The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1923-02-16

political divisions maintain public
schools. Instead, religious denomina-
tons have charge Of schools in proper
ton to their membership, and funds are
furnished TO these schools by the gov
eminent. Practically the only unity
ing activities of the government are in
the laying out Of studies and in the
giving of examinations at stated
periods.
Development Of Its Towns.
The development Of towns In New
f|oundland has been dictated first by
economics and geography, and later by
engineering, in a more striking way
perhaps than any other large region
in North America. Newfoundland eX-
listed for centuries after its discovery
merely as a place TO dry fish. There
was no settlement, only temporary sse
of the beaches and rocks near the coast.
When settlements did develop, they
were naturally along the coast and eX-
listed primarily to afford supplies for
and otherwise TO facilitate the fishing
ii'A'i'A y . GU Va NAN was wv lhllb
was unknown or known TO consist in
considerable part Of bare areas of rock
and scrub-covered "barrens." Man
confined his operations TO the fringe
Of the island, and less than forty years
ago, nearly 400 years after its dlscov-
cry, it is said there was not a dwelling
five miles inland. The map Of the
country was almost like that Of Ara
bia a narrow rim of carefully mapped
coast, with the entire central portion
Of the island practically blank.
But this situation was materially al
tered by the construction a few decades
ago Of a railroad, mans chief modern
weapon in subduing the wilderness.
The road was flung in an arc through
the heart OF the island connecting st.
Johns, chief port near the southeast
ern extremity, with POrt-aux-Basques,
In the southwest, closest town to the
St. Lawrence ports of Canada. Along
this railroad have sprung up the only
non-coastal towns in New Foundland.
Fine Place for Sportsmen.
lOuItdluilu 10 a oBoi oiid . Boia
disc; In numerous streams near the
coast salmon fishing Is u~nexcelled.
These fish average ten pounds in
weight and numbers have been caught
weighing %, 30 and even up to 40
pounds. Hotels are numerous in the
fishing country close to the railroad.
Back from the salmon country, the
interior streams and ponds swarm with
trout. In the woodlands and on the
''barrens' are large herds OF caribou
or wild reindeer. PrOwess in caribou
hunting is measured by the prongs on
the stag bagged. "A thirty or "a
forty" is good; but the hunter who
bags "a fifty" has accomplished some
thing as distinctive as the golfer who
holes out in one.
so little Is known In detail Of large
parts Of interior Newfoundland that
the exact regions to which the caribou
migrate in winter and summer have not
been definitely ascertained.
To a considerable extent since its
colonization, Newfoundland has meant
St. Johns. Affording an excellent
harbor, close to the cod banks, st.
Johns waters early became "a much
frequented anchorage for fishing YES
sells and naval watchdogs, and its
shores a convenient place for drying
stages. Soon Ii was as well the cen
trail Quitting point and banking enter
for Britain's part Of the great fishing
industry Of the banks.
The harbor tells it's story unmis-
takably to the vOyager today. Whal-
ing, and fishing craft dot its waters.
On the outskirts Of the city are plants
for the rendering Of seal oil and near
the w~larves establishments engaged in
packing the cured cod.
Sailing into st. Johns one gets. too,
the story Of NewfOundland's geographic
and geologic features. Two buttresses
Of bare granite almost meet at the har-
bor's mouth. IMPLYING the numerous
rOck-ribbed inlets OF the islands much
indented coasts. The city has grown
up another steep and largely bare hill
at the %harbOr's head. The principal
t~hOroughfare is along the waterfront.
st. Johns, might In fact, be called a
zone street town" All other thorough
fares are subordinate to the street
parallel with tire harbor's edge. and
many Of them that strike up the hill
side are so steep that they a be
negotiated only with difficulty. AS an
observer has put II, the town is "a
reformed fishing village, digniied by
government buildings" Near the top OF
the hill, too, stands forth an Anglican
cathedral. It's towers high above the
rest Of the city.