The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1907-05-17

FOSTER LUMBER COMPANY.
Yard in GOodIand Has Made
Fine improvements

Pioneer Yard in GOOdland Has Made
Fine improvements.
A good many business establish
ments in GOOdland have not Jagged
behind the wonderful prosperity and
rapid strides OF this western country.
And one Of them Is the Goodland
branch Of the Foster Lumber cOmDa-
ny It's history here is OF course more
or less streaked, coupled as il has
Feen with the ups and downs Of the
county since its inception. But its
bark OF wood has always managed to
ride the waves in fair weather and In
foul And today the company is as
proud Of its habitatiOn out here in
western Kansas as is the boy with his
first pair Of brass-tOed boots.
Old things pass away, giving place
to the new. And that is the way with
the Foster yard Not long ago the
manager Of the GOOdland branch, Mr.
7. E Townsend, who, by the way, can
get anything he wants from the Eos
ter people, thought it was about time
70 spruce up little in appearance
and Informed the company OF his
plans to improve the GOOdland yard,
in order to keep up with the best
town in the short grass country. They
told him to 90 ahead, and instead o.
occupying the old Office building now,
Mr. Townsend and his assistant, Mr.
Albert 5. Berggrens are doing busl-
ness in a completely new and elegant
ONCE 16Ez6 feet, with a capaciCls
rear addition for the storing Of doors,
window Sach, etc. A completely new
lumber shed, 34x116 feet, with t.
foot studding, double deck and walk
way, has also been built, the end Of
the big shed facing the street being
Veneered with brick The improve
ment is very noticeable and lends an
air OF prosperity and push 70 that
part Of Tenth street Coal bins, an
other shed, and bins for the storing Of
lime, cement, wire, etc, are farther IA
the rear, while at different places in
the yard are piled posts and some IN
finished kinds OF lumber in large
quantities that cannot be convenient
" sheltered
The Foster Lumber company in the
early days belonged to those business
interests that had to move from the
town OF Eustis to GOOdland in 1888,
but when they lost in the county seat
war, they pulled up their stakes and
came over to the new town, and have
never shut down their business from
that day to this. Why they didn'
throw up the sponge in 1894, for in
stance, when Sherman county didn't
even produce a crop OF graSS-When
John Books hardware business con
sisted mostly in selling the homestead
erS wagon bows in their preparation
to go back east to live with their re-
latiOns-is not supported by good rea-
son, except that ii were as i'll TO re-
treat as to pass over.
But the whole country slowly re-
1t went from worse 10 better and bet
ter, and in the picking up years the
Foster Lumber company, being the
only lumber company on the ground,
retrieved everything it had lost and
added handsomely in gain before the
Chicago Lumber company returned to
its old stand. Ben Foster, general
manager OF the company, set in 70
buying Sherman. county land three or
four years ago, and gathered in about
seventy-five quarter sections, selling
later at q large advance. He made
bic money, OF course, but every man
that put his money into the cheap
land strengthened faith in this cOun-
try. and consequently strengthened
in this county now and have been
like many other people, have cOntrt-
buted to the city's and the cOunCy's
welfare, and have meanwhile bagged
a fortune in land and lumber
7. z Townsend, the Fosters Good
land manager for the last five years
has handled the cOmpany's business
with ability. He is a veteran lumber
man, starting in that business thirty
two years ago. Where he lights ne
sticks for he was never discharged
from a position and has never done
anything but work in facts and figures
about lumber. Mr.. Berggren, a bus1-
ness college graduate from Charlton,
Ia, has been with Townsend as as
sistant a year and a half, and is the
managers trusted and competent
right hand man.