Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1910-12-16
THE PLUM HILL
RAILROAD
By M. QUAD
By NJ. QUAD
Copyright, 1910, by Associated Lit
erary Press.

The village of Plum Hill was and is
situated fourteen miles from the near
est railroad. TO reach it you have to
drive the fourteen miles in wagon.
You have TO drive over three noun.
tains and two rivers, and the ascent
from the outside world is 900 feet.
On certain day not many years ago
Plum Hill was quiet. 1t was serene.
There was an OK team standing in
front Of the only store in the village,
and there were two men sitting OH the
postoftice steps. Nobody apprehcnded
a great eXcitemcnt-onc that was to
upset the place and make things bub.
BILE. 1t was Il tin peddler who brought
the news. He came from the town of
Crow Valley, village just about as
big and ten miles away. Crow Valley
was the rival Of Plum Hill. 1t had
two stores to one. but it's altitude was
only s9s feet.
The news brought 10y the peddler
was that Crow Valley was moving for
branch line out to the railroad. If
she got it-and she was determined
to have it-then goodby to the prestige
Of Plum Hill.
There was hurrying to and fro, and
there was public speaking. \ branch
railroad had been the dream of Plum
Hill for years, and now Crow Valley
was to step in and steal the reality
away.
Squar' Latham, the village justice of
the peace. nominated himself a COM
mittee of one to investigate and report,
also To head Il subscription list and
pass it around. Money would induce
the railroad company to construct IL
branch to Plum Hill, and money it
should have Every Plum Hitler was
a patriot to the core.
The Plum Hill Banner took up the
matter and printed Il double loaded
editorial. An old picture of flat car
was used to arouse enthusiasm and
inhamc the public mind Plum Hill
was called upon to defend the breast
works to the last drop of blood. If
they stood back aud played second iil-
die To Crow Valley. then could it DC
said of them that they We're no longer
the sons of Bunker Hill.
The day of the mass meeting came
There w;lS an outpouring of the |,l-
triots. Flags. waved ana men cAecrcd
Squar' Latham w;ls ready With his
figures. He had spent Il week tig,lr
ing. lie had got things down pat. \
part of the work and the glory must
be given to the tin pcddlcr. He had
toiled like Il hero. In addition they
had driven over to the railroad and
consulted with the freight agent, two
trackwalkers and Il boarding house
keeper. The men had given their opin-
ions and estimates on the enterprise.
1t had been asserted and generally be-
lieved that a branch line to Plum Hill,
owing to the mountains. would he I'M
possible Oh account of the cost.
The squar had started out expect
ing to run up against this objection.
but he had some news to commune
catc->ome news to delight. lie had
figured and figured and figured. and he
could not make the cost of the line
over $1,000 To bring the iron horse
snorting and putting into Plum Hill
That sum could be raised in fifteen
minutes. 1t could be raised then and
there-aye, ten times that amount-but
he would move among the patriots
with Il subscription paper and give all
chance. In years to come lie wanted
every Plum Hitler to have the privi-
lege of pointing to the snorting. putting
locomotive and rolling palace cars and
be privileged to say:
Look mt EN-. gentlemen. helped
; to do it,
The meeting adjourned to meet one
week later to hear the squar's final re
port. The boom WAS on almost before
the motion was put and carried The
merchant began marking up his goods
10 per cent. Various citizens who hl(
been hodin" the value of their house.
! and lots at $3.50 added on 800 AMI
walked around with serene cn,ln,c
nances. \ site for the new depot WAS
selected. and it wns generally ronrede,
that Sq,,ar' Latham would be selrctc,
rs boss of the new line. Butter Wen
! up cents IL pound at sunset. but tllt
boom wa:; too sudden. and ut midni.h
, The price of eggs also wahblrd ant
) was unsettled.
! For q week the squar' canvassed
He made no reports Of progress. but i
3 was generally understood that he wa
5 being offered millions. 1t was a weel
Of tension. Even the ROSTERS of Plum
/. Hill crowed softly. Then there wal
another coming together Of the patri
] OTIS, a larger gathering than before
Grow Valley was to be wiped off TIN
5 map of the United States. Suuar' La
). than stood up at the proper moment
I and when the hush came he began:
"Feller citizens. | was appointed t.
J. agger on the cost of this branch line"
Yes! .Yes!'
, II did figgcr."
. Bully for you
. II figgercd and figgered and fisgcrcd.
"Hurrah for the square,
II figgercd her ut $1,000"