The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-01-05
PEOPLES FORUM
BISMARCK'S RACE

luuhSs
, The race between the cities OF
North Dakota is on. In your article
recently copied from the Duluth
Herald entitled, "The Race of & ne
Cities" there is food for thought
for every Bismarck booster! We
should have that article re-copied
substituting the name Bismarck for
Duluth wherever it appears. 1t would
be mighty sermon in nut shell.
Staring every visitor in the face
as he walks out upon the N. p. depot
platform is the power plant of the
Hughes Electric company. He may
have been informed of the huge pro-
fits they are making and this may
have stimulated him to inquire 4
little further into the rates they are
charging for light and power. In
comparing these charges with those
he is accustomed to of his home city
he may make the startling discovery
that he is paying more at home AMI
that in the home town the power
company is in financial straits, pos
sibly facing bankruptcy. The solu
ton dawns upon him if he visits the
/ plant. The "short haul" of the lig-
mite used and it's conversion to cleo
tricity.
At New Salem, without launching
a huge stock-selling campaign, with
out heralding the event as it might
deserve, four men with vision have
gone one step further in realizing
the "short haul" Two years ago
they began sinking shaft within the
city limits to vein of coal from IL
to 20 feet thick ITS feet below the
surface. They began by mining coal
for the market and are now far
enough advanced to find in this alone
a paying proposition. But the cur
rent issue of the New Salem Journal
tells us that their old power plant.
which for fifteen years has been
furnishing electricity to the citizen:
by gasoline driven engines is to be
replaced by modern steam boiler
and electric transformer thus utiliz-
ing Ignite, which is only; 175 feet
distant. Not something they are
contemplating in the far distant flu
ture. The machinery is zen route"
Our great future does not lie in
shipping to any great extent this
Ignite supply whether in it's present
bulky form or as briquettes. 1922
was the first year we could boast
of production of over million
tons. And what does that amount
to? In a tenfoot vein this means
the coal from II acres. The logical
result of New Salem's initiative is
the new era touched upon yesterday
by the governor in his message,
limited at by men of vision for
number of years. A manufacturing
era. Cheap power already is fact.
Cheap transportation along the Mis-.
souri, is within our grasp. Bismarck's
location is at the very doorstep of
1t all. Power can be- brought here
over high tension wires from any
one, of the western Ignite mines.
Eventually it will be matter of
economy to heat our homes electri-
cally. This will keep the smoke and
dust of the Ignite where it belongs.
Bismarck, the manufacturing center
of the great Northwest will be known
as the smokeless city. -
The great railroads passing thru
our. coal fields will find, yes, must
find in the classification of their
lines solution to the much dis
cussed problem Of cheaper freight
rates. This would result in a. ire
mendous influx of miners in addi-
ton to those at work in the factories. |
Instead of a population Of scant !
million scattered all over our state
one need not look beyond fifty years
to see in Bismarck and Mandan, the
twin cities Of the Northwest, popu-
ton of million souls. y
In view of what is upon us there /
is no time to throw away in petty |