Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-03-29
p.-cr. Of the Chief Engineer Of the Wiseoa.
sin Midland Railroad Project.

:
,he Wisconsin Midland Railroad
ronrapy, in Oshkosh, on Wednes-
dao. the 18th, the following report
was submitted to the board by IL. I.
Hamilton, Chief Engineer OF the
road:
GsxrIrgrS:--Thc organization Of the Wisconsin
Midland Railway Company dates rom the list
Gay of February ls7;,--since which time Very few
Mn, OF railroad have been built in this State, aid
q, met in The entire North Western States
1nr first great obstacle to our progress WAS the
dnnncial uncertainty of our country, CAUSED by
,h, IA, IRE of some of the largest railroad projects
n, TN. land and resulting In one Of the greatest
financial panics Witnessed M many years 1he
u.yt And lasting injury, done by our own legisla-
TIRE was the creation of the Potter LAW" not
only damaging ~ our railroad project, but par
alyzinc the very nerves OF our MISUNDERSTANDING III
Iu.iri,s which had heretofore wrought It's own
success and brought wealth and population to
our state.
Notwithstanding all these adverse circumstances,
orr corporation has made very coinmendabe
TrfYr,,s and has commanded the attention of
rapitali,t~ in New York, England and Germany.
The route of the Wisconsin Midland Railway
vil lie from Oshkosh up the valley nj the Fox
River through the counties of Winnebngo, Green
lake Marquette and Columbia. To Portage City;
end thence down the valley of the Wisconsin river
through the counties of Columbia and Sank, Ia
hrrta: thence through the counties of Iowa, la
Tuvettc and Grant 10 Dubuque, making one of the
economical roads 10 operate in the state. Having
no grade on the first one hundred and twenty
mile, over twenty-five feet to the mile, and on the
y.maiuing forty-eght miles grades of only fifty
feet 70 the mile with one exception, near Dodge
Vile Il heavy grade will be PIT in, unless tunnel
l. constructed, WhcU assistant power Will be used.
large trains of lumber, grain and coal can be
hauled M the least expense per ton per mile of
Any road in our state.
The route of the road as above laid sut would
make direct connections with no less than seven
teen ordinary gauge roads aud one narrow gauge.
The direct connections would be as '4lowsf
At OSHKOSH with the Chicago u Northwestern,
and Chicago. Milwaukee, 4 ~. Paul and indirect
with the WISCONSIN Central, the Green Bay " Min
i,.>ota, the Milwaukee Il Northern, and the Mil
waukec, Lake Shore d Western.
At Onro. with the Chicago, Milwaukee d st.
parl. northern division.
Il Berlin, with the Chicago, Milwaukee 4 st.
Paul, northern division,
At Princeton With tho Sheboygan 4 Fond du
Il Portage City with the Chicago, Milwaukee Il
81. Paul. La Crosse division, Portage Il Madison,
and Wisconsin Central, Portage Branch.
Az Merrimac with Chicago Il Northwestern. st.
Paul line, Indirectly with West Wisconsin.
At Arena. with Chicago, Milwaukee 4 st. Paul,
i'nrrie du Chen division
AZ Mineral Point. with Mineral Point r. II. and
s1directly with the vast line of the Illinois Central
N pattevilc with the Calamine Il Pateyille
i. X. and the talena Il Southern Wisconsin, mar
row gauge.
At Dtmleith with the Illinois Central.
At Dubuque, with the Illinois Central, Iowa d.
vision the Dubuque Southwestern, the Chicago,
Clinton Il Dubuque, and the Chicago, Dubuque
Minnesota.
nearly al of the above named connections
womb furnish large business for the Wisconsin
MitIlnnd Railway.
1he populations Of the stations alone, on the
liu, of the Midland Railway, amount in the az
crgGtc to 5000. Average per mile Of road Is nc.
Average population per mile of railroad IN the
State OF Wisconsin is 400
Th.. population of such counties towns cities
s'ld Villages ere directly tributary To the Mid
baud Railroad, amounts In the aggregate 10 1885,
M Average per mile OF road Is over Iipl-mure
than twice the average of the state.
The population Of ten counties in Wisconsin,
Dubuque, of Iowa, and Jo Davies, of Illinois,
amounts IN the aggregate To 3Jo,Gve an average of
about G,01o per mile.
There are > o0,0)0 a9rcs of improved lands, L.
go Np of woodland, and $4,000 not specified, or
IT tod of 500 ono acres that Yielded their riches
T. the people along this most natural route for n
railroad
The value of real and personal estate in eleven
counties, amounts to over 500, O0GOpt And the
value of farm products amount to over s27 600 600
Amount OF wheat produced on the route in ESQ
was a,pl00W bushels, rye 2650W busbeE- corn T.,
2U0U bushels oats 900 bushels barley 800
or, potatoes 100000 bushels, wool El5o0OO
pounds, butter G7l0.O0o pounds cheese :.tGnO
pounds, hops 2,0nni pounds, swine $4,000
pounds, hay 900 tons.
The manufacturing interest Of the counties
the line of the Midland hallway have a capital
otOyrr Sl0,moo01 They pay for labor and mate
rsls over Sl2,0D)o00, and their product is over
elGotiWD il value. There are also nine counties
that would he tributary to the Midland Railroad,
whose combined capital invested rs above Is over
C,N0F. and pay for labor and materials over
sln0Dl,Gn and their product Is over $4,000 100.
Compared with the same interests in the State. the
Midland railway has about so per cent. of the
products of agriculture and manufacture to build
IT. business from.
Estimate of cost of construction and equipment
Tor the year 1870:
made an estimate of the cost of construction
hr lS7iou Al cash basis for the entire line from
Oshkosh lliIl,npIfs A ted
I'll average of S2l. per mile.
Estimate of cost of construction and equipment
nj the line from Oshkosh to Dsigerile, distance
W one hundred and twenty +w" niie was in the
aggregate s2,3lSurs an average of $1,000 per
mile.
Estimate of cost of construction and equipment
N the line from Oshkosh to Portage City. dis.
ttllcc of siNty-three miles, III the average ST.
tS,i0l, an average of Sl6s00 per mile.
~ section 63 miles, at Sl6S0o per mile 81 o5s 400
section, - miles at s2l,3tl76 pr inilc, l.259 coo
d section Is miles at s26'osi per milc.. iaioooo
Total les miles at s2l 0Oo per mne 49,. IS 52S 900
STATISTICS OF THE WESTERN UNION RAILROAD
Tons freight. Moved mle Rate Receipts.
;N.2.-2l657S 26173,31 2 -l0ar SG03,0aS $500
siS57 a5 s239 iISs s sss7s ss S. 1
The Western Union Rnilroad is bonded and
stocked a. high IL S31, 0Ws per mile of road.
The lm Scu-er receipts were in ISL .saoS9I6.17
2id'., 'NpFtSS S76b10
fFtl%hi Jg1, $50 81
Total earning in 1871 ......... I6Q u
Average per 407s.o1
, Earnings in sS72 1913
rom passenger. - tik ,6 500 50, -
rom 4iyI-ht ............. 6riH9s ~ SO 3.S. Sc
i'Jlu mail, express de-. 3Jall.6S Il 7gl O.
Total carnings.--.........ssl7lll22 sl,l87.6.t.2s
A'rIHgr per allie. 1868 i&tT
AilTa comparative estimate of the earnings Of
ia
t'.t- htre cp!ar t. the conclusion that the ears
w q" the Midland road will amount for first year
It I, completion 50 The sum af $3.50 900 NJ very
lu1 estimate
NnN. slNipsc. that We rai,c IN lOcnl Nnhscrtp-