For a time Harvey Stevens ran one of the stores and James O'Holleran handled groceries and conducted the postoffice. F. C. McMath had a stock of goods, which he disposed of to A. O. Taylor who ran the stock until the railroad came and then the store was taken to the new site by Frank Stearns. S. D. Burnett started the old hotel and that building was moved over to the new town site. In 1898 Gering. Bayard, Lewellen and Oshkosh were the only places

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

claiming the distinction of towns in the whole North Platte valley. In fact, Gering was the only town. Other places had been established, risen into prominence, and passed into history. Fifty miles from the nearest railroad supported by the cattlemen of the high plains and the farmer, no better, thriftier, more industrious place \Vas to be found in the west. The outside world was taking notice of this busy little place and the wonderful opportunities in the valley surrounding. There was hardly an acre of land, water for irrigation included, but could have been bought for $10.00, and the seller would have thought he was having the best of the bargain. Capitalists began to look at North Platte valley as a good place to invest..

The C. B. & Q. railway saw a future, for this country and built into it, a paying institution from the first train. This was the connecting link of civilization the valley was now to the outside world. New people, with new business life came; the old inhabitants were awakened from their peaceful slumber of contentment, and a new era, a greatness only dreamed of by far-seeing few, began to be a reality. Land content to be worthless waste became valuable town lots in the new towns springing up along the new highway built in the track of the one made by the prairie schooner a half-century before.