The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1906-10-05
Railroad Surveys Fix sites and Pho.
nsers Quickly Change Abode
Modern Methods Of Boom.
ors-Sale OF. Lots.

nVo on the Minnesota q 1ut0TuaClOuaAs
All these roads have under construc.
ton, or in contemplation, extensions
| that will add a hundred more towns
before the close of 1907" ~ - " +, !.
1t is a busy stork that presides over
the quick births of these new towns
that are being sprinkled over the lux
uriant prairies with the lavishness, al.
most, Of q farmer sowing his wheat.
Many q romance Is in this business of
building towns that will some day be
the domiciles of tens and perhaps
hundreds of thousands of people.
Ordinarily 1t is the railroad official
who puts his finger on the spot on
the map where the new town is to be.
But the railroad official Is not the first
to go into the new country. Into the
inland, proceeds a merchandising
advance guard of men who would
speculate on the town sites. These
real pioneers select what they think
will be a town site and then await the
railroad. 7-F,
And when the railroads surveyors
come along and fix the town few
miles away, as is often done, occurs
the most remarkable spectacle OF all
this busy business Of making new
country. In years gone by the town
off the line would have tried to bride
the railroad to come its way, or FALL
ing to build, a spur. But that fashion
has gone out Of style. os.,,,5,
Nowadays the town Oft the line
very calmly puts business and resi-
dence houses on wheels or sklds'
hooks them to 40-horse teams or big
threshing engines and begins process
sion across the prairie to where the
railroad townsite has been marked
out. At such times the newcomer
must not be surprised to see COM
pletely equipped bank going along the
great kings, highway of unbounded
rolling land in tow of a thrasher,
it's employees transacting business as
they go.
Nor must the visitor be surprised 1t,
passing along the unseamed prairie ne
should suddenly come across group:
OF signs in the middle Of q wheat Held
announcing, John Smith will open q.
general store on this lot" or "This Is
where the Farmers bank will soon be
doing business" These legends mean
that this is the spot. where the town
trailing across the prairie will stop,
For the townsites are always laid out
weeks In advance of the coming OF the
railroad. i Towns were moved IN TINS
way In the case Of Platte, 8. p, winch ),
was snaked 80 miles across country,
and, only q few weeks ago, by DALLAS
which moved all it's belongings over
to Gregory, on the railroad hne' m i
the Bonesteel reservation. 4 iY.,. :
The railroads are decidedly arbt.
trary about where they put the new i.
towns. Their townsite department
handles the sale Of lots and opening
Of business, but the sites are hxed. !,
largely by the surveyors. Usually the
towns average ten miles apart. Level
places are preferred for them, as then
the trains will not be in danger OF
.stalling" on a grade. The towns1te
determined upon, the lots are laid OUT
The plaza usually marked out, for the
modern town of the west is slightly
Ordinarily the town lis on the north l !
side of the railroad, to act as q snow
break in winter. When the proper
time arrives the lots are advertised
for sale at an auction. ~. "a. a.tr l..
All over a certain price paid for the
lots is donated to the public improve
ment fund. Lots about the plaza
usually sell for $500, the price running
down to, $50 at a distance from the
cant S. ,of the town. Lots are decided
IA future boards 81 trustees for the
building st public schools. and to- the
extension departments Of church or. )
.ranizations, regardless Of creed. Lots
often are donated to creameries, -four
mills and minor institutions, to induce
them to locate and shelp the town. !
For the railroad companies are usually
"A much interested In seeing these
towns prosperous as are the settlers:
81. Many of the investors in 9ss these
towns are salaried men from cities.
who prefer to take their chances OF
1rowiin9 rich with the new country.
These men pay small balances down
and the remainder is covered by mort
cages. The prosperity of these new
towns Is indicated by the fact that one
railroad that sold 1000 lots, handling
$500. 900 In q new towns In the last
year. had only two defaults OF con-
tract. out of these same ~ towns, 20
reached the 300 mark within the year
and most Of them within three months.
= &%Sel Great Loss Of Life.
misunderstanding the last Is
months It is estimated that $4,000 OF
+ha sn1tan's troops have been de-