The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1911-04-14
Does 1t Pay Continued from 4th pig.
Hon. c. d. Sterling Tells Of Condt-
items in Redfeld After = Year
Withuut SalOOua.

W1thWut SaJOOnS.
Redfeld. S. d.. April !, 1911.
The Rev. Ernest Holgate, Milbank:
My Dear Sir: | trust that you will
pardon my long delay in answering
your favor.of the Goth inst. Since its
receipt, however. l have been exceed
ingly busy and away from home some
Of the time, and have had to neglect
private correspondence somewhat. 1
have found it impracticable TO an
| swer in detail the inquiries you sent
me, for the reason that there are SO
many elements entering into general
| conditions here that are not in any
way attributable to the presence or
| absence of the saloons. You ofcourse
realize that there has been . general
slackening in trade matters in the
! northwest from conditions OF a year
ago, due both to the money market
and to the fact that q portion OF the
country, anyway, suffered from q
shortage OF crops. On this account
we think that on the average condi-
tiOns are not quite as prosperous here
rs they were a year ago. This, how
ever, it is generally conceded is the
result of the abOve-named causes, and
no one that ] knew Of is %attributing it
to the lack of the saloon. On the 9th
er hand we know that the conditions
are in general much better than they
have been in surrounding towns where
they have saloons. For instance,
last fall contractors in this city were
employing IS to IS mechanics in build
ing operations here, and who had
been compelled to leave Aberdeen on
account of lack of work. If the stock
arguments Of the salOon-keepers held
out Redtield mechanics ought to have
gone to Aberdeen. instead OF Redfeld
furnishing work for Aberdeen men.
There have been fifty residences cree
ted here within the past year. A con-
sentative estimate of the value of
these IS 81. 900 each-an investment in
homes of 500. 600. Evidently the
owners Of these homes did not consid-
er Redtield such IA very bad place in
which to bring up a family, even
though the saloon was absent. But
Redfield also made progress in bust
ness lines. | give you the following
list Of business buildings and i'm
provements which have either been
erected the past year or construction
of which will begin this spring:
Greeman Theatre $4,000
Redfield Motor Car Co. garage 10000
Balm Auto Co., add to garage 1900
Law Building Co., office 10000
Merchants bank (proposed) $4,000
Adventists college $4,000
Foster hotel addition 10000
Lyons Bros. implement wareh 1000
Aultman-Taylor Co. wareh Sc 1000
Vaa Dusen elevator, remOdel'd 1000
Zumhofe feed mill, renodeled 5000
! A. Chase business block 10000
/, Creese Walsh furn. warehouse 1000
Schilt contractors warehouse 100
Improve. to II light plant 5000
Hopkins ice cream factory 10000
Redteld telephone Co., add. 1000
Lyons Bros, Improvements 1000
Norwegian Lutheran church 5000
Central hotel addition 1000
NOrbeck IL Nicholson Co. CARA 5000
A. Chase. store building IS, 600
The last mentioned is only in con-
temptation by Mr.. Chase, and is not
definitely decided upon, but as Mr..
Chase is a dry" supporter it. is
evident that the failure 10 allow the
saloon will not affect Redtield SO far
as he is concerned. Figuring in the
Improvement just mentioned we have
a grand total of $3.50. 900 in business
Improvements. This is not slow for a
town of $1,000 that was due to die q
sudden death upon the departure of
that prince Of business builders, the
saloon.
In addition to the above items We
have the following additional
business houses: one grocery
store, n secondhand store; one
machine shop; one shoe repair shop;
one tin shop; one dry cleaning and
dying establishments; n bowling
alley and restaurant; one photo GAL
lery: one candy kitchen and fruit
store: one pop factory. In connec-
ton with new establishments, resi-.
dences ana business Improvements
and buildings, it would appear that
Redield had increased her invested
capital about s4O0, 600 within the past
year. You will understand that
these items are TO a large extent esti-
mated, as l did not have time to col
lect them personally, but | have talk
ed with contractors and others who
know OF prices, etc and they say that
my estimates are conservative.
In addition to the items above set
forth. we have the following indus
tries which are considering Redfeld
as a desirable location: Corrugated
Iron Culvert Co; Canning factory
and gas traction engine factory. The
only consideration seems to be as to
Redfield's availability along recog-
nized commercial lines, and | do not
know that any of the gentlemen inter
ested have refused to consider Red
field because we do not have saloon.
to render their men less efficient. liz
fact | think the men Interested in the
gas engine project would s%eriousl.
hesitate as to locating their plan
here if they thought the saloons woule
be taken back, but there is no DANCE
Of that.
Last year the argument was uset
that the absence of the saloons woult
cause us to lose a large part Of tn
farmtrade from surrounding territory
One implement house, which depend
upon the farmers trade absolutely re
ports An increase of business in 19I
of $40, 600 over 1909. Evidently thi