The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1878-12-19
Look Out.


The Yankton Press giyos a detailed AZ.
count OF the trip and reception Of the
fankton delegates by the Railroad offlc.
ials and business men Of Milwaukee. II
seems that tha assurances received from
President Mitchell and Supt Merrill, were
Of character thai afforded great sstlsfAct.
ion to the Yankton people
One thing looks as IL the company were
giving the project consideration, snd that
is tue sending Of their engineer at once to
investigate and report as to the character,
settlement aud resources Of the country,
surrounding the capitol, and also instruct
ing him to co operate with Gen. Beadle in
= survey Of the route. . a...
From one Of the Milwaukee daily's, on
editorial gives as the statement of Presi-
dent Mitchell, that it Is yet undetermined
whether the road will be extended to the
Missouri the coming season, as the CON-
pany considered it questionable whether
the country demands or would warrant
the construction now, but fr ON the repre-
sentatlon made by the Yankton delegation
as 10 The weaitl, and immediate condition
Of the country that would be traverscd and
reached by the proposed Yankton line
that would seem practicable and if cor
rect and weather is suitable, to consumatc
at once
Another feature is presented 70 us Of
this locality, as reported occurring at that
interview, that the company as get had no
oIjectioe point ,csst.
If so then our people are far from being
assured that the road will cross the Sioux
Beloit orCanton and be built westward,
through Lincoln and Turner counties to
the jim River near NJ iltown, as surveyed.
Observation tells that the road will not al.
ways follow, for many such lines are run
and even extensive grades, made that new
cr have or will receive the ties and lion
and become an operating road
Time and circumstances as often change
designs of corporations As of men. West
ward OF the present terminus OF the Mil
waukee Road at PattersonvilIe is a stretch
Of country unoccuried by any Railroad,
presenting margin tor swinging north
or south or building directly west as the
surveyed line has been run.
II is useless to Ignore facts because to
admit them acknowledges detriment to
us, and with this view, we may as well as
sert the truth as 10 the new phase the ex.
tension Of this road is now assuming
Individually we have been led TO believe
that tho original .Yankton project formed
by the McGrcgor company was abandon
cd, that the rapid and almost uapara-
lel!ed settlement Of this portion of Dakota
Territory and the developing wealth CT the
Black Hills, together with the reported at
traction of the Yellowstone Park country
and the action Of the company in making
their surveys evidently seeking prac.ica.
bic and direct line through to the Hills
md the Park. The engineer in charge al
so stated his intention to locate the
line permanently as soon as the weather
would permit The only matter that
caused any difference of opinion among
our people relative to the line of the road
was as to where j. would cross the Sioux
River, whether at Beloit, east Of Canton, or
below both places and at Sargcnts place.
Now this late apparent change Of base
is certainly worth thinking over, if Of no
other consideration Reasoning upon the
premises that the managers of the road at
Milwaukee as stated by Col. Bowen in his
interesting article were so impressed with
The new project as to express themselves
SO strongly in It's favor, and to evidence
that by scndlrg a trus,y man to see .or
himself as to the feasibility and ordering
survey, and kno wing the fact that Yank,
ton could be much nearer rea ched by the
way Of Eden than by US, Is it not we'll to
look these facts square in the face? -
1t is natural and customary for men to
blind themselves to facts that tend TO mill
tate against their interest, hoping their de-
sire will be met; but such policy is more
often fatal than n square tocd march to
circu invent, and obviatc difficulties tina;
might be surmounted by proper action. II
any Of our people have received dircc,
from the Company as these gentlemen OF
Yankton state they have as favorable as.
suranccs for their interests, that either
Canton or Beloit are or their line. wheth
or Yankton is TO be the objective point on
the Missouri, or Brule City, then we arc
not apprised of It,
Bnt as matters now are shaping, oul
citizens had better look a "leedle out"
Six hundred and fifty teams are opcrat
inc hntwonn bismarck and the hiac I