Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1879-08-23
THE MARQUETTE 4 MACKlNAW
RAILROAD.

SATURDAY, AUGUST is, 1879.
THE MARQUETTE & MACKlNAV
RAILROAD.
At recent meeting of the State Boar,
of Control it was decided to notify W
L. Wetmore, President of the Marquette
Mackinaw & Sault Ste. Marie Railroa,
company, that at the regular meeting O
the Board, the 9th of this month, actor
would be taken to annul the contrac
with that company for constructing thu
Marquette & Mackinaw road, and de
claring all their rights to lands appro
priated to aid in the building of the roat
forfeited. 1t is well known that fol
more than three years this company
through its representative, DIR. Lamar
has done good deal of blowing ant
been prolific in promises of what was
going to be done at some time in thu
future, but that it never has done SC
much as turn shovel full of dirt OF
made the necessary surveys to de.
termlne the route. 1t has been
claimed that this contract stood in
the way of other and responsible parties
taking hold and completing the road
With the contract annulled it will give
these responsible parties chance t.
take hold. 1t certainly cannot make
matters any worse. There is no prospecr
that the present contractors would d,
any better than they have, and the TRr
BUNE claimed long ago that it was use
less to hope for anything to be done s,
long as they held the control. In regart
TO 1T, the Detroit Post and Tribune saws
The action of the state board of con
troll at their recent meeting with refer
ence to the Marquette and Mackinac rail
way project is commended on all sides
SO Tar as Detroit is concerned there i,
no feeling against the Marquette com
pany. Certainly there is nothing i'm The
way OF jealousy or distrust. The senti
ment here is well expressed by the Ian
sing Republican: 1--WE care NOTHING
about who is to build this road onlv thai
it be built and that right speediIy.5 The
company has been in existence some
three OF four years. 1t has made earnest
and persistent exertiOns to induce CAPT
tallsts to undertake the project. That il
mas Deen unS IcceSsful is regretted moi
more 6y the people of the upper PENN
Sula Than by those of the lower peninsu
La. But the fact remains that it has
been unsuccessful, for not shovel full
OF earth has been turned nor does there
seem to be any immediate prospect OF
anything being dOre.
The people are tired of this DELAY. and
Justly feel that it is time to break the
long inactiOn. 1t is evidently i'm re.
spouse to this general feeling that the
board OF control took the action OF
wednesday last. Unless the Marquette
company can, on the 9th inst, give
some better guaranty than it has given
that the work will proceed without fur.
Their delay its contract with the state
should be annulled and forfeited. In
taking such decisive step the board
VIII only meet the expectation of the
people OF the state who desire to have
the road built as soon as possible.
There is not the slightest donbt that
when the Marquette company is ont of
the way an organization will be perfect
ed by the citizens of Michigan, who will
themselves subscribe and paw i'm the nee
essary, cash to proceed at once with the
building OF the road and who can COM
mand the capital to complete it. The
road Is what the people of Michigan
want, and to secure which they have
given liberal grant of lands. The ex-
istlng company having, after three or
four years effort, failed to do ANYTHING
Whatever, 1t is time to see whether there
cannot DE some other company organ
lZed which will do better. The Board
OF Control are fully justified in the course
Gney nave taken, and they will be justi-
ned IN taking the additional stems on
the 9TH, unless Mr.. WetmOre can pre-
sent some better contractor than DIR.
Lamar as guarantee OF future work.
The northern portion of the state is
particularly interested in having the
road built at an early day. The devel
opment OF this section of the state is
being retarded by the delay. In Chip
pewa county much of the desirable
land is included in the grant to laid in
building the road, and are consequently
not In the market, and the effect is
serious to that county. The extension
Oh the railroads in the Southern PENN
sula to the straits depends in a measure
on the building of the Marquette &
Mackinaw road. We think there would
De no question of their speedy extension
was it definitely settled that the upper
road was to be built within reasonable
time.
THERE are signs that the Dominion
hqq q cuffieionf cfool- oeru