The Topeka state journal., 1916-12-02
A REAL COODLAND
Town Outstrips All Others in
Big Sixth District.
Rock Island Big FactOr-Much
Building Going On.

Goodland, Kan, Dec. 2.-One of the
best known business men of this town
said to a State Journal correspondent:
There are more improvements going
on now in Goodland than in any other
town in the Sixth district. r. &. OIL
niger has so much confidence in the
| town that he is building the second
/ hotel at a cost of $4,000.
The high school building costing
| $4,000 is nearing completion. A
number of residences have been built
! this year and others are under way,
| including the bungalow of Postmaster
| VIM. Walker, jr. Other modern resi-
dences built this year are those of
| S. Bridges, JOHN Williams, E. E. Hart
we'll and H. G. Neu.
Among the improvements for 1917
are the erection of one or more flats
at cost of $4,000 each besides sew
! era1 residences which will be built by
VIM. Lennox, a capitalist of Colorado
Sherman county.
Goodland has spent a large sum
| of money this year in sidewalks and
crossings in addition to the fifteen
miles of walks and crossings previous
| ly laid. Another improvement is the
sinking of several wells for city water.
| The Rock Island payroll in Good
| land at this time will aggregate
| $4,000 monthly. The company is
| spending a large amount of money for
|
engines and other improvements for
repairing and rebuilding engines in
stead of sending them to the Horton
shops. The Rock Island has been a
great factor in the development of
Goodland and Sherman county
Beat Three Older Towns.
During the early settlement of Sher-
for the permanent county seat, Eustis.
Voltaire and Sherman Center were
towns before Goodland started. The
promoters of Goodland township sue
ceeded in the election E. F. Murphy,
one of the prominent attorneys of
this section, was fighting for Sherman
Center He moved to Goodland and
| is here today. His wife was a can
didate for congress five years ago. He
is Il noted author and has written sew
era1 interesting books.
other towns that helped to make
the circle around Goodland were
Candy, Leonard and Itasca. They
met the fate the others did. The State
| Journal correspondent first visited
| Sherman county in the pioneer days.
| They were lively then with the rifle
pits thrown out for protection. Now
all is harmony The county seat strife
| has died out and Goodland is full of
live wire business men pulling for the
upbuilding of the town.
| Mayor Is r.. I. Engineer.
| The future prospects 1nd1cdte Dig
ger town than ever. The electric light
plant has added a 1000 crude oil en-
gine to the power unit. The streets
| and roads are fine and Sherman coun-
| ty has added more than 100 miles of
good roads during the year.
| George Kelley, one of the trusted
engineers for the Rock Island, is may
or and has served in this capacity for
several terms. The people of Good
| land say ne is the right man for the
place.
Sherman county is prosperous
With a population of less than 5000
in the county the Goodland banks
have combined deposits of more than
| 100000. Land is worth from SIS to
| $25 an acre. The T. V. Lowe Realty
| company and the G. L. Calvert firm
| are selling large amounts of land and
| indications point to a large influx of
| eastern buyers and visitors. Large
| numbers of sales have been made to
eastern people who will come here in
| the spring. The county has the larg-
| est acreage of winter wheat in his
| tory and it is said to be in good condi-
| ton.
President Wilson to make the town a
short visit if he accepts the invitation
to visit Denver this month. Many of
the Rock Island employees living in
Goodland own their own homes and
have bank deposits. Two railroad men
| are in public office, and both are
making good. Everything indicates a
| prosperous new year for Goodland.