Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-12-02
RAILROAD DEVELOPMENT.
What Minnesota Has Secured During
the Season Of 1873.
ST. PAUL'S IRON NET WORK.
Which Brings an Empire to Our Very
Doors.
aAs MILES OF RAILROAD LINES
Constructed III This State the Present
Year.
MAKING TOTAL OF 2,5s3 MILES
Which Now Gridirons the Empire
State Of the Northwest.
IAKING TOTAL OF 2,5ss MILES
Which Now Gridirons the Empire
State Of the Northwest.
ST. PAUL AND WINNIPEG UNITED.
And Northern Wisconsin and Dakota
to Clasp Hands with the Com
ulercial Emporium.

AS the season for railroad construction in
Minnesota is virtually ended for the season of
1873, and as the public look to the GLOBE to
furnish the first news of all important events,
especially upon matters pertaining to st.
Paul, and calculated to inure to her general
prosperity and advancement, resume of
the operations of the year is here given.
AS will be seen by perusal of the data
given below, the season has been marked
by o very material extension of the
railroad system of the State, and especially
of those arteries in the system leading to
and from the heart of the system, st. Paul.
The failure of Jay Gould, end the long
period of financial depression of which that
failure was the Guant courier, had most
blighting effect upon all the projected rail-
roads in the country. In no section was that
effect more disastrously felt than in Mime
sofa. But two or three roads commenced
were completed. The others had begin
ming but no ending. The system was para
lyzed, and stagnation ensued. Years passed,
and business began to revive, and capitalists
began to gain confidence. Minnesota, which
had suffered less seriously by the
depression than almost any other
section, Notwithstanding the terrible
grasshopper invasion, sent as an added in
Fiction, was the first to feel the reviving in
fuences pulsating through the land. Then
came the compulsory and relieving legsla-
ton of the winter OF 1876. The effect was
nj, W.
head of our railroad troubles saw that the
time for renewal of &C i've operations had
arrived and, though crippled in resources,
they put their shoulders to the wheel. and
the end Of the season of 1877 saw the COM
pletion Of 212 miles Of new road within the
State, more than was constructed in the en-
tire four years preceding. and the largest
number of miles in any one year in the
State, excepting the especially active years of
1870, II and ~.
But as important as was the progress made
in the Development of the railroad, and with
it, the general interests of the State, in 1877,
the advance made the present season has
been far greater, and the results achieved
much more important to the State, and es-
pecaly TO St. Paul, some of the principal
extensions being of lines with this city as
terminus. Pre-eminent in this respect stands
the
ST. PAUL & PACIFIC
main and branch lines. Aided by favorable
legislation last winter, this company,
though the roads were in the hands of
q receiver, and numerous suits were
pending in the courts, was able
to enlist sufficient capital in the enterprise
to early commence construction operations
on both its lines, and the end of the season
finds it's main and extension line virtually
completed and a big step forward made on
its branch
Atsthe end of the season of 1877, the main
line had been connected with St. Vincent
extension line, by a branch from Brecken-
ridge to a junction south of Glyndon, on the
Northern Pacific, twelve miles. The ST.
Vincent Extension at that time was COM
pleted to point twenty eight miles north of
Crookston, though the line was operat ID only
to Fishers Landing, reached by short tenn
porary branch, and that during only q por-
ton of the year. The distance from St.
Paul by way of Breckenridge, the Glyndon
branch and the extension to the end of the
track, was about $50 miles. From
this point of cessation of work to the
terminus Of the line at St. Vincent was some
ninety-three miles. Owing to the many
complications existing it was late in the sea-
son before the negotiations for carrying the
enterprise through and work could be inaug-
urated. Happily all matters were at last
perfected, and the managers took hold of the
work of closing the gap with energy, and
such was the progress that some two weeks
ago saw the last spike driven home in the
last rail OF the continuous chain of rails,
some APO miles in length, starting from st.
Paul and ending on the line dividing Min
nesota from the British province of Manito-
ba. Since the driving OF that last spike
on the main line, the company
have been energetic lily at work, putting
in sidings, switches, erecting sta
tions, etc, and though much yet remains to
be done to put the newly constructed road in
first class condition, it is completed and
ready for business. Trains are now and have
been for several days running to the Y at St.
Vincent, and next week the cry will be 'sAll
aboard for Winnipeg" The reporter does
not propose to moralize or speculate in this
article. His object is to state facts. Here
is grand fact St. Paul and Pembina
linked together by an iron band. Ali honor
SAYS the reporter to Messrs. Hill and Kilt
son, Manager Farley, and others interested
in bringing about the grand fact.
While such has besn the glorious pragress
made in the extension line, the company has
also found time and the means to push Its
branch line forward some thirty three miles.
At the commencement of the
season this line extended from
st. Paul to Melrose, in Stearns
county, distance of Ill miles. The presen
terminus of the constructed road is the flour
ishing town of Alexandria, the county seat O
Douglas county, thirty-three miles distan
from the finished terminal point this spring
and Ia miles distant from St. Paul. TIL
company in this case also did the work O
construction, under Manager Farley's watch
full supervision, and those who have beer