Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1916-01-21
Advocates Eleva-
tor on Missouri
John .bIoodqood of New Salem Be-
lieves River Navigation Prac-
ticable.

otoVeS 0iseT NdvtYdtlOu TTdC.
ticable.
-
In . recent issue Of the Fargo
Courier-News appeared a communi-
cation from John Bloodgood, Of New
Salem, relative to the building Of
terminal elevators on the Missouri
river instead Of at some one Of the
terminal markets in Minnesota. Be-
lieving his viewpoint will be Of inter-
est to many Of our readers we re-
print below copy Of Mr.. Blood
goods letter:
81 am in favor Of terminal ele-
vator but not in St. Paul or Minnea-
polls. To build in either of the
above cities will give only small re-
lief from what we now have and will
injpre our own interests. We should
make our great state Independent Of
the state and cities Of Minnesota.
'1f North Dakota is going to have
a terminal elevator or elevators why
buid them in Minnesota Why not
build them Ia Minnesota Why not
souri, river bank7 This would leave
our state produce free to go by river
to New Orleans and from there to
Europe and would serve as check
on the railroads and grain sharks at
the terminals. In other words the
state produce would be free to go
either thru the present channels Of
commerce or down the Missouri riv-
sr-according to the way we were
treated. Our produce can be laid
down at New Dreams for less than
half what it now costs to send it to
New York City. This would be
soma savins, and Europe would then
be able to get the pure North Dakota
wheat. They would come to Bismarck
and bid for it, and so would our dear
friends in Minneapolis and st. Paul.
The railroads would be good SO they
could have the long haul.
ttDon,t let the farmers spend their
money building in st. Paul, or it will
be one of our states greatest mis-
takes. It is just what the railroads
and the Minneapolis Chamber Of
Commerce would like them to do. Let
them once locate in st. Paul, and
goodbye all good things that are
looked for.
s'The time is drawing near now and
Minneapolis and the railroads see it,
when the produce of the greater part
of the Northwest will go to Europe
by way Of the Missouri and Mississ-
ippi rivers and New Orleans. It has
been held back until now and they
will still do their best to hold river
transportation back-the railroads
and their dear friends holding office
for the people. I do not blame them.
They are each looking for their own
interests and that's all right. But
why don't the farmers and business
men of North Dakota look out for
their intcrests3
81 say again, have your terminal
elevators at Bismarck. Then later
elevators can be built at different
points on the river. Let the people
elect their grain commissioners the
same as our railroad commissioners.
The state should build all elevators
and stand back Of our producers in
every respect. The state belongs to
the people and above is their inter-
ests and they want it they should
have it. Any representative that re-
fuses to grant the same should be
sent home, and men put in that will
It is up to the people and not the
fellow who promises so much and
accomplishes but little, if anything
the people need.
"You will find a great many peo-
pie who say it is impossible to boat
our grain to New Orleans. When I
built my first gasoline boat in 1896,
to bring wheat down from Mercer
county, all the old steam boatmen
laughed at me. But she was built