Counting Chickens
Update 26
Fall 1873
The results of the railroad poll were in, and as expected, New SorGun came out on top, followed closely by Porthaven.
The official announcement on the whereabouts of the terminus station had yet to arrive, but folks in the region were more confident than ever that New SorGun would get the nod. The citizens of New SorGun were jubilant, and the town was alive with excitement.
Property values were rising by the day, and the influx of newcomers over the spring and summer meant neighborhoods were filling out…
And new blocks of houses were being built as fast as they could be sold.
(click for full size)
Neighboring towns to the south were benefiting from the population boom as well. As new pioneers from Oregon and California made their way north, Junction once again regained life as traveling crossroads.
(click for full size)
Arrow Ridge had also grown as it rode New SorGun’s coattails.
In less than 5 years, Arrow Ridge had nearly doubled in size.
But there was no doubt where the majority of the growth was occurring. As the terminus station of the Northern Pacific rail line, the possibilities for business growth in New SorGun was limitless.
(Massive mosaic – Click for full size)
Even the Fox family got into that act. The coal business was proving steady, but with the possibility of a terminus station ending in New SorGun, the Fox’s felt it was perfect opportunity to open a hotel that would rival those found in San Francisco.
But old Farmer Ben was unimpressed with all the hoo-ha. When a crowd was going one way, Ben was the type to walk the other. Ben learned early on that success was earned through hard work, not finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. And that was why he was up early that fall morning feeding his prized fowl. In fact, it reminded him of a proverb his grandfather used to tell him…
Replies to Northern Pacific Railroad Official Poll:
Luiz P. Romanini, dubaidude303, raynev1, Ying Blanc, Mastof, Efkin, Schulmanator, ggamgus, wcraig, Hazani Pratama, Jeroentje, katherman111, Bluthlucidity, Aaron Graham, Purfer, Paulobergonci, SteveMSim, hahei, ba zing ze, and Vlasky:
Thank you for your comments and vote!
Fox: After seeing those pictures .. wow.. to all locations, but I've got to vote for New SorGun, culture and population .. should make it popular as a destination and the wealth factor will help make it happen and perhaps even a casino and a few hotels are on the drawing plans for later on.
And it appears the majority of voters agreed with your assessment 
ROFLyoshi: Why not have the main terminus at New SorGun and a freight branch line to Porthaven?
That is definitely a possibility, and I’m sure the railroad will consider branch lines for future connections around the region once the terminus city is decided on.
westy177: I vote for Porthaven although I got an error 310 when trying to vote. I picture Porthaven becoming the New York city of New Sorgun. It also has features that promote rail use such as industry and port its self explanatory as a rail baron I'd choose it. I hope to see the 2-8-0 consolidations rolling soon.
Thanks for your vote – Porthaven was a close second in the poll, but don’t count this town out yet.
daTSchikinhed: I'll say the same thing I said on the forums.
Voted porthaven. I still stand by what I said earlier. I think the rail linkup will bring an economic boom to both the Northern Pacific railway and the local area. Once more money is made, the railroad could veer south, and head towards california, bringing in even more money and people, this way everyone benefits in the long run. Everyone's thinking short-term. Yeah, Materberg or New Sorgun might be better now, but what happens when Porthaven builds a port? Then they have access to sea trade, and with the railroad connection in the mountain, they have direct access to natural resources... Northern Pacific HAS to be smart enough to choose Porthaven. None of the 3 towns will have a chance of withering away. They'll be interdependent (Materberg with it's agriculture, New Sorgun with it's port and population, and Porthaven with the rail connection (which industry and the military need to connect to the rest of the nation)
Now you are thinking like a railroad boss. We’ll see if they agree with you.
NMUSpidey: Every time I see the name Materburg I think of the movie "Cars."
It's possible that these three towns are going to explode once the rail is built. Then we might be seeing talks of consolidation as their borders bump up against each other, so long term they all end up with the rail line.
Yes, my three year old had a hand in that name. It’s true that the future development could include rail connections to each town, but whichever town lands the terminus station will a have a head start on growth and development that could make the difference between a megalopolis or a ghost town. Time will tell.
jason leo: Industries around Porthaven should be profitable and higher number of populatin in New SorGun is profitable as well. It's hard to decide, but I think freight could become a more profitable source for a train company, I vote Porthaven.
Thank you for voting – you were not alone in your thinking, but New SorGun was able to eek out a majority of the vote.
Mithrik: New Sorgun is the way to go, mainly because Porthaven's industry centers around a single product: wood.
And the logging industry is quite fragile, from one year to another, the prices can crash for X reason, and then it may not end up quite well.
Plus, New Sorgun is where most of the wealth of the region is located, so is a boost.
New SorGun has definitely been able to diversify it’s economy, and that may well be the difference that tips the railroad in it’s favor.
Benedict: Congratulations - you're also number one in the CJ section BTT!
That’s a welcome surprise, thanks Ben!
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