
It was started in the middle Of
the last July and operated until
September and was again open
ed in April. 1t takes time to
work up q good creamery bust
ness. The farmers have to be
sort Of 1ducated to the fact that
it pay; Ito milk cows and use
cream separators, and we look
for the day to soon come when
the, Yelva creamery viii make 9
onnaA s.e&nk ~ vnnnnv F. a.