Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-12-02
Grand Rapids Future.
The future of Grand Rapids is ex-

the extension of the w. Y. r. r.
from Tomah to La Crosse, and the
extension of the S. M. r. r. to Sioux
Falls the coming summer, making a
continuous line to the western boun-
Diary of Minnesota, bringing to our
doors cheap flour and feed, and MAX
ing the "division" Of the Valley road
at this place, will be of greater bene-
fit to the city than anything that has
%transpired in years. The certainty
of reaching that market for our lum-
Der, slaves, etc., and of the advance
In prices Of our chief commodities,
will also greatly benefit our city.
Now that the w. G. r, r. is build
ing their road from Stevens Point to
Portage, the project of building the
Grand Rapids and Superior road has
received a new impetus. By the
terms of the charter of the Central
road, the Superior Go. has the privi-
lege of using is track from Portage
to any convenient point from whence
to strike Grand Rapids. Mr.. Camp
bell, the president of the Superior
Co., was in town the first of the week,
and is making, or has made, arrange
ments to build a branch road from
Plainfeld to this city, giving him a
line from here to Madison. This
road will make a very important
thoroughfare for our people, and will
command the whole Of our business
to the south, both passenger and
freight. There can be no doubt as
to the feasibility of the investment.
We haven't the slightest doubt that
at no distant day the project will be-
come a reality.
Whenever the S~heboygan & Fond
du Lac R. R. is pushed to the north
west, it will undoubtedly strike
city.
The c~entering of SO many railroads
at this point will be the means Of
erecting extensive machine shops and
car works, as we'll as other industries
not connected with railroading. With
the certainty of a material advance
In the price of lumber, upon which
we depend about wholly for prospect
ty, together with all the other enum-
Grated and unmentioned advantages.
Grand Rapids will take rapid and
permanent strides towards an ad-
vancement that has never been dream
ed of by its most sanguine friends.
The foregoing which appeared in the
Tribune of two weeks ago is SO clearly
an expression of our views upon the
subject of our city's advancement ;
and is SO cheering in its presentation
of our future prospects, that we pub
lish it in our columns, adding thereto,
as we are constrained to do, in view of
the tgood time coming" and which
We believe to be very neal at hand.
It is a fact that will not be denied,
that no other city in the state has
grander opportunities in prospective,
than Grand Rapids. It is equally
true that she is destined to become a
railroad centre Of Importance very
soon. Her geographical position al
most compels the projected lines of
road to build within, or traverse her
borders. Nature has been most prod
igal in the bestowal of her gifts, hat
they should bring to US commercial
and mechanical advantage. We have
the grandest forests IN the world,
yielding pine and hardwood timbers in
inexhaustible abundance; the grand
est agricultural soil in the west the
best hay marshes in the state !; thou
sands of acres of cranberry marshes
which are becoming more valuable each
year /; i~nexhaustable beds of Kaolin
pronounced by scientific men superior
to any in the States, and last though
not least, the grandest uater power
wea of Niagara. 1t is to this water
power that we wish more particularly
to call the attention of our people at
this time. It is near forty yeaIs since
this power was first utilized, and to-
day We have only a few lumber and
single mills, and one only Touring
mill, where should be builded two
score of manufactures of every con-
ceivable character. Why this is SO
can be clearly determined. We have
not been just to ourselves; we have
.o,,Icod ~oonita1 whom mo cbo-lJ b,va