Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-10-23
A Railroad Scheme.

y uIIuoiStsLuu CuAt Cu0 OC. Hui,
Minneapolis & Manitoba railroad CON-
pany have really became alarmed at the
favorable prospect Of the early construc>
ton of the Little Falls & Dakota rail-
road, and that they have concocted
little scheme to prevent the voting of
bonds by the counties alongsthe line Of
the road; *The plan, as we underestimate,
is to Immediately put force Of men at
work to construct road from Morris to
Sauk Centre. The towns and: counties
along the line, except MORRISON county,
will vote at the coming general election
on the question of issuing bonds, and it
will be alleged that the st, Paul, Minne-
apolis & Manitoba campany are already
actively engaged building road from
Morris to Sank Centre, through Pope
county, without asking any bonus, andit
is expected that this will cause the defeat
of the proposition to issue bonds. But,
as we understand it, it is the intention of
the st. Paul, Minneapolis g. Manitoba
company to stop all further work on their
proposed short line Immediately after
election, if the bond proposition is defeat>
ed but if it carries, they will actually
build the road at once, as the only means
to prevent the construction of the Little
Falls & Dakota road. We have not seen
any account IN any of the papers of men
having been sent to work on the short
line, but the above shows the intent of
the scheme which is said to be on foot.
We hope that it will prove to be untrue.
LATER.
The truth of the report referred to
above is confirmed. We find the follow
ing in yesterdays Pioneer Press, which,
though written on the company's repre-
sentations, throws some additional light
on the subject.
Mr.. James J. Hill, general manager of the
st. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba railroad,
returned to st. Paul last evening from a per-
sonal inspection of q contemplated railroad
from Sauk Centre or Alexandria west to
Browns Valley, on the western boundary of
the State. It has been known in well-in-
formed business and railroad circles for sew
eral months that the owners of the St. Paul &
Manitoba railroad lines had positively decided
| to build a branch from Sauk Centre or Alex
| andria west, but the necessity Of first complet-
ing the lines from Alexandra to Barnesville,
and from Fishers Landing to GRAND Forks,
has prevented the company from proceeding
with its work on this new and important
feeder to the trunk lines. Now, however, the
time has arrived for active operations in this
direction, and Mr.. HiIl's reconnaissance of the
country to be traversed by the new road is the
first step in the enterprise, which will be COM
menced and pushed to its earliest possible
completion. Engineers will be placed in the
field to survey line from Sauk Centre to
Morris, on the main line, and thence one west
to Browns Valley, while another line will be
surveyed from Alexandria to Donnelly on the
main line. and thence west to the same point
on the western border. The line from Browns
Valley, by way of Sauk Centre to St. Paul, is
only three miles longer than by the main line
of the St. Paul & Manitoba read, while by
way of Alexandria the distance is about ten
miles longer, and hence it is believed that the
Sauk Centre line will be adopted. The dis
lance from DFOWH 5 Ralley 10 Oauk CenCre is
89 miles, and to Alexandria II miles. The
portion of the line from Morris west will be
commenced at once, the grading of which to
Graceville and Lynn will be completed before
cold weather interferes with railro I'd construc-
ton. The whole line will be completed in
time for the movement of next years crop, and
the energy displayed by the new management
of the St. Paul & Manitoba railroad lines in
railroad building the past summer, is sufici-
ent guaranty for the assertion that when a
new line is determined upon, its construction
and equipment will follow as soon as skill
and muscle can accomplish the work. In this
connection, it may be remarked that since the
25th day of July last this company. has laid
down two hundred and twenty miles of iron,
including, with the new roads, the double
tracks and side tracks rendered necessary in
the management Of it's rapidly increasing bus
mess, and also the replacement of old iron by
! steel raile. The settlers in Pope, Stevens,
Big Stone and Traverse counties are to be con-
| graduated upon the certainty that they will
soon be brought with direct communication
| by rail with St.. Paul and the rest Of the
| world, while the people of the whole State
will be gratifed to learn that nearly han
| dred miles more Of railroad will next year ex.
ped7te the development of the fertile areas o.
l fho o,ofM M;pna,oko