Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-05-31

tnan tho lake Ires9OtS. There IS no point
on the /. @. where the difference would
be greater than At Contra liza. So that our
line could successfully compete for the
lumber trade ct any point on the main
inc Of the !. G. r. r. OF any point west
Of It to the Pacific ocean, with any road
hauling lumber from Chicago .: the price
there enhanced by lake frei ahts,
In view Of these Considerations and 9th.
ers which will readily suggest themselves Il
is pr obably safe 10 estimate that the aver.
age saving to the co nsumev or the lumber
used in Iowa. La Faye,te and Grant coun.
lies, In the reduced freights on lumber
which the construction Of our road would
effect, would be At least Is per thousand
feet. II appears By the reports of The
Mineral Point Il. R. that the lumber which
passed over that road in 1875, was 1884.
237 feet--nearly three million feet. Prob
ably as much more was consumed which
was brought by other roads aud BY the
rivers, so that an estimated annual saving
Of $50, 1000 or $4,000 TO the people OF
these three counties resulting from reduced
freight is probably within bounds. This
estimate is based upon the present con.
sumption, which reduced prices would
tend greatly 10 increase.
Sd. The third consideration to which
your attention is invited rs manifest Gle.
mcnt Of the importance TO the people OF
our proposed RI lroad, is that il will be in
direct competition with existing railroads
for business with Lake Superior ports.
Its advantages resulting from the cross.
ing flor connections with other railroads.
not only furnish the means by which e.
ncial problems may be solved, as will,
be explained when speaking of the ways
and means Of constructing the road, but
must inv'tabiy greatly increase its value
10 the people in the greatly reduced cost
both ways, of every description of frc light,
including merchandise, agricultural imple.
Inents, salt, coal. grain Of all kinds. wool.
butter, eggs, hogs, cattle, horses, hoos
poles, lead, zinc orc, &c. Connect
will be made with the Nil. & ST. Pau, Co.
at two points; Arena, 80 miles from Min
eral Point, and At Portage City; with Chi.
cago i Northwestern railroad 1T Merr,mack.
so miles from Mineral Point. While at
Portage City, besides the connection Nth
the ST. Paul, it will connect with the. Wis.
consin Central, and whenever the Shsboy.
GIN & Fod du Lac, which is nov in ope r
alton to Princeton, within 20 miles of Por.
tage City, shall b, finished, which will not
probably be long, another connection will
be furnished to Ripon. Fon du Lac and
Sheboygan, and 1t should also be mention.
I'd that the Wisconsin Midland have san.
guine hopes and give promise Of an early
completion Of their road from Oshkosh
up the Y Hey Of the Fox river to Portage
City. Another most important connec.
ton at Portage CITY during the season Of
navigation will BE- BY the canal between
the Fox aud Wisconsin rivers. and the i'm.
provement Of the Fox river. Whatever
doubts may exist as to improving the nav
ig"tion Of the Wisconsin, the successful
navigation Of the Fox river and tho canal
is no longer problem.
II the constr uction Of our road should
furnish no more competition than such ~
1t would necessarily create by its conne,-
ton at Arena with the 81. Paul railroad,
between that road and the Illinois Central
il would be of immense benefit to the
country.
The dist ,ncs from Warren to Chicago
Cent q mast goi y Forriston) is l57 miles;
from Warren via Mineral, Point Arena,
Madison aud Wate.town to Milwaukee, is
liza, being>only Is miles further from War
rem to Milwaukee via Arena, than to Chi
cago. The distance from Darlington to
Chicago is l73 miles, and from darlington
to Milwaukee is l57, being l6 miles nearer
from Darlington to Milwaukee than Ch,ca-
GO. The point on the Mineral Point rail
road Of equal distance to icago and Nil.
waukee would he halfway between Dsr>
lin:ton and Warren, which would be near
| GratiOt.
So that it is apparent in competition
between Chicago and Milwaukee, the al
vantage arising from relative distances,
would be equally balanced at Gratiot, and
in our favor at Darlington, Cslsmine. Bel
mont, Platteville and all points north Of
Grat0t.
This competition would also operate a.
a salutary restraint upon the Illinois Gem
trail, il it should even be disposed to prac-
lice extortion for transporting business
which tor any reason was bound to 90
to Chicago. The distance from Mineral
Point TO Chicago via Milwaukee would bs
about 81 miles further than via Forreston,
and from Warren to Chicago via Mineral
Point and Milwaukee would be l0l miles
further then via Forreston, and the equal
distance would be 10 miles north Of Ain~
eral Point, or nine miles north Of Dodge
vile; vet the difference in distance is not
so great, but that the Milwaukee L St.
Paul 60, and the roads in connection with
it could always keep rates vt such tg
uro as TO prevent oppressive extortion BY
the Illinois Central railroad.
But independent Of oil competition bcN
tween the road 10 Chicago and that to