The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-12-05

the days when Dakota was still Q Territory, was nearing the end of it's hundred-miIe route.
 It was a desoIate country in those days: geographers still de- scribed it as The Great American Desert, and in looks it certainly deserved the title. Never was there anything as lonesome as that end less stretch of snow reaching across the world until it cut into a cold gray sky, excepting the same desert burned to a brown finder by the hot wind of Summer.
 Nothing but sky and plain and its voice, the wind, unless you might count 0 lonely sod shack blocked against the horizon, miles away from a neighbOr, miles from anywhere, it's Ted-CuTtained square of window glowing through the early twilight.
 There were three men in the sled; Dan. the maiI-carrier. crusty, beIlige Western, tI-s self elected guardian of every one on his route; Hnlas, a younger man hardly more than a boy, living on his pre-emptiOu claim near the up per reaches of the stage line; the third a stranger from that part of the country vaguely defined as the East" He was travelling, had given his name as Smith, and was as in quisitive about the country as ne was reticent about his business there. Dan plainly disapprOved of him.
 They had driven the last cold 5,, driver turned to his neighbor. Letter didn't say anything about coming out in the Spring to look over the country, did it?'
 HiIlas shook his head. ''It was like all the rest, Dan. Don't want to build a railroad at all until the country's settled"
 God, Cant they see the other side of it? What it means to the folks already here to wait for it?''
 The stranger thrust a suddenly interested profile above the hand some collar of his fur coat. He looked out over the waste of snow.
 You say there's no timber here?"
 Dan maintained unfriendly silence and HiIlas answered. Nothing but scrub on the banks of the creeks. Years of prairie fires have burned out the trees, we think"
 Any Ores-mines?"
 The boy shook his head as he slid farther down in his worn buf- faIo coat of the plains.
 Were too busy rustling for something to eat first. And you ,7
 '"Tools?"
 "Yes, a railroad first of all"
 Dan shifted the lines from one fur-mittened hand to the other, swinging the freed numbed arm in rhythmic beating against his body Rs he looked along the horizon Nit anxiously. The stranger shiv- cred visibly.
 Its a god-forsaken country. Why don't you get out?'
 HilIas, following Dams glance around the blurred skyline, an swered absentIy, Usual answer is, Leave? It's all can do to stay here
 Smith regarded him irritably ''Why should any sane man ever have chosen this frozen wilder ness?"
 HiIlas closed his eyes wearily. 'We came in the Spring."
 "I see!" The edged voice snap ped. "VisiOnaries!"
 HiUas's eyes opened again, wide, and then the boy was looking be- yond the man with the far-seeing eyes of the plainsman. He spoke under his breath as if he were alone.
 "Visionary, pioneer. American That was the evolution in the be- ginning. Perhaps that is what we are" Suddenly the endurance in his voice went down before wave of bitterness. "The first pioneer had to wait too. How could they stand it so long!"
 
 PTIE young shoulders dropped
 as he thrust stiff fingers deep A within the shapeless coat pockets. He slowly withdrew his right hand holding a parcel wrap