The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-04-18
The Railroad Question.


The Railroad Question.
STANTON, MINI, April 18TH, 1877.
Dear Sir: agree with you that a
narrow guage railroad, or two Of them,
running from Cannon Falls and Zumbro-
ia, respectively, to Red Wing would be
all that this county needs, and would
be of more real worth to the people of
the county generally, farmers and citi.
zens alike, than any through line,
whether running north and south or
east and west. What we, of the int.
rior of tho county need, is facility to get
our crops to market rapidly and cheaply,
and this would be gained by the con-
struction of such roads as these, which
would cost but little and could be oper-
ated cheaply.
In the absence of a strong probability
that these roads will be speedily built,
our necessities impel the people of the
interior towns to listen with avidity to
proposals for a road to St. Paul or even
along the proposed Midland route. The
St. Paulites understand this, as do also
the citizens Of Pine Island, Rochester,
Chatfel6, &C., and they will take ad-
vantage of it. Meanwhile, there seems
to be no disposition on the part of the
Red Wing business men to step forward
to secure the projects advocated in the
ADVANCE. They are divided in opin-
ion as to utility Of building such roads,
and some of them arc known to be op
posed to the project. The absurdity of
such opposition seems palpable to me,
and as for its injuring the retail trade
of Red Wing, that is sheer nonsense
will venture the assertion that the
building of such roads will add largely
to that trade and, at another time, will
give my reasons for that opinion.
The remark that the Hastings and
Dakota road ruined Hastings is not true.
Were it not for that road Hastings
would to-day be far worse off than it is.
The injury resulting to that city was
from the building Of the Chicago, Mil.
waukee and St. Paul road. The latter
brought Hastings in such close intimacy
with St. Paul that a large share of he1
trade went to the larger city. Hastings
was too near St. Paul to prosper, but
the east and west road has done q
great deal towards keeping it up, and
has been perfect god-send to Hastings
Red Wing has, also, suffered loss by the
extension of the river road to St. Paul
but roads thence to the interior will
more than compensate for such injury
because of its greater distance from St
Paul. It will thus be made to become
the ''large city" to an extensive terri
tory.
If Red Wing business men appreciate
their condition truly they will move ir
this matter at once. If they will as
sure the citizens of the county that the,
will proceed without delay to do what
they can and ought to do in building
the roads to the interior, the St. Pau
project will not meet with sufficient ia
vor to secure its success. But, in the
absence Of pretty sure prospect Of
these needed local roads, the feeling
throughout the interior of the count,
will be very strongly in favor Of the St
Paul road. Whatever Red Wing in
tends to do ought to be done at once
for we need road and will help thu
first one that offers.
Personally, greatly prefer the loca
road project, for am certain it woule
be of greatest advantage to all of US
and would cost far less; but if we can
not get that I shall do all I can to push
forward the St. Paul enterprise.
Yours, truly, A WHEAT GROVER.