The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1872-09-05
SHE s. RtBUNE.
RACE FOR THE PACIFIC.

home to Oshkosh and fathers the fol
lowing. 1t Is pronounced one of the
best geneva articles that has yet been
written on this grandest wealth giving
project of our State
1t is well kne VIII that there ere three
great truak railroad lines leading from
the Mississippi to the Pacific ocean-the
Northern, the Central, aud the South
ern, and it is couce led fact that the
Northern is not only shortest by 600
miles tbetween Chicago and the
Pacic) but it is the most feasible, by
reason of more equal grade, less naole
to obstruction by SHOWS, and almost
every mile OF it, entire course Is rich
agricultural and grazing lands, and Its
cighborlng mInes of lneXhaustIole
wealth, invite the farmer, the herdsnlaD,
and the miner.
These considerations have attracted
the attention OF capitalists and adventur-
ers TO the Northern route, with view to
It's speedy completion, so as TO control
not only the commerce aud travel OF the
vast British Possessions and the great
Northwest coast out the rapidly ,ncreas
ing AsiatIc commerce aud travel that
will not only find American niarts, but
that will seek American transit Tor Eu-
Topean commerce, saving some 60O miles
water travel by the old routes, and
(when the Canadian Pacific route shall
have been completely Will have l,OUO
miles over the Central Pacific land route.
These considerations naturally raise
some speculatloGs IN reference to rail-
road combinations In our own State, as
they affect the great trunk lines leading
from the Atlantic to the Mississippi. =
These lines are, Ist the Great Western,
or Canadian route ; ID, the New York
Central Sd. the New York and Erie
4th, the Pennsylvania Central; 9th, the
Baltimore and Ohio 9th, the Charles
ton ard Memphis Trunks, all OF which
for several years, have been making stu
peudous moves on the iron chessboard,
10 secnre the best attaiDable connections
with one or ali of the Pacific Trunks, -
he great Northern line bearing off the
prize of preference, for the reasons al
rea ~ limited
These Combinations have involved a
vast mum Der OF consultations, which in
vulgar pariance are understood as the
gobbing up Of all lateral or lesser
lines 10y the more powerful companies.
The. public Is often puzzled to see the
benefits TO result from many of the COM
lIcattous made, since non-paylng lines
nave been consollda ted with paying ones.
but the building and operating rail-
road between any given points, though
generally gigantic enterprise, Is but a
Dagdteiie, III comparison with the science
and high order of administrative talent
that are required TO see ind comprehend
ra.Lroud COMPLICATIONS aad connections
aud the effect of truCet and traffic on tie
sdnte bctore they are built
Railroad engineering is one of the
civil arts, of no inferior grade, but rail-
road JiaessnQ, hnanclering and pre-caIcu-
iatIons OF future advantage, if not one Of
the tiue arts, Is one Of the grandest of
natural sciences, which few can com
preheud or entertain.
\ human star of the 9th magnitude
ltay act In the capacity of Ia Governor of
a State, or the President OF the United
States, as we have seen, but 1t requires
an analytical, administrative, an execu-
i've mind of the first magnitude, to con-
cel9e and execute tbs plans and comblna-
lions OF u first class railroad. so that an
tagonistic interests shall not check mate
and lhjure au interest that calls for SO
many millions of outlay. He that could
conceive and carry into working, practic-
the medieval days of superstition and
mythology, would have been canonized
as a God, not Inferior to Jupiter and
Mars, but now, he who originates, con-
trolls aad operates thousands Of miles
vi railroad, is demonIzed as ID devil and
railroad thief! This proves that there
is but a step from the sublime to tie
ridiculous.
Bat our main object in commencing
TINS epistle, was not 80 much to particu-
larlze other roads and com binations as
to pave the Way for ID proper apprecia-
tIon OF the
WISCONSIN, CENTRAL.
THIS road Is not what some supposed
1t Is be, few years slnce-a road to
start from nowhere 10 go TO nowhere, but
It IS now looming up, under the able
InanipulatIous OF Judge Reed and his
hackers, as first class link III the great
Northern Pacific Road, though, perhaps
without any pecunlary connection with
that road.
10 contem plate the magnitude of the
enterprise, we must take the maps and
trace the Wisconsin branch OF the
Northern Pacific, as 1t will be seen In
running order IN less than twenty months
fran this time, from Chicago via Mil
waukee, Menasha aud Stevens Poiut to
Ashland, aud 50 on to Bayfield,, and
themes forming a a junction with the
Northern Pacific some 90 miles west of
Duluth
This road will also tap Lake Michigan
at Mantowoc, having It's Union Depot at
Menasha, SO that the managers have
been provident of both summer and
winter connections, by water aud by laud,
with the Atlantic coast.
Ii is safe To say that the Wisconsin
Central, though, lerhaps 1t might be
mole appropriate 10 designate 1t as the
Wisconsin Pacific, will prove greater
loon to Northwestern Wisconsin than
anyi hing TINT has or could have hap
pened Tor half a century, tor without a
railroad 10 pioneer settlements, 1t would
take a long time to settle Northern us
con>in The Northwestern Rail- DAD is
doiag considerable for the country along
the west shore of Green Bay, and soou
10 Marquette, iii Michigan, but the
great enterprise of settling up Northern
Wisconsin has been awarded to the Wis
cousin Central. This road Is now COM
pleted To about % miles northwest of
Stevens Point, but 1t Is only operated
for traffic and travel to that place, for the
reason that there is nothing bat an uu-
broken dense forest beyond.
1t is no small undertaking to push
railroad 200 miles into a vast wilderness,
with no living soul on the lire to give it
patronage, except so far as the railroad
itself shall transport its own patrons, md
build up its own business. Every rod of
the road from Stevens Point to Ashland.
must be constructed through hitherto
comparatively unbroken wild with little
or no resources, until it reaches Lake
Superior. AT that point, considerable
business hy WAY of FREIGHT and NISSAN