Not a dwelling had been completed, but many were in course of construction. Builders labored week days, nights and Sundays. The noise of hammer and saw ceased not day or night. Saloon and restaurants were open at all hours. There were many places to eat. but few to sleep. Great numbers slept in tents and many in the open air. The railroad company established headquarters in a rough board building near where the present freight house stands. It contained the offices, depot, freight house and dispatcher's rooms.

Stage coaches arrived and departed to and from Deadwood and intermediate points. Merchandise and supplies were freighted westward overland by large freighting outfits, and it was no uncommon thing to see ten and twenty horse or mule teams, with two and three wagons trailing., Occasionally there would

be an outfit drawn by oxen. John Y. Sechler, a squaw man, better known as "Arkansas John," and who has since freighted over the Great Divide never to return, had the largest outfit that came to Chadron. It was a novel sight when his wagons were all loaded and the teams strung out on the trail, winding away over the hills over a mile in length. It was exciting, too, when an unbroken animal would be in a twenty-horse team. No time would be lost in breaking and there was no doubt of his going. He had to go. Sometimes he would rear and plunge, throw himself and get dragged a few hundred yards, but it was only a matter of an hour or two until he would be thoroughly subdued. The railroad company put a large force to work upon buildings and only a few weeks elapsed before a depot, hotel and roundhouse were completed. A village government was perfected with DeForest Richards, Thomas A.