The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1922-03-17
BURLINGTON TO BUILD
WEST FROM O'NEILL


O'Neill west to connect with the Bur
lington at Thedford or some other
point near there and says that an APP
preparation has been made by the
Burlington for this work, the contract
for which will be let before April l.
This piece of railroad has history
extending away back into the eighties
when the plan was originally conceiv-
ed by promoters for building an air
line from Sioux City to Ogden, Utah.
After the Burlington began extending
westward from Broken Bow, western
Nebraska was just beginning to settle
up in the same manner that all settle
ments push on ahead of the railroads.
Some fanciful souls figured out on the
map Just where the division station in
Box Butte county would be located
and established the town Of Nonpareil
as it. Others, placing more reliance in
the Burlington than in this proposed
new line, started a town at Heming-
ford and subsequent events proved
their better judgment. The new road
got as far as O'Neill and then the
sources for additional money were
plugged up and it stopped right
there. In after years the interests
securing control Of the Burlington
bought up this property with the view
to some day connecting up with the
Burlington on the south and every so
often booms have been started in an
ticipation Of carrying out the pro-
iect. Shortly before the war General
Manager Holdredge and corps of en-
gineers went over the proposed route
west from 0 Neil, and in those days
whenever Mr.. Holdredge went over
route it was the last word and the
extension would no doubt have been
completed then had not war been de-
clared which for the time being stop
ped all construction. The article pub
ished by the Mullen Tribune has ali
the earmalks OF authority and before
sn0,, flies lscXi ss...tei people along
this railroad division east from Alli-
ance may expect to purchase tickets
straight thru to Minneapolis, st. Paul
and Sioux City, without change of
cars. Completion Of the line will give
direct communication Of those cities
to the great coal fields of Colorado
and the oil fields of Wyoming. In
time there is no question but that
branch line through the center of
Cherry and Sheridan counties will be
constructed connecting at Alliance and
thus throwing open to settlement the
vast territory occupied by cxten-
sive ranches and too far from either
the Northwestern or the Burlington to
warrant extensive farming 1t has
been demonstrated by practical farm
ing operations that land throughout
the sandhills of Cherry and Sheridan
counties produce better crops than
are produced in the Mississippi valley
country and that as for fruits Of all
kinds California is not in it for the
quality and flavor Of fruits raised in
these hills. The thing that has held
this producing country back during
all these years is prejudice worked
up against the country in early days
of settlement by reason of settlers
having no proper knowledge of work
ing the soil and conserving moisture
by proper soil culture, and as result
appeals went out to all parts of the
east for aid for the drought stricken
sufferers, and the prejudice thus ere
ated has been handed down as an in
heritance to retard the growth Of the
country. The coming Of these addi-
tional railroad connections will mater
tally alter the situation and people
who may invest in cheap lands now to
be had in these two counties will leave
fortune to their posterity that can
be found in no other source for in
yestment Antioch News.
The above item will be Of interest
to residents of the Pine Ridge and
Rosebud countries that the Burlington
railroad is about to extend their line
west from O NELL. Although we can
not agree that the line will pass thru
the central part of Cherry and Sheri-
dan counties in Nebraska, because by
so doing the Burlington will parallel
their own line which is short dis
tance south. The central anu southern
parts Of Cherry and Sheridan counties
are supporting the Burlington on the
south and as long as this condition
exists they viii not build another
line through practically the same