The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-09-03
Peoples FORUM
A New Town.

Editor West V1rg1nian:
If you will kindly give me space in
your valuable paper will in my weak
way endeayor to give a brief descrip-
ton of this new country for the benefit
of my friends in West Virginia. In
ternatIonal Falls, the city Of destiny,
is new town and has two banks and
three newspaper and IS supplied with
about corresponding number of other
business houses. The high price at
which the Town Site Company has
held its lots has checked the usual
tendency to overdo new towns and all
business men report good business.
The Minnesota 6 international rail.
road has It's tracks within about five
miles Of the town and will DO in here
probably by the tenth of September.
The site OF the depot was being clear.
ed last week and the graders are now
inside Of town and the terminal build
ings will also be put up at once.
There have been some temporary
bitches between the contractors and
the owners of the big water power
and the work on the dam has been
temporarily suspended, but It is said
by those in position to know that it
will be resumed in fortnight. This
water power is one of the greatest
in the western continent and it will
develop, it is said, $4,000 horse power
With this inexhaustible reservoir is
the Rainy Lake, which is said to have
more than enough shore line to equal
the circumference of the world and
contains 1000 islands.
With this developed and utilized
with manufactures there should be
a large city grow up here in a very
few years, comparatively speaking.
It is predicted that there will be sew
eral large mills and factories, includ-
ing an immense paper mill and two
pulp mills put in as soon as the dam
is completed Fort Francis, Ont, is
just across the river and at present
is the larger town of the two in point
of population, though having no more
business apparently. 1t is an old
place, having been settled by the Hud-
son Bay Company, which established
post there In the sixties Of last CEN
fury, and whose old buildings are
some of them standing. It Is a town
of probably 1900 to 1000 and has
many handsome residences. The citi.
zens of that town assert that 1t is the
coming metropolis, but the Yankees
of International Falls will not con-
cede that for minute. The town of
Rainier, where the Duluth, Rainy Lake
& Winnipeg railroad crosses the river,
is two miles above international Falls.
1t is beautifully located on a point be-
tween Rainy river and Rainy lake and
is certainly destined to become one Of
the leading summer resorts of the
United States, for they will be the
gateway Of the Rainy lake country.
We say this because, but for tile
boundary the three towns must event
ually become one city. In fact there is
quite a settlement at JamIson's addl-
ton to International Fails, which is
just half way between that town and
Rainier. AS to the country surround
ing the towns, the only view of it is
obtained from the decks of the
steamer Itasca, which plies be.
tween Little Fork and International
Falls. The distance by rail Is fifteen
mile, while by river down Little Fork
and up Rainy lake is SO miles.
Along the streams 1t is thickly tim
bered with medium sized birch, pop.
lar, elm and some tamarack and fir,
The banks along the rivers are from
tSn to twenty feet in height and there
is little indication Of the conditions
which exist back from the rivers. 1t
is all susceptible to drainage, En-.
gineer Ralph has a crew Of men at
work between Little Fork and Inter
national Falls. When the work plan
ned is completed there will be a large
area Of andopened for settlement and
will make good table land. As to the
future of this there can be no doubt.
There is bound to be almost undream'
ed Of development and thereis money
to be made here, especially BY the
men who are on the ground floor. Just.
at the present time would mot be q
favorable one for atlboring men to
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