The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1870-11-19
The West Wisconsin and Chicago & North
western Railroads Renewal OF St Crolx
and Superior Land Grant

The w est Wisconsin halroau coih-
mences at Tomah on the Milwaukee u La
Crosse Railroad, about 80 miles east OF La
8 Crosse. running thence nouhwesterly
u through Black River Falls, Eau Claire, and
4 Menomine to Hudson on the St. Crolx, a
4 length of $50 miles.
We now have the gratifying intelligence
that after December lst, there will remain
only thirty-four miles to be built to com
plete the whole road to the St. CrolX, the
grading for which is all under contract to
be t..4sshed by June next, some work upon
which has already been done. The iron
for the remainder of the road has lately
been bought on favorable terms, so that
the company will not be obliged to resort to
proceeds of sales of their bonds at present,
nor until six months after the track is fin
ished for the entire length, which will be
next summer The net receipts OF the
ninety miles in service, are about equal to
the interest on the bonds sold, and the debt
OF the company.
To ID. A. Baldwin Esq, Of Hudson, the
energetic President of the road, Is due III
LARGE measure the credit of the successful
prosecution of this great work.
Concerning the character of the country
traversed by this road it may b. well enough
to state that the Sixth Congressional District
Of Wisconsin, (Gen. G. Washburn's)
through a portion of which this road runs,
is the richest III lumber, grain, iron and
copper of any in the United States. Some
districts may exceed it in any one Of these
products, but none approach it in all Also
the County of St. Croix, through which
this road will run. produces more gram
than any county in Wisconsin, or than any
county in any state adjoining Wisconsin.
The district has never been fully appreclat-
ed, particularly that portion OF 1t extending
northward from Lake ST. CroiX to the head
Of Lake Superior.
Runors, apparently we'll founded, have
l,tely reached rs To the effect that the
West Wisconsin road has been purchased
by the Chicago x Northwestern X. h Co
Upon this subject we copy the following
from the Chippewa Falls Wis. HeraId':
1T seems to be generally conceded that
the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad
IN, purchqsed the line of the West Wis
conln from Tomah to Hudson, which runs
ten miles from this city, and will connect
il at romah with the line from Harvard
Junction to Madison, Baraboo, etc.
This is an important move for Chicago,
and viii prove very advantageous to that
cIry. II will give them connection with
the Northern Pacific Road at Duluth
Hook III our map, neighbor, and say Su-
perior CITY, in Your own State. 1t VIII
open NJ to the merchants of that city a
trading country whose wealth has hitherto
never been appreciated, a region rich Ill
natural resources, and gaining every day.
Heretofore the lumbermcn OF W est Wis
con>!n have bought their goods III New
York IN the ttl; their purchases beng
very large, as the only way OF getting
them up was by >teamhoatlng. Now, this
very trade viii mostly stop IN Chicago
because it will not necessarily involve the
outlay Of So much capital at time; the
railroads being almost 1T their door, mer
,handlzr can be received in moderate
quantities, rs the demand dictates.
w e are ut Il loss II understand why Nil
wuhee has let this prize slip through he
furrrs, unless il be that the city Is entlrel.
Indifferent To the trade of that portion o
= tile State. The Cream City" has taciil
ties enough to fairly compete with Chicago
in The wholesale trade; and certainly ther
are lcw business men but what would pre-
fer duing business in cities OF their ow1
state. BUT thus far, we must confess tha
thr leading men of Milwaukee have allow
eI themselves to be outgeneraled by Ch
cage IN every tranSactI"n.
W. viii here say that unless Congress
renew> The land grant from Hudson to 81
perior Guy, we very much fear that II
company will undertake to construct tn
railway between those points that Will CIV
Chicago and Milwaukee the desired col
ueetion with the Northern Pacific at thi
pace. 1t will be perceived that the entlr
State Of Wisconsin, If not the whole Norti
west, is vitally interested in the extensio
Of the St Croix & Lake Superior Ian
Grant; and it is hoped that our delegatlo
in Congress will use every effort to procul
the renewal OF the grant. The Cover
ment has received over half a million dc
lars from sales of land along this line, pu
chased in the faith that the road would
con>truc ed, and matter of simple ju
tee Congress ought t. renew the gra
aad !et the rod be built.
MAJ. Joseph Z. Brown, one OF the p
ncer settlers of Minnesota, died IN NJ