The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1906-08-10

all along despite these losses, but II
has not gone ahead as rapidly as those
who have devoted the best part Of
heir lives to It's upbuilding, had hoped
for. There are, no doubt, great
many different causes which might be
assigned as responsible, each in de.
gree, for the fact that Norfolk is not
today city OF $4,000 inhabitants, but
probably the most potent factor that
is blocking Norfolk's progress today
is a spirit that has crept into the com
of tearing down instead Of
building up.
Fortunately It is not the entire COM
munity that is afflicted with this icon.
oclastic spirit, but one in n communi.
ty, who Is always and everlastingly
tearing down, can do more damage
than all of the rest OF the community
can repair and the result Is that Nor.
folk. constantly irritated internally,
has little strength or enthusiasm about
going after new industries and new
forms of enterprise that are needed to
make the town grow.
And even though there were the
energy and the enthusiasm and the
organized effort on the part of the vast
majority the very fact that there is
in the town ever so small a percent
age of those who constantly advocate
to frighten away from the place cap
ital that might wish to invest here or
which might seek to To-
cate Seeing unfavorable symptoms,
those who have the means to invest
and the ability to construct will pass
by this community and select one in
which there Is some assurance at the
outset that they will be met half way
by the locality and given loyal assist
ance rather than constant aayings.
Frenzied abuse heaped upon indus
tries which are already located in
Norfolk, and which contribute largely
toward making Norfolk a larger town
than Hoskins or Hadar or any other
trading point, not a county seat, in an
agricultural section, will never make
Norfolk a city.
Radical criticism against those insti-
tutions which are now located in Nor
folk, will neither gain desired conces.
sions from those institutions nor in.
duce others to locate here.
The constant stirring up of policy
which threatens and antagonizes all
that the community owns in the way
of constructive industry, will not tend
to create in the community the health
full, wholesome spirit which is needed
first, last and all the time If new
things are to be gained which viii
help make Norfolk a bigger and 6
more substantial city than it is.
Norfolk is a town located in farm
ing region that is, for the most pa.
rich in it's fertility. AS result of it:
agricultural environment, Norfolk Il
entitled to be community of, say
1000 to 1900 souls. Lacking the coun
ty seat, 1t Is entitled, by virtue of tn,
farming area alone, to be town some
what smaller than Stanton or Pierc
or Madison.
But Norfolk, fortunately, is the Ger
tering point for three lines of raj
road. Years ago the Northwestern
came through this country, headed 70
the Black Hills. They offered to bull
their line up into the city of Norfol
for a consideration. But there wer
those in Norfolk at that time VIII
would see a railroad company i
China before they would vote bond:
The bonds asked for did not carr.
And the Northwestern railroad con
pany built their depot mile and
half south Of Norfolk. Two other raj
roads came into Norfolk, and held tn
main part of the town where it stand
today. Otherwise the town woul
have moved to the Junction.
At that time the Northwestern raj
road could get along without Norfoll
but it has been sorry day for No
folk that this city did not make tn
trade of few thousand dollars fc
the location Of the railroad station u
town.
BY virtue Of the location of thes
three railroads here, Norfolk was
good place to get in and out of, ar
1t became the home Of a large numb,
of commercial ravelers-perhaps 81
persons now living here are inha
itants Of Norfolk because of this fac
Later the Northwestern railrof
company established a division hea
quarters point in Norfolk. They cou
have done it at Stanton. They esta
lished the same sort of a division
Fremont. With the division headqua
y ters came several hundred progressi'
N railroad amDlOvas and tha nitv tod,