Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-07-11
A WORD TO

sNuIiuk tAO Veot Ola VI coVou WOoSoe AL
of southeastern Dakota has been in a fer
ment of excitement over railroad possibili.
ties. the movements Of various parties 10
the employ of the Chicago, Milwaukee q
st. Paul company servisg to'keepa alive just
that condition of. the public! mind which
best suits the purposes of the company.
There is hardly u point within the newly
settled area Of this region which has not at
one time OF another expected to become q
station OF e terminus on the projected road,
and nov after six or seven months Of spec
ulation the result is just as much an open
question as ever. Yankton. with the rest
has had it's hopes and aspirations and ,s
still holding on with the same tenacious
grip which characterized it's earlier expec-
tations This is all right enough so far as
it goes. but we are decidedly of the opinion
that Yankton should do better by itself
than sit ip passive hope that the mountain
will come to it. Mountains do not moye
without q hand at The lever aud now while
we have room to fix our, fulcrum is the
time to exert ourselves. BY and BY COM
binations may place in our way conditions
which we cannot overcome. What we
want is another eastern outlet. This we
had hoped to secure through the extension
Of the Milwaukee road, and that hope has
not yet left US. But for fear 1t may fall
short Of the object aimed at, 1t is q duty to
ourselves to move In our own behalf and to
move independently Of the proposed exten.
sion which has so long been q subject of
agitation.
The Worthington railroad company is
now running = line from Luverne down the
valley Of the Rock in the direction Of Be.
lott. A prominent resident of the latter
place says that sufficient Iowa aid. can be
extended to bring this line to the Big Sioux
at Beloit. Then, BY reviving the company
organized last winter and securing the right
Of way from Yankton to Beloit, We will have
taken the first great step towards closing
the gap and securing the coveted connection.
The construction of this line would give us
q connection with the Milwaukee road just
beyond the Big Sioux and would open up d
US the markets of Minneapolis, St. Paul and
Duluth, via the St. Paul and Sioux CITY
road. This We look upon as far more desir
able than merely q connection with Milwau
kee, which is all that would come to III
should We secure the Milwaukee road. Til,
portion of Dakota through which this roai
would pass is classed with. the best agricul
tural lands Of the west and would yield al
immediate profitable local trade to the line
Beyond Yankton, over in Nebraska, is a re
gion already teeming with wealth which
would become the field fol- the WESTWARD
extension of the line from this point.
In connection with the contamination o
this scheme the extension Of the Dakot.
Southern road up the valley of the jim
should be seriously considered. This woul,
give Us another connection with the Mil
waukee road, would open to rs 1; pr,oduc4iv
region and would r~eutralize any disastrou
results which might come to us through id
verse movements on the part of the Milwau
kee road. ~ ~
We urge this matter upon the people {
Yankton with the hope that they will cea,
to rely upon uncertainties and take hold
sure thing. We cannot afford to-1stan
idly by and permit others to shape our Fl
ture. If the Milwaukee company fnall
conforms to u desires, no harm can CON
to us through the COMMUNICATION of SON
such scheme - We have suggested. If
does not then we will have saved. eursslv,
and will be I'M position to congrato,s'
ourselves over the fact that We were n,
ruined through . misplaced confidence.