Evening journal., 1906-09-18
TOWNS SPRING
UP RAPIDLY
One is Born Every Third
Day in North Da-
kOta
HOW SITES ARE LOCATED

hOU "a A-o HAAL AOSA ~
PIERRE, S. D., September 1s.-New
towns are being born in the North
west at the rate Of one every third
day. During the past twelve months
total Of 1876 new dots have appeared
on the map of the States immediately
about here most Of them in the two
Dakotas.
According to figures obtained from
railroad officials. p have been built
along the extensions Of the Minneapo-
lis and St. Louis railroad, SO along the
Great Northern. on the Milwaukee
and st. Paul, 40 on the 500 lines ~
on the Northwestern. on the Burling-
ton, 10 on the Duluth Rainy Lake and
Winnipeg and on the Minnesota
and International All these roads
have under construction or in contem-
plation extensions that will add a hun
dred more towns before the close of
1907.
These new towns are being sprin-
killed. over the luNuriant praires with
the lavl<iness, almost, OF farmer
sowing wheat. Many are the re-
sources in this business Of building
towns that win some day be the domi-
Giles Of tens and perhaps hundreds of
thousands OF people.
Ordinarily it is the railroad official
who puts his finger on the spit on the
map whore the new town is to be. But
the railroad official is not the first to
go into the new country. Into the in
land proceeds a never r-diminishing ad-
vance guard Of men who would specu-
late on the town sites. These real
pioneers select what they think will be
a town site and then await the rail-
road
And when the railroads surveyors
come along and fix the town a few
miles away as is often done, occurs the
most remarkable spectacle of all this
busy business of making a new coun-
try. In years gone by the town off the
line would have tried to bribe the rail-
road to come its way. or, falling to
build a spur. But that fashion has
gone out Of style
Nowadays the town off the line puts
business and residence houses on
wheels or skids. hooks them to i0-
horse teams or big threshing engines
and begins procession across the
2 prairie 10 wherc the railroad town site
: has been marked out
2 At such times the newcomer must
, not be surprised to see a completely
equipped bank moving over the land
in town Of a thresher, its employees
p transacting business as they go.
Nor must the visitor be surprised IT,
r passing along the unseamed prairie. he
p should suddenly come across a group
q Of signs IN the middle OF wheat field
announcing John Smith VIII Open
r General Store on This Lot" or "rhis
r is Where the Farmers Bank Win soon
n BE Doing Business" These legends
n mean that this is the spit where the
town trailing across the prairies Will
STOP for the town sites arc always
{ laid out weeks IN advance of the COM
e Ing of the railroad
v Towns We're moved I'm this way, as In
: the case Of Platte, S. d.. which was
K staked 30 miles across country. and
p only few weeks ago by Dails which
3, moved an its belongings over to Greg
- ory, ON The railroad line, In the Bone
= steel Reservation.
q The railroads are decidedly arbitrary
: about where they put new towns
n AA'AN ANMAl-'tiN department ndlNieo
e the sale Of lots and opening of busi-
2 ness, but the sltes-are fixed largely by
~ the surveyors. Usually the towns
Il average 10 miles apart Level places
& are preferred for them. as then the
{ trains win not be in danger of stall
r. ing on a grade.
It on days OF town site sales the scene
o takes on the appearance Of Fourth
nF Tf1r aa1nI.raffHt, Dc
s. many miles there are picnic parties on
y the grass. BAH games in the wheat
n stubbe or on the virgin prairie foot
y. races and other events" characteris-
n tic Of a gala day
Lots about the plaza usually sell for
$500, the price running down to $50 al
10 a distance from the center Of the town
J Lots are decided to future boards OF
: trustees for the building of public
!, schools and to the extension Of de.
, partments Of church organizations. re-
= gardless Of creed. Lots often are do
mated to creameries. flour mills anc
"a minor institutions TO induce them tc
s locate and help the town. For the rail.
e road companies are as much interest.
n, ed in seeing these towns prosper as are
,e the settlers.
: Many Of the investors IN these town,
u are salaried men from cities. who pre-
j. fer TO take their chances OF growinl
4 rich with the new country. These mer
m pay small balances down and the re.
,o mainder is covered by mortgagors
~ The prosperity OF these new towns Il
H. Indicated by the fact that one rail
m road that sold 1000 lots. handling $780,
~ 900 IN p new towns IN the last year
,r and only two defaults of contract.
Nv Out Of these same towns. 20 reache,
nv the 300 mark within the year. an,
III most OF them within three months.
ON Grace Church Society Meetings.
ne The regular monthly meeting OF tn
mn Grace Auxiliary Of the Woman's Hom
- ML.e-nnarN En-lnLA- LuLLl 1..noL ~. W.