Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-08-21
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LaM0ure cOunty-lS Edgeley. IL ls,
and has been, the cause Of signs OF
relief and pleasure to travellers. for,
after i6urneying for miles through
dry and treeless towns, the change
to a live little city OF q Thousand
population. with trees along all the
Streets, with wide and ven kept pave.
ments, with an electric lighting sys:
TEN that lights up every corner IN
practically all the town, and with q
lively street trafftc-the change to
thfs is too sudden TO be fluffy realized,
but It Is refreshing and exhilarating.
Edgeley IS a likeable, little city, It's
citizens have that pride in their home
city which is necessary II outsiders
are to be attracted to 1t. It has
everything necessary to the making
OF a good little city; 1t has railroads,
it has the best of land, selling at
higher prices than it usually does IN
North Dakota, and--one feature which
Edgley has been too selfish to share
with other towns In the state-the
country Immediately adjacent to
Edgeley gives forth gas at only Q
slight depth, and In a quantity which
makes light and power possible with
only a little effort.
About the railroads, which, cross
ing and terminating at Edgeley, make
this town so easily accessible to any
part Of the state. The Chicago, Mil
waukee &st, Paul, coming up from
Aberdeen, terminates in Edgeley. 1t
came WNhentks town was laid out
in 1886, and was followed two years
later by the Northern Pacifc-that
branch from, Fargo which comes a
few miles into the eastern part Of
LaMrouse county to Independence,
again branching out-one branch 60
ing south to Cakes, the other to La
Moure and on to Edgeley. From
Edgeiey, the Northern Pacific branch.
es out again northeast, terminating
at Streeter. Last year the browning
achievement in the work Of putting
Edgeley on the railroad map was
consummated when the Midland Con.
tinental built a road running straight
south from Jamestown to Edgeley.
Before the road was built, mail com
ing from the western part of the
state on the main line OF the North.
ern Pacific went to Fargo, coming
back to LaMoure and Edgeley on the
branch. Now It stops instead at
jamestown, and is Whisked direct
down the few miles of the Midland
to- Edgeley and other points along the
Northern Pacific line of the rapid
mail transit. !,
Edgeley Is fifteen miles east of the
western line of La Moure county, and
on the township line Of the lowest
tier Of townships. As the flies
it is abont twenty-one miles directly
Westo Of La Moure. but by railroad the
distance amounts to twenty-five.
The remarkable progress 1t has
made since 1t was started in 1886
Is rue to the excellent farming that
has been done in its vicinity. The
land is wonderfully rich, and the
capacity Of the five elevators which
Edgeley boasts IS taxed to the limit
IN the fall. Land is now selling
about Edgeley for from thirtyeight t
sixty dollars an acre. This is un
usually high, and shows there mus
be some reason for the faith which
the residents in that section Nave ir
their property holdings.
There are many around Edgeley
too, who have tried from the begin
ming to secure more stock raising
more dairy work on the farm, ane
less land sOwn to small grains. This
is being practiced on a pretty large
scale as it is, and the cream brought
in by the farmers in the vicinity
furnishes plenty Of work to keep
live creamery busy.
Although it. was known from thu
time the town was started that gas
ufnderlay the territory all about Edge
ley, little was done to get it for use
M fact, Edgeley is even now JUS
coming into a realization of what i
may do for her future. Farmers III
various parts have used 1t to ligh,
{. their own places and with success
and for a time the electric light com
pany of the city used a we'll Of gas
for power. A rock partition stopped
operations and the city. which owns
the plant. decided not to bother with
penetrate the rock but to install {
steam plant. The present outfit wa.
Installed in es908..
While the subject Of gas is no
loudly commented upon in Edgeley
outside financierse and spectators arr
quietly at work taking advantage O
the absence of a boom to buy up al
the gas lands they can. A DR.. Mitch
eli az So Paul is said to be heavily
interested in the deal. and a Mr.
Sweet. who was prominently inter
ested IN, the Texas oil fields wher
the boom was on at Beaumont, Texas
is also said to be associated Will
DR.. Mitchell H. buying up the lands
in this vicinity. Experts have exam
ined the gas. and have reassureg
skeptics that It is really mineral gas
and not vegetable gay: The Tribune
Oyerlanders were assured by gO0t
authority that over. 100000 acres d
lnnd believed to contain gas had beer
leased by this outside syndicate.
The Holgate farm at Floyd and til,
H. R, Davis farm near Edgeley ar
amonc the users Of the gas at thu
present time. Their methods arr
simple. IA bowl with an inch pip
extending down through the centel
much like a funnel turned supsidt'
downAis placed over the well, AMI
pfpe projected into the side Of TIL
howl atsthe bottom. The pipe at til,