Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-04-21
THE RAILROAD OUTLOOK.

"A OAAA uaS Uteu AulIONuCcu 4utO CVuSIeo0
by Senator Cameron, Of Wisconsin, confer
ring authority upon the Chicago, Milwaukee
& st. Paul railway company to construct =
railroad from the eastern boundary Of Da-
kota. starting from 3 point On the Big Sioux
river, near the village Of Canton, through
the counties of Lincoln, Turner, Armstrong,
Hanson, Cragin, Brule and Buffalo, to the
east bank Of the Missouri river, between
Brule City and the north line of Buffalo
county. The bill also grants the right Of
way through public lands 100 feet on each
side of the road, also land adjacent to the
right of way mot exceeding 100 acres for
each ten miles of its road ; also not to ex-
coed Eve. full sections of land at the ter
minus of said road on the east bank of the
Missouri river, the lands to be selected by
SAID company. The railroad company is
required to definitely fix the route Of the
road, designate the lands, and file a map in
the general land Office before Dec. l, 1880.
While the passage of this measure, should
it pass, will not render obligatory the con-
.struction Of a railroad along the line desig-
mated, it is extremely probable that the
company intends building in accordance
with the specifications of the bill. 1t is
supposed that Brule City is the Missouri
river destination of the road, but it will be
observed that the bill gives also right of
way to any river point between Brule City
and the big bend, just above Grow creek In
dian agency. The bill indicates further
that the proposed road will cross the Yer
million river near Finlay and the James
river somewhere between Midtown and
Rockport. The route as indicated is found
ed upon the superstition that the road will
pass through all the counties named in the
bill. Finlay is the nearest point to Yank.
ton on the line Of the proposed extension
and if q fork of the road is to come to our
city it would naturally turn southwark from
that point. The distance is about thirty.
five miles on an air line, or some twenty
miles shorter thar q direct and separate line
BY the way of Eden, to P~attersonville, the
present terminus Of the road. We deem it
the duty Of the people of Yankton to now
take steps to find out something definite re-
garding the ultimate course of this road.
Every assurance has been given that Yank.
ton is to profit by the pending extensions,
but assurances are not sufficiently tangible
to satisfy our necessities. They should be
made doubly sure by immediate investiga-
ton On the part of our chamber of COM
merce and a committee designated to follow
up the subject. Numerous instances are on
record where cities and villages have quietly
waited for coming roads which never came,
waited because 1t seemed to their wise heads
that such roads. could not miss them. A
railroad can miss any point which it chooses
to miss and they usually make it convenient
to 60 . short distance around when they find
that no inducements are being held out by
the communities which are to be benefited
by their coming.
1t has been remarked that Yankton wants
no branch road-if it cannot have the main
line, it is worth nc mans while to labor for
the procurement of the other. 1t is to be
hoped that such statements have been put
forth without due reflection. What il the
main line Of . railroad? It il the line
which does the bulk Of the business; while
Q branch is the portion built for the accom-
mediation Of isolated cemnunities and to
occupy . region which might otherwise DO
utilized BY other road building corporations.
It matters not to NJ whether We are called
the tail Of the dog or the dog itself, 20 long
- We wag the animal. Let, then, the Mil
corporation build it, main line to
the James river above Us and it, branch to
Yankton. From the day the last rails are
laid to both tsrninani the brunch" will
bring 70 the corporation twenty times the bus.
It will rsceivs. over the " main line"
AZ this iuncturs it i not policy for rs 70
.tasd upsn The ~sisni6cancs 81 name. Bat
{ l. policy for ~ 70 throw all . ensrgiss