Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-05-11
BY n. G. hymes.

0y n. ". VyrHee.
What is a better assurance Of the
active prosperity Of a city than the
rising mercury of commcrcialism rep
resented by those griped knights OF
the road, who arrive and depart on
all trains stopping at that municipal
ity's railroad stations? The scale OF
this human barometer is the number
of commercial travellers leaving the
train and the fat order books and
smiles of those seat-seeking gods OF
some firms destiny who waddle down
the center of the car with that best
ever expression lighting up their hap
pyt faces.
Belfield, North Dakota, is a 80 de-
gree city, judged by this standard.
More travelling mel work Belfield and
do more house surprising business
there than In any city three times as
large as Belfield west Of St. Paul.
This fact is engraved In ink and pen
CT, upon its hotel registers. The rea-
son for this commercial crowd is very
apparent when you look at Belield's
location.
BY the caprice OF Fortune in pre-
railroad territorial history, Belfield
was located on the old Missouri River
Black Hills trail. Little did those
gold.lured adventures dream when
they halted for the night where Bel.
field stands today that they were
choosing a location for a city, a site
that would make that undrea.ned OF
city a commercial exchange in the
very center Of the richest agricul-
tural district, in this great state OF
opportunities. But modern develop
ments have smiled on this pioneer
city of Fortune and today it stands
unrivaled in the middle Of Il OF
North DakOta's garden spots. Its
trade territory expands In all direc
tons. It's many fingers grasp a re
gion OF %unequaled commercial trade
Dickinson, its closest rival, is twenty
miles to the east, along the Northern
Pacific main line, while Medora, the
county seat OF Billings county, is
twenty-five miles west upon this same
railroad. New England, the nearest
railroad station to the south, is forty
three miles, while Belfield's territory
extends in the north and northwest
to the distant banks Of the Missouri
and Yellowstone. IA
Another factor, the one that causet
the ranchers to discourage agricul
turo for years in this section Of Starl
county. is the great number Of loca
showers. The cattlemen fought TO
this richest of grazing lands for year!
until at last the %undaunted agricul
turist discovered this fertile, farmer!
f.. 80. .a NSlx,s> k1,> NJ, r,, up y-n N,
the cattle and today the majority 0
the early cattlemen are successful
farmers. The causes of those mid
summer showers is due to the Bal
Lands. Those, unique oddities of ma
ture which are located about tel
miles west Of Belfield along the Lit
tie Missouri river, whose irreguia
surface seems to influence the WING
current in such a way that an unusua
amount Of local transforms result dur
ing the early months Of summer. Thii
extra amount Of rainfall Causes Starl
county and the territory surroundin:
Belfield to rank third in the annua
amount OF rainfall in this state. Cas-
and Richland counties, both locates
In the Red River valley, are the onl,
two counties that exceed it in tli!
respect.
Belfield is yet in its infancy. Al
though the present population of thi!
prosperous Stark county city is Owe
500, and its annual cash value Of gran
marketed amounts close to the mil
lion dollar mark, Belfeld is only
pale shadow Of the Belfeld OF 1923
Only twenty per cent Of the tillabl'
land surrounding Belfield is unde
cultivation at the present time. There