OF THE RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS OF THE TERRITORY OF DAKOTA FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1889. COURIER-NEWS, 1889. UNIVERSITY. H.3604. Last Board of Railroad Commissioners, Territory of Dakota. JUDSON LA MOURE, Chairman, PEMBINA. JOHN H. KING, RAPID CITY. HARVEY J. RICE, HURON. J. L. ROBINSON, Secretary, WATERTOWN. First Board of Railroad Commissioners, State of South Dakota. HARVEY J. RICE, Chairman, HURON. JOHN H. KING, RAPID CITY. ALVIN D. CHASE, WATERTOWN. J. L. ROBINSON, Secretary, WATERTOWN. First Board of Railroad Commissioners, State of North Dakota. GEORGE S. MONTGOMERY, CHAIRMAN. F. S. UNDERHILL. DAVID BARTLETT. FRED. B. FANCHER, BISMARCK. DEAR SIR: REPORT. WATERTOWN, S. D. Dec. 1st, 1889. We have the honor of transmitting herewith the Fifth Annual Report of the Railroad Commissioners of Dakota Territory, as required by Section 23 of the Railway Commissioners Law. Respectfully, To His Excellency, JUDSON LA MOURE, Chairman. JOHN H. KING, GOV. A. C. MELLETTE, Pierre, South Dakota. OFFICE OF RAILROAD COMMISSION, Com'rs. To His Excellency, the Governor, ARTHUR C. MELLETTE: We herewith submit to you a report of our doings as railroad commissioners during our terms of office commencing May 1st, 1889. We find it impossible from any record in the office to include any thing of a prior date so as to cover the entire fiscal year. We selected as our secretary, J. L. Robinson, of Watertown, Dakota, and finding that the business of the commissioners could be much better transacted by a removal of the office or headquarters to Watertown, where the secretary resided, and more convenient to a majority of the commissioners, we accordingly did so, Sec. 27, of our laws, authorizing us to hold our office at such place as we should determine. We have found some difficulty in harmonizing the different elements interested in the transportation and grain business, but believe we have in a measure at least succeeded; giving the people on the one hand, the railroad companies on the other, to fully understand that each should be preserved in the rights and privileges and the law executed fairly, justly and promptly so far as it was within our power, and we are glad to report to you that at least within the limits of South Dakota not one unadjusted and unsettled case is upon our books that has been in the office long enough to be settled in the ordinary course of business. We have kept complete minutes of our meetings, orders and business generally with a duplicate of all vouchers for expenses, a full synopsis of which we submit herewith. EXPENSES. From the organization of this board up to November 4th, the following expenses were incurred and allowed: Printing and stationery (from old board).... $ 72.75 ... (including blank books and report blanks).. 270.03 73.12 Total expense allowed... Duplicate vouchers for all of which will be found on file in the Secretary's office. MEETINGS OF THE BOARD. Formal meetings of the board for the transaction of routine business, have been held at the following dates: May 1 to 6 inclusive; May 23, 24; June 19 to 24; July 18, 19, 20; August 26, 27; September 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; October 8, 9, 10, 12, 14; 22, 23, 24; November 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28. MILEAGE IN NORTH AND SOUTH DAKOTA. There has been but very little new mileage of Railways in North or South Dakota this year. The amount of new Railroads actually built is as follows: South Sioux Falls Rapid Transit Co., also called Midland Pacific Sioux Falls to South Sioux Falls 6. Watertown and Lake Kampeska From Watertown to Lake Kampeska..... Burlington & Missouri River Railroad Company— 5.652 From Nebraska State Line to Marietta, Fall River County....... 35. Total new mileage..... 205.81 The total mileage in the Territory is now divided as follows: Total mileage in the Territory now in operation is 4,515.07 miles, divided among the companies as follows: Of this mileage North Dakota has 2,006.09 miles, and South Dakota has 2,508.98 miles. The history of railroad building in the territory is somewhat interesting. A great amount of railroad building was done before the establishment of the railroad commission. Since that time the reports show the following mileage: Railroad building was retarded the past year from many causes. 1st. The settled portion of Dakota was reasonably well supplied with railroad facilities. In South Dakota the Great Sioux reservation stretched from north to south the entire breadth of the state, standing as a stone wall 200 miles wide. Railroads had built to it and stopped perforce of circumstances. Immigration was blocked by reason of the great barrier spoken of. Crops were not so good as heretofore; projected lines were |