The Worthington advance., 1879-05-15
THE so U7HERv MINNEsoTA.

THE so OU7HERN MINNESOTA.
Last weeks Jackson Republic says:
We last Wednesday accepted an in
vitation of Engineer Robinson to take
Il trip along the line of the Southern
Minnesota Railroad west and were sur
prised to see that the work was advanG-
ing so rapidly. The eleven mile con-
tract Of Thompson & Law, although
tn: work is heavy for the first four or
five miles, it is already well advanced
and will he completed promptly OH con-
tract time. The piling for the small
bridge west OF where the track crosses
the Window road is already driven and
the heavy fill at either end and the heavy
grade near are being rushed along in
readiness for the graders to take up
their line of march westward. 1t is a
beautiful view along the brow of the
bluff. the river, the timber, the distant
prairie, the town snug|y located on the
gently rising benches, present certainly
a captivating sight to the traveller, es.
pecially after crossing the long treeless
prairie from the west and dashing
through the ravines, circling the abrupt
bluffs and over the high, long bridge:
1t is a view that the weary travellers
~. "PtA Cc"soe. Aho DeS VAOiHco liver
br1d ge is already under way and is to be
the highest andlongest structure of the
kind west of the Mississippi. The
bridge really extends from bluff to bluff;
a distance Of 400 feet, or over quar-
ter of a mile in length. It will be on
an average about So feet high, though
at the point of crossing the channel of
the river is IS feet. Mr.. D. Learv is
the competent and pleasant gentleman
who has charge of the work. The steam
pile-driver had just commenced sending
the piles "home," and there is little
that looks like a bridge as yet, still that
gaping ravine invites structure that
Will tax the best engineering capacity.
to make solid and safe. But it will be
done and will add to the romance and
the grandeur of the route and the scen-
cry about Jackson. The track is high
Oh the bluff west of Skinner & Hostel
ter's mill and the bottom land around
the mill is we'll covered with railroad
shanties and stables, giving the appear
ahce of quite village. Short, sharp
bluffs are leveled, little ragged ravines
are bridged, and the prairie is reached.
where men are scattered along at inter-
walls throwing up the road bed.
At little Sioux Creek, and near where
the track crosses the old Graham Lake
road, Messrs. Hartley and Dalton are
rushing their contract and claim that
in ten days they will be ready for anoth-
er job farther west. There is rather
heavy work at this point, hut the forty
teams and more men will soon complete
it. The graders are at work west of the
Sioux City Road and the contract let
for seven miles west Of Clear Lake,
making about fifteen miles west of the
junction. Mr.. Olson completed his job
and is now engaged on Il contract far
ther west. Everything indicates that
the line will be completed to the Big
Sioux in Dakota the present season.
According to the Adventists. news
paper men and other good people will
pass to happy hunting grounds above
IN July 18th, while the black sheep will
g sent along the other road. It is kind
of the Adventists to set the date for
our departure a little beyond the