The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-08-04
RAILROAD NEWS
Mckenzie County Nears
Realization Of r. K.

people of Mckenzie county are jubi-.
liant over the prospects Of being able
to ship their grain and receive their
supplies by rail this fall. While the
cowline north from Watford is a very
temporary structure, the one from
Fairview to Mondak is a substantial
line and ma be made permanent. 1t
is over this that the grain will be haul
ed this fall. T."
81 Towns Are Booming. g.
AS a result of this railroad activity,
the several towns along the Great
Northern are booming. Fairview and
Alexander are the only old towns d.
rectly on the new road and both are
showing rapid growth. With the pros
pect of FairView becoming a division
point that city has made the most rap
id progress. Several banks, stores of
all kinds, lumber yards, a newspaper,
professional men, in fact people en-
gagged in almost. every branch, of work
have rushed into the town to ecu a
place on the ground floor. A new hotel,
two lumber yards, a bank and other
new industries are going 4nto Alexan-
der. Arnegaard which was about half
a mile from the line Is moving to it's
new location and several new buildings
are being erected. The new towns of
Watford, RaWson, Cartwright and
C~harbonneau have not yet gotten fair
ly started but several buildings will
soon be erected at each. OF these Wat
ford bids fair to become the most i'm
portant as it will replace the present
town Of Schafer and will be the last
town of any Importance On the line
until the road reaches Elbowoods as
|iall the distance between is through the
heart of the bad lands.
While the central part of the county
is realizing Its hopes of securing a
railroad, the northern part of che
county is living in hopes of securing a
rival line. The survey as shown on She
500 townsite maps indicate that she
500 line coming out from Makoti will
cross the Missouri river at Goodall and
then follow the river to a point near
Stroud, then cutting southwest six
miles north of Alexander and crossing
the Great Northern line near Cart
wright. 1t is reported, however, that
this survey may be changed; two, other
lines are said to be under considera-
tion. One of those would come down
to a point near Berg from Goodall iLnd
thence almost straight west through
the Tobacco Garden valley. The other
would bring the line down to Berg and
through Schafer. Should either of the
latter plans be carried out the 500
would cut off much Of the best terri-
tory OF the Great Northern as the Berry
country, the Tobacco Garden country
and the valleys north of Alexander are
among the best farming districts In
the county.
County Seat Agitation.
With activity in all branches of in
dustry and the rapid building up OF
the country, renewed interest is being
taken In the county seat question.
Schafer won the county seat from Al
exander In 1906 and there has been
E-.- - @AH - hH 49,
towns since. Under the law the ques-
ton of moving the county seat cannot
be voted on for ten years from the date
Of the last election or until 1915. Now
1t is proposed to divide the county by
a north and south line running a little
east of Arnegard. This proposition
has been up before but has never been
successful. Alexander will, of course
be a contender for the county seat OF
the new county should the plan carry
but with the rapid growth of Fairview
there would probably be an interesting
fight in that county. Should a new
c~ounty5be formed it will be known as
Yellowstone. IL the county Is divided
Watford will doubtless become the
county seat Of the old county. Should
the proposition to divide fail, 1t II
probable that the county seat will re
main at Schafer, three miles from a
railroad, indefinitely. While all parties
recognize the disadvantage Of having
the county seat off the line. the people
of the eastern part of the county
would rather have 1T there than at Al
exander or F,airview and as both. ot
these places would probably be in the
race, the prospect OF getting the re-
quired two-thirds to move 1t are not
very bright.
Crop conditions throughout the
county this year are very favorable.
Last year the county had an excep-
tionally good crop and while conditions
are not quite SO good this year, lever
theless they are much better than fur
Their east.
The building OF the new railroads
and the opening up OF considerable
tracts of land under the 320-acre
homestead act has attracted consider
able numbers OF ~landseekers to the
county. While several have picked up
pieces Of land d goodly number have
turned back without filing. Most of
the land which has been taken up I'm
der the enlarged homestead act has
been taken by those who already had
one quarter and wished to- secure an
adjoining quarter. While there is con-
siderable land which may be taken up,
lit is in the bad land country ana while
suitable for grading purposes lis toe
Trough for FARMING