The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1879-08-30
It. Croix Valley Railroad.
-soUND AND SENSIBLE TALK.

President Washburn OF the Min
.neapolis & St Louis railroad com
.pany, publishes the following con-
corning his views on building a
railroad 10 the ST. Croix valley
"While, as a rule, | would not
feel called upon to notice the crit
cisms Of an Anonymous correspond
ent, yet i'll this case I feel like do
ing so, since questions are raised in
which the public are interested, and
concerning which [ have no hesita-
tion in making clear my position in
case there be any doubt about it,
which | did not suppose possible,
and assuming it sufficiently import
ant TO interest TIE public to reason
able extent. / had certainly suppos-
eel my views with reference to the
construction Of an independent line
Of railway from the cities of St.
Paul and Minneapolis TO the uaviga-
bile waters of Lake Superior, since
the capture of the St Paul e Duluth
road by parties interested in lines
of railway having their objective
points at Chicago and Milwaukee,
were vel understood. | endeavor-
cd to mako myself entirely clear
ut the convention recently held III
st. Paul to consider this question,
and | have taken every proper oc-
casion since, both in public and
private, TO emphasize he opinions
to which | then gave expression.
But least any one, even the bold
and manly writer OF al anonymous
communication, stall have any
doubts about my position or that OF
the railroad corporation with which
1 am connected, | desire to say
that | am in favor, and have been
since the capture of the St. +. d d.
road, OF building the shortest and
most direct line of road, and with
the lowest attainable grades TO the
most practicable point, all things
being considered, on Lake Superior,
and al The earliest possible moment
The line should at; ri equal tac,li-
ties In all respects 10 the cities oil
ST Paul and Minneapolis, maki (
them both substantially terminal
points. The 81 Paul, Saltwater e
Iayiors Falls railroad company have
also had III contemplation for somr
thing more than a year, the eXlen-
sIon Of lta hue tcom it's present ter
minus at White Bear Lake TO
1aylurs Fans, and with that view
sad j line carefully surveyed and
located several mouths Stree. W hat
has hitherto seemed desirable for
this company to do, now, III the
light Of the change Of ownership Of
tie Duluth road becomcs-or the
building Of some road IN that gen
trRl direction actual nccrssl Y.
And In view OF carrying out the
&, utral idea OF building the indie
pendent Inc To Lake Superior it
has occurred 10 me that the two
lines starting resprctlre from ST.
Paal aul Minneapolis, Shou!'. ex
tend their lines 10 some common
point OF junction, say Marine Mills
or Tayiors Fails, there JOIN hands
and push on together TO some point
on Lake Superior. Under this plan
Tire II. Paul, Minneapolis IL Mani
toba Railroad Co. would naturally
become party to the enterprise,
finding It's connections With the
lake line at either or both cities.
With this general idea | had no.
supposed our company was dong
anything improper or out of place
IN assuming It's share OF the prellm-
mary work OF reaching the lake by
pushing its line forward TO a point
OF junction at TayIors Falls. 1t
seemed TO me much better to do
this than to spend the next year OF
two IL lamenting over our mlsior-
tunes and in iretting away time IN
the expectation. that some one else
would step in to do what in the ma
turs OF the case we must ultimately
do ourselves. We all recognize
the fact that the independent line
10 the lake should be built at the
earliest practicable moment. 10
do it, no intelli gent man can fail to
see that II is necessary to have the
hearty and earnest cooperation Of
the citizens Of both cities, is well
as of all the three railroad lines
the st. Paul Is Sioux City, the st.
Paul, Minneapolis Is Manitoba,
Minneapolis IL St. Luois-who
have a special interest III
reaching the markets Of the world
with ;i.eir traffic by the way OF the
great lakes. This done, the same
interest should turn their attention
aud bend their energies TO the open
ing Of an all-rail water route by the
way of the Sault Ste. Marie to tide
water at Montreal or Portland. Our
cities Will then be entrenched IN a
position absolutely lmpregnable,
and from which they cannot be
driven. Goods can then be laid
down and sold substantially as
cheaply in St. Paul or Minneapol lis
as In Chicago and these two cities
will become a distributing center.
not only for our own State, but tor
an empire. To promote an enter
prise so important and, TO my mind,
upon which hangs the problem Of
the future of both our cities and
State. the Minneapolis & ST. Louis
railway com pany, It's presld ent, and.
| th ink | m ay safely say, the cltl