Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-07-21
Gckluild ColVnsbip, d 6arden Spot

It is doubtful II any other town.
ship in Burleigh county can equal
Ecklund township in natural wealth,
and but few il any in any other way.
And, as to that matter, but few can
rank with Ecklund In natural
wealth in the state.
This civil township is composed Of
the congressional township number
i142, range 70. and the eastern half
of range 80, in the same tier OF
/ townships.
The township was first settled In
1.-The early SOS BY a thrifty home
flowing class of swedes, that have de-
veloped the country until it is no
longer to be classed with new coun-
i tries. with primitive ways, but is to-
all appearances an old settled coun-5
4 try with its large barns, good houses
beautiful groves, tidy lawns and
i flower gardens, together with It's
schools and churches, in reach Of
4 every person in the community.
4 The western and southern parts of
4 1.-The township is composed of a rolf
ling prairie country, while the land in
| the northeastern part is nearly level.
4 The soil in every part Is very rich,
and not quarter section of land in.
i the entire number that the greater
4 part Of it cannot be plowed. And in
many Of them there is not an acre Of
Il waste land. The soil is very rich
i and easily titled, and much Of it is
under cultivation. AS.
ITO he that hath shall be given, :"
I 3applies to the gifts of nature as we'll
as to the sons Of men; and in this
case the rule specially holds good,
/ for not only has nature endowed the
soil with unusual fertility but has
Il bestowed away under the surface a
8 wealth in the way of, clay and coal
! hardly equaled anywhere else in the
same area Of territory in the state.
An Abundant Fuel Supply.
The first settlers of the county
would have Jared but indifferently
Ibut for the coal supply SO easily
obtained, and the settlement Of the
country back from the timber along
the river would have been delayed,
flor years at least, as the expense Of
LIGHTING fuel from coal mines in the
4lteast was prohibitive. But the sup
Lply of coal in, this part of the coun-
TRY has not only been sufficient for
i i3home consumption but the amount
Il shipped out Of the country is becom.
ling enormous. Among the first
lmines opened was the Casino on the
side Of the township and
then the mine operated by Ole An
IIlderson on the east side, followed
Hllater by several others, among them
| Ibeing the Asplund. the Peterson, the
Ecklund, the Yiengs and others
OF these mines a number are still
{ IN operation and in addition comes
: the mines of the Washburn Lignite
< Company which is one Of the best
equipped mines in the country. Their
N the clay is supplying a means Of
wealth hitherto supposed impossible
: as is demonstrated by the brick kilns
at Wilton, which are not only va.
81 liable asset to the state in materia
wealth but Of far greater value d
"a an object lesson in which all ma!
: be benefited that are in any way in
terested In good building n,aterfa
: wheather in its production or TO
actual use. 3, : 80 I'll II.
5 On Edge Of Vast Coal Deposits.
5 AS is well known to the studen
9 of geology the limits of the Goa
!. fields Of the state are reached nea
Z the southern and eastern lines O
this township, but much of the town
e ship has veins OF Ignite coal rang
$ ing from I'VE to sixteen feet in thick
! ness and there is much good clay fol
. brick making in the same neighbor
hood
The coal lies about DO to 90 fee
! below the surface, as 4 rule, and i
: mined by running an incline doWI
to the coal and hauling The coal Out
and up the incline. At the Casino
,, mine much coal has been taken out
2 by stripping OF the dirt and clay and
g then taking up the coal, and in the
Washburn mine the coal is hoisted
!. up shaft. Most Of the mines arr
worked by the owners, but some are
e operated upon the lease sys .em. This
I applies especially to the Peterson