Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-11-19
Narrow Gauge-Different Possible
Routes.

tlnic lu OpCIatiOuy hhd We hoNO bS''
or heard the lest question of its ca
pacity, success or adaptation to all
uses. The McGregor and Elkader
road has had several miles running
this season, and among the numbers
of Grant County friends who have
examined it and rode over it, we
have set to find the fret one who ex
presses doubts Of the entire feasibili-
" Of the narrow system, and its
chcapness compared with the old
plan.
In Illinois the Alton aud Cairo h,
r. is just being completed, having a
three foot gauge the length We are
not able tn give but the distance by
river is over 200 miles. Other roads
are being projected in all directions,
Oh the three-foot plan, and it really
begins TO become u question what
will become of the old system, if the
new fulills the present expectations
Of it's superiority. Already has the
English government, as before stat
ed in our columns, passed an act pro-
hibiting the building of any roads
whose rails are moro than three ieot
apart and no stronger endorsement
can be imagined that the one thus
given by that nation Of engineers.
From an Iowa exchange we learn
that project is being agitated, for
narrow gauge road from Minneapo-
liz through Minnesota TO Iowa, con-
Meeting with the Elkader road al
ready begun; also another Plan for
the Chicago and Tomah r. r., which
proposes TO lay narrow track from
Chicago through Rockford or Free
port HI thence running up the Pc
o4ton,ca. across Grant County, down
Greon River, crossing the Wisconsin
mar Waulek 0, and passing up the
braVy-timbered Kickapoo bottom to
1omah, 2n important station on the
West Wisconsin Railway.
The company formed to carry
Out the latter plan embraces men OF
means aud ability sufficient TO prom
$50 we'll for its success. ID Il w
Williams ls President, and VIM Lar
rAbee, Frank Larrabee and w. ID.
Crook are leading members.
Tho preliminary survey of the
route from here TO Patteville has
h,en completed to the crossing oil
Buckwheat Ridge, some twelve miles
col. Clark says j. demonstrates be-
~ond doubt the practicability OF
running narrow-gauge or any other
railroad, over the country across the
Plates, or indeed across Grant coun,
" in whatever direction it is desira.
He to build road He reports that
'he heaviest grade vet found il about
S5 feet per mile. 1t il certain thai
by judlcious selection Of routes thai
are already natural grades up anC
down our streams, the valleys anC
prairie divides of our county are not
such obstacles to the iron horse u.
'ge have supposed.
The general feeling through thi.
,egiOn seems TO be, "let us have {
road and encourage the 6rSt respect
able company that comes along" yet
1t well to keep an eye open to othel
opportunities besides the Galena anc
Muscoda N q Il. Il.
IL will be welcome information t.
many, that the Green Bay, Oshkosh
Madison and Mississippi line, or th,
company which proposed to run t
road through those places, reaching
,ao Mississippi in this county, is still
wide awake and does not desire Ian
easter TO forget them by any means
Senator Holloway who has Just re.
turGed from Madison, has conferred
with leading men there, including
Gov Washburn and Simeon Mills
and feels that the PIatteville branch
i, not our only chance for a road to
3 his town. He also thinks that the
Oshkosh aud Mississippi road, when
built will be- Of three-tOot gauge; and
that meeting will soon be held at
Madison, to which some of our lead
ing men will be called
We would call the attention of Her.
"'i readers to only one more point
A far as the shipment Of grain from
The vicinity o, Lancaster ia concern
30, there would be nothing more de-
tleAblo than to send it northward 30
tao Wisconsin river, where it will ia
~ year or two very probably be ship
p'i in bSrges aud 20 to market with.
oJt breaking cargo, via the Wiscon-
til and Fox rivers when fully i'm
proved. No cheaper transportation
f'r the produce Of this region can be
desired, than % or 80 miles BY cars
and the rest Of the distance to Buffa-
/, or New York by an unbroken wa
ttr route. The great regions west OF
the Mississippi, Iowa and Minnesota,
hre watching the prospect of this riv-
or aud lake route with twice the in
ttrest our people display, and will
hail the opening of the Fox and Wis
Uonsin as mighty deliveranee from
railroad tyranny Now if the Galena
and Musooda Il Il will take our
ircights through to Muscoda in n
wear OF two, il will be very good
taing Ii the Tomah and Illinois
i1ad comes along and takes them to
Nauzeka. that will please US too, Or
j. the Oshkosh and Green Bay line
wants TO come along and carry them
& Oshkosh, ship them thence by a
ter, aud bring US cheap lumber from
the pineries, we shall say amen to
That also, The river Improvement
PROMISES 70 DO a grand success, and
- connection with some well-devised
railroad plan will be of vast benefit
- our interior population.
saS~ Jndpa HonkIna If the limited