The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-09-10
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NARROW-GA UGE RAILROAD. g. |
The value of Worthington lies in its
being distributing center for tie
country aroui.d. Let the trade of that
country he diverted to other points.
aud WQrthington, instead ofsQrowin9.
will dwindle down. even ifssIhe host
magnificent crops during time Wath-
out end. should be raised and sold at
high prices inits immediate q eigiib boz
hood.
Is there any danger of Worthington
becoming thus isolated? Certainly.
The st. Paul and Sioux City and Sioux
City and St. Paul Railroad Companies
are we'll managed and honestly admin
istered concerns, and the officers are
honorable and competent. But the
Sioux City and st. Paul is more anx-
ious about the rapid disposal of it's
Iowa than of it's Minnesota lands, for
this reason: Railroad lands, neither
sold nor under contract of sale, are
taxed in Iowa but not iii Minnesota
and the anti-mOn0poly party isl far
stronger in the former than In the lat
ter State. Hence, the Sioux CITY and
st.: Paul is more interested In the de-
velopment of Slbley than in that of ,WOr-
Ellington. Though Sib!ey is eighteen,
miles farther from st. Paul than, .Wo,H
thington, freiglIts are tile same and Il
the Sioux City and St. Paul does build
4 branch into Rock County, it viii he
from Sibley and not from \Vorthington.:
If the Southern Minnesota RAILROAD
is extended from Winnebago CIV to
Sioux Falls, it will lntersect the Sioux
City and St. Paul not at ,Worthington
but at Wilder, and probably pass by
Graham Lakes: oAlready have Direct
ors OF the Sioux City and St. Paul, with
4 view tohsnch intersection, bought
large tracts Of land at Wilder; and Mr..
Drake, the President Of ctlreeSipux City
and st. Paul, has reserVela, valuable
lands" belonging to-: his company: ut
both ends of the Graham Lakes, SO as
to he sure OF 4 town. site Qlt,Whicll ever
side the Southern Minnes0ta, may r,lll.,
Suppose 4 branch road of the Sioux
City and st. Paul be built from ,Sibley.
to Luverne, and the Southern Minne-
sofa be continued, by the way Of: Will
der and Graham Lakes to Sioux Falls,
how long, or rather how short, will de-
the radius within which there, will re-,
main country tributary to Worthing-
ton? go ...I. .,.n 49,
TIC SluCIOn VI sn0 transportation.
problem lies in cheapenilig 'tr;,lisport:s-
ton. The Sibley and Lu Verne branch
of the Sioux City and st. Paul and the
extension of the Southern Minnesota,
are meant to he medium gauge, roads.
They can only be built if people along
the lines of such branch and Of such ex-
tension choose to bond themselves for a
sufficient amount. Minnesota is Il re-
! Il int, tnf 70 sno
are, in consequence, in bad odor in
Wall Street, and subject to Il heavy
discount. Mankato is 4 hourisi,ing
town, and always honorably discharged
it's obligations; but for Mankato bonds,
issued in behalf of the Central Railroad
of Minnesota, not more than 80 cents
on the dollar could he got in New Y ork!
A narrow gauge road, through u
country like this, can, according to the
estimate OF All experienced railroad
contractor, lie built for $1,000 per mile.
The rolling stock costs less than half
that OF Il medium gauge road. A smaller
crew answers the purpose. The cost
of transshipping at the point Of con-
nection with the medium gauge road
is more than compensated for by the
saving in the expense of switching
besides, lis a marrow gauge road can
have a sleeper grade and a sharper
curve, the narrow gauge might, per-
haps, come up by the side of the medi-
um gauge, and be, sufficiently raised
above the latter for the grain to be run,
Fby means Of Il spout, out Of the narrow
gauge freight car into the medium
gauge car.
People can help build railroad 10y
other means than bonding. FOR exam
pie. at Yankton. to promote the con-
struction of the Dakota Southern, stock
was taken. The country back Of Elk
Point offered the d. S., il, case it would
build Il branch, the right OF way, the
grading of that branch and something
more forgot. The Vermillion valley
offered, some time ago, for a similar
branch from Vermillion, 4 contribu.
ton of some thousands of bushels OF
wheat as bonus for every mile of the
road built. >, {
If people do bond themselves tie best
way is this: Let well-to-do citizens of
the town or county which bonds itself
buy at par the issued bonds of theil
town or county, and let the cash thus
realized be turned over to the railroad
company so soon as it will be earned.
Then there will be no discount, no
waste by shaving, no expense for iego
tiating. And let proper conditions be
stipulated at the time of bonding, as to
the line the road shall follow. the con.
nections it shall make, the tariff, a due
representation of the town or county
; bonding itself, or taking stock, in the
Board of Directors, ETC., etc.
Southern Dakota is anxious for more
direct and ample communication with
the East. There is a splendid wheat
) crop, all harvested, nearly all stacked
and even partly threshed. Communities
ton with Milwaukee is preferred tc
communication with Chicago, because
at the Chicago elevators Minnesota and
} Dakota wheat is mixed with Other
western wheat not 50 good.
At Yankton wheat fetches only lit
tie over 50 cents, and at Sioux Falls
about 20 cents less.
Hon. Robert White, the General
Manager OF the Central Railroad Of
Minnesota, an experienced New York
railroad contractor, has promised tc
examine the country between Worth:
ingt0n and Yankton, with a view on
building a railroad between the two
/ points. The idea of narrow gauge
! is his. He would have been here he.
fore now, were it not for his being en-.
gagged in building Is miles of railroad
} between Albert Lea and Norwood. !
have spoken about direct railroad com.
; munication between Yankton, and
Worthington with several prominent
> citizens of Dakota. and: more .particu.