Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-12-07
The Platteville Railroad.

The road-bed is all graded, ready
for the iron, and excavations for the
turn-table, depot and engine house
at Plattevile, have been made. The
grading for the side track is also
completed. The ties are nearly all
on the ground. On account of the
deep cuts and heavy fills, the Com
pany have been some three months
longer in grading than they expect
ed to be, and the expenses necessar-
lily were from fifteen to twenty thou
sand dollars more than first estima-
ted. Up to this time the road has
cost not far from three hundred thou
sand dollars. and about ninety thou
sand more will be required to finish
the road complete to Platteville,
making the average cost about TWEEN
ty-two thousand dollars per mile, for
the whole distance of eighteen miles.
Sufficient iron is on hand to lay
about mile and half of track. and
a gang Of men is now. at work put
ting it down. 1t is expected that Mr.
Beecher will continue to furnish iron
as fast as it can be laid down, and if
he does so the road will be complet-
ed to Piatteville during the month
OF January next. In case he fails to
furnish the iron as stated, positive
arrangements have been made with
the Milwaukee x st. Paul Railroad
Company to furnish it between now
and the first of May next.
1t Is but two years since the work
was first commenced, and consider
ing all the acknowledgements, and that
the enterprise was commenced with
out dollar in the treasury, and that
the road was built most of the way
through a section OF country, the
citizens Of which gave no encourage
aent to the work, but on the con
trary did all in their feeble power TO
retard its progress; without any
land grant, and nearly without aid
except what was given by the Poop
le of Platteville, as much progress
has been made toward the compile
ton of the work as could be expect
ed. True, Mr.. Beecher furnished
the iron for the first ten miles, but
thus far the road has been run by
the M. Z. r., without any benefit to
the ID. F. & M. r. II Co., and so far,
mostly benetiling those unfriendly
TO the road. Most OF the right OF
way along the road had TO be pur-
chased at fifty dollars per acre. the
land not being worth fifteen before
the road passed through. In some
instances one hundred dollars per
acre was charged. Notwithstand-
ing all these draw backs and hinder
ances, the Company have pushed for
ward the work, aided by the liberal
lty OF our citizens, with a zeal that
has attracted the attention of the
large Railroad Companies of the
West-such as the M. q ST. F., and
the G, and N. W., and the Illinois
Central and the Presidents of these
Companies, Mitchell of Milwaukee,
and Douglas of Chicago, have mani
tested great friendship tor the enter
prise Mr.. Mitchell has expressed
his intention to push the NJ q St. Pi
through from sMohroe to Dubuque
and Cassville, 10y way of Plattevllle,
and to- build the road under the char
ter Of the b. p. " NJ. r. r. Co. He
intends to have survey made from
Monroe to Calamine this winter, so
as to be ready to commence opera
! tons next spring.
The building ofthe connecting link
between Caiamine and Monroe, viii
give the people Of PlatteviIle a
choice OF markets between Chicago
and Milwaukee, Il consummation u,-
voutly wished Tor, and which will be
OF vast importance to To the pros
perlty of our village Witness