Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-05-31
An Address Read by Hon Moses
M. Strong, at the Railroad Meet
ing held in Mineral Point, We'd
nesday, May 24th 1879.

The project Of Railroad from Mineral
Point to Portage City attracted public
attention n early % 1856-twonty years
ago. and charter for its construction was
attained; at the so called nd-grant SEES.
sion in September and October Of that
The charter created board Of thirteen
directors, but limited their power to re-
ceivng subscriptions for 500 shares Of cap
ital stock, and calling . meeting Of the
stockholders to elect permanent board Of
directors. These powers were never ex-
ercised and the charter has remained
dead letter.
Of the thirteen original directors, Ave
are dead-Chas. Bracken ,Chas. F. Legate,
Levi Sterling, Andrew Dunn and John A.
BROWN and two, N. B. Boyden and r. A.
smith. have removed out Of the state. At
the last session Of the Legislature the
names of seven others, Messrs. Reese, Ben.
nett Strong, Rowe, Obrecht, Keysar and
Wood, were substituted for the seven who
have died or removed from the state.
So that the board is now filed with citi-
zsns Of the state, four Of whom however -
Messrs. John Milton, Joseph Smith, J. G.
Souires and Hugh McFarlane-are not
supposed to take any active interest in the
The recognized board Of Directors have
given pubhc notice that books for subs
scriptiou to 500 shares of the capital stock
Of the CO npany will be opened at this
time. and have given notice OF this meet
inc for The purpose Of C ,nsidering the feas-
Utility and Importance If the project, and
consulting in rc.aton to the ways and
means of promoting e success.
The duty Of pres nting to this meeting
the views Of the Directors in relation to
the Importance and feasibility Of this enter
prise, and the plans they propose for its
accomplishment, has been imposed upon
me, and however Incompetent l may be
to perform it. will mike the effort For
greater certainty, have thought proper
to pu. in writing what | have to say. l
Shall speak
lst OF the Importance Of the rou to-.
2,l, OF it, feasibility, and
Sd, OF the ways and means Of construct
ing the road.
IMPORTANCE OF THE ROUTE.
lst, In considering the importance Of
the proposed railroad, the most striking
feature which presents itself, and irresist-
ibly attracts attention, is the imposing
fact, that the route from Mineral Point to
Portage City, Is but n short link in the
great chain OF railroad IRON the Gulf Of
Mexico to the Western end Of Lake Super
Tor. where it connects With the Northern
Pacific railroad to Pugets Sound and the
Pacific Ocean.
From Mineral Point the railroad cons
neclon is complete to New Orleans, by
means OF the Mineral Point, Illinois Cen
trail and the New ORR. ans, ST. Louis and
Chicago railroads, and also to Mobile by n
road from Jackson, Miss. to Mobile.
OF that portion Of the Wisconsin Cen
trail railroad between Portage City and
Lake Superior, the road is constructed anc
IN operation from Stevens Poin: south.
wardly to Hancock, within 50 miles OF
Portage City, and will be finished to that
place within three months 1t is also in
operation northwardly l0l miles from
Stevens Point and within fifty miles It
the Penokee Iron Range and from that
point to Ashland on Lake Superior. The
company are engaged IN the construction
of the uncompletcd Fifty miles ror:h of
Stevens Point ard expect to have It al IN
operation this year, when the entire line
from Portage City to Lake Superior will
he finished and in operation.
The distance from Ashland to the east
ern terminus Of the Northern Pacific ka'l'
road on Lake Superior is about sixty miles,
over which the Wisconsin Central propose
to extend their line.
The Northern Pacific Railroad is CON-
pletcd snd in operation from Lake Superb
or to the Missouri river al Bismark, dis
lance of about 500 miles, and from Puget
Sound east towards the Rocky Mountains
for about 200 miles, and although THIS
great enterprise is at present under q cou i
yet The immense interest involved In lts
completion, the value of the subsidy
grented by Congress in aid Of its construc
ton, and the energy and determination o.
the newly organized company which mas
the work in charge would seem to rende'
It's completion matter Of great certainly
1t will be seen, then, that the filing VI
Of tho short gap from Mineral Point T.
Portage City will by the time u can be &C
compished, complete perfect continue vi
line OF railroad from the Gulf of n, xico Il
Like Superior, and ultimately to the Ia
ciiic Ocean.
"a, The next feature Of this route, to
which your attention is called, and which
perhaps, is next in importance, is the fac
that it is p,rt of the line VII Oh bring
into immediate cOnnectl'n, by the mes
direct possible route, two great industrIa
interests Of the country, whose RESPECTIVE
theatres Of operation are idely sep rratet
by nature, but which have mutual depend
ence upon each other for their successful
prosecution. The numbering interests an