The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-11-10
Dlopser K Nemotrat.
LOCAL AFT 3 iR$.
THE MINNESOTA CENTRAL RAIL
ROAD.

THE LINE.
The Wheat, Flour and Lumber Trade
of the RailrOad...lts present
Business...Its Rolling
Stock...The Officers
of the Road.
The completion of the Minnesota Central
Railroad to Faribault, which city will be its
Southern terminus for several months, requires
at our hands description Of the road and the
rich and promising region through which 1t
passes, extending our area of trade, and bring
ing this city into closer commercial relations
with several of the richest and most populous
counties of the State.
THE RoAD-Irs PAST HISTORY.
The Minnesota Central Road Is one OF the
lines authorized and chartered by the Terri.
toria Legislature of 1857, under the title OF the
minneapolis and Cedar Valley Railroad, and
endowed with q portion of the magnificent
Land grant bestowed by Congress in March of
that year, on the Territory to aid in the build.
ing of its roads. The line was soon after To-
Gated and surveyed, but the financial crisis of
August, 1857, prevented the company from
going on with the work. In the winter OF
1878 the first State Legislature made loan
of its credit to the amount of $4,000, 900, to
the various land grant roads, With this assis-
lance, the grading of road was commenced,
and prosecuted for several months. Most of
the road from Minneapolis to Faribault was
graded more or less thoroughly. The loan of
credit did not operate as expected, however,
the value of the bonds deprecated rapidly, and
the work ceased. The road bed, &C., which
was mortgaged to the State, was forfeited, and
in 1860 bid in by the State, in whose possession
the franchises of the company remained until
1853, when they were bestowed on new COM
pany, organized under the name Of the Min
nesota Central Railroad" The low water OF
1868 prevented any extensive efforts to COM
plete the road, Is iron could not be brought up
the river, or ties RATED down. In 1864 the
company went vigorously to work grading,
building bridges, ETC., and Notwithstanding
another season of unparalleled low water,
brought up several miles of iron, which was
laid in the fall from Mendoza to Westcotts
statior. but enough iron to complete Sec
ton OF road sufficient to warrant running the
cars, could not be secured.
THE OPERATIONS OF 1865.
This spring, the good stage Of water was
highly favorable to the shipping of iron and
rolling stock, and the rails were brought up
and laid without much delay. In all, over 30
miles of iron have been lowed up from La
Crosse this season in barges, and laid on the
track, while about 80 freight cars and three
locomotives have been received in the same
manner. This large amount OF work shows
the surprising energy with which the building
of the road has been pushed this season, In the
face of scarcity of labor and other great obsta-
cles.
THE OPENING OF THE ROAD.
Track laying commenced early In the season,
but as it could be prosecuted from the upper
end of the road only, was necessarily slow.
On Tuesday, July II, the tracklayers had COM
pleted some Is miles, to Poplar Grove, and an
informal excursion party celebrated the event
by q trip to that point. On September 4, the
first regular passenger train was run to North
field, opening the road for business to that
point. All the energies of the road builders
were now devoted to the section between the
Minnesota River and Minneapolis, 80 as to
complete the track laying TO the latter point
before the State Fair, which was done, and tho
first train from Minneapolis to Dundas went
through on September 26. The force OF labor
ers and track layers was then transferred to
the section of road from Dundas to farioault
a heavily timbered portion, and - yet almost
untouched. So vigorously was the work
pushed, that the section, II miles, was graded
and the track laid in . fortnight. and on Octo-
her IS the first regular train commenced 10
run to Faribault, IS miles south OF Minneapo-
liz.
We have thus briefly sketched the past OF the
road. Its history shows that 1t Is IN the nanos
of men who stop at no Obstacles. The WORD
";n,poss5le is not in the lexicon of that untir.
ing, large Drained, 60 ahead veteran railroad
builder. SRIAH CHAMBERLAIN, who has given
the West hundreds of miles of its bat roads {;
nor IL the word "cannOt" ever thought OF by
the literally interchangeable D. c. SHEPARD. Super
intendent Of the road, who. we believe, never
sleeps at all.
DEsCRIP1IoN OF THE ROAD.
From the depot grounds of the Company in
MINNEAPOLIS, the Road runs southward over
the prairiee to Minne-ha-ha Falls, at which
place there is Q station where passenger trains
vill atop. thus accommodating the large throng
If yisitors TO that classic spot. From this
mint 70 the bridge over the Minnesota River,
fhere IA a down grade, the track passing
through heavy limestone cuttings, and under
tha sandstone blum on Wnicn n6tOrlc cOrt
SMELLING stands. There is q station at the lat
ter point. where passengers too late for the
s.so ? n. train for Minneapolis, can connect
Nth the 1880 r. M. train by means OF Burbanks
Crossinp the Minnesota River on turn
table bridge, which, for its strength and inge.
nnitv Of construction, merits more than this
passing notice-we reach the ancient town OF
MENDOZA,
One of the first settlements OF the Ierritory,
and too familiar to all to need any DESCRIPTION.
The fiat in front of the town, and the niiisioe
east of it is oae network OF tracks, sWltcnes,
turnouts. tresslework, ETC., used 2y tne zen
trail Road, and also by the Valley koaa, wnicn
crosses 1t here. From the main track OF tne
Central Road, o switch leads to the nne aepot
buildings Of the Company, near the eoge OF
the Minnesota River-so near THAI gram uom
the cars can be spouted directly INTO Dui1
barges underneath, and ether freight passed
directly to the decks of steamers. standing
on the dock at this point, one can form some
idea of the already large freight business OF
the Road. from the amount of wheat and flour
pouring into barges and steamers.
Proceeding on . winding track around the
e;ao rs Tho hin oaiuin0 the INLAND hv a steen