The Dickinson press., 1917-05-19

this city. 1t would open vast new
territory, hitherto untouched, and en-
able farmers and ranchers to market
their crops and stock with immeasur-
ably greater convenience. 1t would
afford direct route to points south
OF here, which are now reached only
by wide detours east and west.
One prominent local man, for ex-
ample, states that he makes occas-
ional trips to a Nebraska city, where
he has business interests. He declares
that the new line would cut off at
least 400 miles Of travel for him each
trip, with a corresponding saving in
railway fare, if constructed, as it is
now necessary for him to go to either
Billings, Mont, or Jamestown and
then double back to reach his destina-
tion. :...5
An interesting story appears in the
Ipswich Tribune of recent date, with
regard to the Scranton briquetting
plant, in which J. w. Parmley of the
State Development League Of South
Dakota gives his impression of the
new plant. Mr.. Parmley declares that
the briquetting process is entirely sue
cessful, and that starting of the plant
is. the greatest achievement in the
entire west during the past genera
tion. 1t means the saving of millions,
which have hitherto been spent for in
ferior coal and enormous freight
charges, is his assertion.
Mr.. Johnson, who is financing the
project, has lease on the half-sec-
tion of land on which the Scranton
plant is located, with ain. option to
h11H y1yifh fxy1 of
coal is % to % feet in thickness, with
an overburden Of 16 feet. This will
be stripped with a. steam shovel and
the coal mined in the same way. Be-
low the first vein tis~xa bed of brick
clay Of good quality, six feet thick,
and below that is coal to depth
which has not yet been determined.
Enough. Coal for Years.
It is said that the coal in sight
will keep'a plant of IL units in opera
tion at full capacity for thirty years
and there are hundreds of other sec
tions underlaid with Ignite, so there
is little need of people of the present
generation, or the next, or the next
worrying about the supply becoming
exhausted.
| Construction of 2O-unit plant
would provide work for very large
number of men. Seventy men are re:
quired to run a one-unit plant, and
an increase to 20 units would mean
employment of 1400 men by the con:
cern.
A huge iron and steel structure
houses the briquetting plant, and con.
crete foundations are provided fol
the heavy machinery which is used ir
the manufacturing process. Every
minute 100 revolutions of two great
fywheels press out 100 briquets. The
unit works night and day, and as fast
as machinery can be obtained addi'
tional units will be added. 81 3
New Plant Here?
When construction of the plant ir
Scranton to the full number of unit:
planned by the company has beer
completed, it is stated that a new
plant, probably Of 20 units, will b
built at some point on the Northern
Pacific. With vast beds Of coal within
easy reach of this city, Dickinson ha:
a. splendid chance to prove it's conten
tion that this city is the logical poin'
at which to locate the plant: Will
1400 men required to conduct opera
tions of the manufacture of the bri
quets here, this city would achieve {
growth which would place it in tn
foremost ranks of the cities of tht
state. . a..