The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-11-27
A Brief Description of the Several
Railroad Surveys Made Between
the Mississippi River and Lake SUE
DeriOr.

| A br1e1 description OIL the several
Railroad Surveys Made Between
the Mississippi River and Lake SUI
periOr.
There have been six several surveys
made between the Mississippi River and
Lake Superior for railroad purposes. TIE
first in 1854, by Col. r. PATrEN, pre-
liminary one, under the auspices of Dr.
HoYT, of Hudson, Wisconsin, and Col.
ROBERTSON, and others, then of Superior.
In his report on that survey, Mr. PATrEN
ably discussed the character of the coun-
try and favorably reported upon the route
from Hudson up the valley of the St..
Croix, infringing upon the towns above,
making St. Croix Falls a point, to Supe-
rior. The distance over the route from
Hudson to Superior was reported at 1876
miles.
The second survey was made by Mr..
PATTEN and Mr.. THOMAS CLARK, in 1856,
for location, under the direction of "The
st. Croix and Lake Superior Railroad
Company" on or near the first route by
Mr.. PATTEN, and in 1856 the line was
placed under contract and work COM
menced. The following winter the La
Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad Company
having, through the legislation of the
Wisconsin General Assembly, obtained the
trusteeship of the United States land
grants for most of the State-that of the
St. Croix and Lake Superior route in
oluded-the latter company sold out its
charter franchises and construction con-
tract to the parties endowed of the land
grant, when the work was suspended and
new survey was ordered by the newly
organized St. Croix and Lake Superior
Company.
The third survey was made in the sum-
mer of 1857 by Mr.. GILBERT, by running
trunk line from Hudson to Eau Claire
and thence branching to Superior and
Bayfield,. In 1860, E. MoNEnL, President,
and JOHN G. CAMPBELL, Civil Engineer,
made a lucid and strong report upon this
survey, by which it is seen that the
Miles.
Distance from New York to Chicago via
| canal and lakes is. j. $50
| Chicago to La Crosse via railroad. 800
La Crosse to st. Paul ............ 166
| Making it from New York to ST. Paul. 1 ,746
| New York to Superior via canals and
Superior to Hudson via St. c. & L. '''0'
r .; N. II. So; ................ l3I
| II ,45s
Saoing in distance cio Lake Superior CN. pc
| T. 10 ~ Pda).. .......... 293
1t appears from Mr.. McNEILL's report
that the United States land grant is certi-
fed up to the Governor of Wisconsin upon
this route as located in 1857 by Mr. GIL
BERT, and that the company was in condi-
ton to prosecute the work so soon as the
stockholders should pay in a sufficient
amount to initiate commencement, say
$500. 600; and he ably demonstrates the
advantages to be derived upon the COM
pletion of the road, thus: "The lumber
trade on the st Croix and Mississippi in
1857 was 325,OO0,OOO; the surplus of
Minnesota from four to five million bush
esl Of wheat. The movement of 100000
bushels up to the lake would enable the
cars to load back with 75,OOO,OO0 feet of
| lumber" .t
And upon these facts he estimates the
traffic of the road ..15'
4,OO0 900 bushels wheat. @1Ocs400, 900
100000 bushels coarse grain.
Is, ooo, 900 feet lumber, @2c $4,000 $1,000
1000 tons merchandise. @4.50 $4,000
Passengers and mails. ..... $4,000
$50, 900
Working expenses and repairs, so per
cen NJ. ,,;,.. S0a, oO0
or 70 per cent. On cost of Isl miles at $4,000 $4,000
per mile.
The Bayfield, connection requires an adj
ditional sixty-fve miles from Eau Clare,
making 205 miles in ALL The land grant
being s,s4o acres per mile, the amount
certified up is 100000 acres.
Mr.. OAMPBEIh adds several further con-
sideration, as "about thirty miles from
Hudson the road enters the pine region
which will yield from 10000 to 10000
feet per acre." and in the northern por-
ton of the route, both branches traverse
the mineral ranges of copper and iron.
The item of salt is referred to.
Manufactured iu the U. Bush.
8. in 1858. .16, 30O, 900
Imported ........... IL, 165, 900