The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-08-02
M'KENz|E COUNTY NEARS REALIZATION
Of GREATEST HOPE; RAILROAD Work
IS BEING RUSHED BY GREAT NORTHERN

temporary structure, the one from
Fairview to Mondak ia a subsatntiaI
line and may be made permanent. It
is over this, that the grain will be
hauled this fall.
Towns Are Booming.
As a result of<this railroad activity.
the several towns along the Great
Northern are booming. Fairview ana
Alexander are the only old towns dr.
rectly on the -neY road and both are
showing rapid growth. With the pros
pect of Fairview becoming a division
point that city has made the most
rapid progress. Several banks, stores
OF all kinds. lumber yards. a news
paper, professional men. in fact peo-
of work have rushed into the town
to secure a place on the ground floor.
A new hotel, two lumber yards, a
bank and other new industries are
going into Alexander. 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 Charbonneau
have not yet gotten fairly started but
Several buildings-wi III soon be e. ctei
at each. OF these Watford bids fair
to become the mos important as it
will replace the : present town of
Schafer and will be the last town Of
n Importance on the line until the
road reaches Elbowoods as all the
distance between;ls through the heart
Of the bad lands .. :"
While the central part Of the coun-
ty is realizing itsahopes Of securing a
railroad. the northern part of the coun-
ty Is living In hopes of securing a
rival line. The survey as shown on
he 500 townsfte maps indicate that
the 500 line. coming out from Makot!
will cross the Missouri river at Good.
all and then follow the river to a
point near Stroud then cutting south
and crossing the Great Northern line
a Cartwright. 1t is reported, how
ever. that THIS survey may be. changed;
" other lines are said to be under
consideration. One Of those would
come down to a point hear Berg from
Goodall and thence almost straight
west through the Tobacco Garden val
ley. The other would bring the line
down to Berg and through Schafer.
carried out. the 500 would cut Of
much Of the best territory of the
Great Northern, as the Berry country.
the Tobacco Garden country and the
valleys north of Alexander arc 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
AXE in the county seat question.
Schafer won the county seat from
Alexander in 1906 and there has been
considerable feeling between the
towns since. Under the law the ques-
ton OF moving h county seat cannot
be voted on for ten years from the
date of the last election or until 1916.
Now 1t is proposed to divide the coun-
ty by a north and: south line running
a little east Of Arnegard. This pro-
position 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 prob
ably be an interesting fight in that
county Should a. new County be
formed it WILDE known as Yellow
stone. II. the county is divided, Wat
ford will doubtless become the county
seat OF the old county. Should the
proposition to divide fail. it is prob
able that the county seat will remain
at three miles from a rail-
road, indefinitely. While all parties
%reconize the disadvantage of having
the county seat off the line. the peo-
pie Of the eastern part Of the county
would rather have it there than at
Alexander or Fairview and as both
OF these places would probably be in
the ace, the prospect Of getting the
required two-thirds to move it 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 condi-
tons are not quite so good this year
nevertheless they are much better
than further east
The building of the new railroads
and the opening up Of considerable
tracks Of land under the 800 acre
homestead act has attracted consider
able numbers of land seekers to the
county. While several nave picked uo
pieces OF land a goodly number have
turned back without filing. Most of
the land which has been taken up un-
der the enlarged homestead act has
been taken by those who already had
n quarter and wished to secure an
adjoining quarter. While there is
considerable land which may be taken
up. 1t is in the bad land country and
while suitable for grazing
is too rough for farming.