Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1879-07-26
NORTHERN TRIBUNE.
SATURDAY. JULY 26, 1879.
} floial Paper ofthe County and Village
RAILROAD PROJECTS

According to the st. Paul Pioneer
Press, Chicago railroad interests are
figuring for new combination in which
Michigan is greatly interested. 1t is
well known that the railroad interests
of that city have in the past labOred to
prevent the construction of the Mar
quette and Mackinaw road. How well
they have succeeded is shown in the
fact that. the road, apparently, is no near
er being built to-day than when the pro-
ject was first agitated. What they have
done for Michigan they now propose to do
for Minnesota and the great northwest by
purchasing the Duluth road and by high
rates, compelling that section of the
country to pay tribute to Chicago by
forcing them to ship all their produce
by the roads leading through Chicago.
In reference to the matter the Pioneer
Press says:
What is now needed by all the great
Interests of Minnesota and Dakota, and
especially by the heavy manufacturing
and commercial interests of MinneapO-
lis and st. Paul, is that the gordian knot
shall be cut by at once inaugurating
movement to build North Atlantic rail-
road from these cities directly to the
Sault Ste. Marie and Mackinaw. Mime
sofa and these cities must have an indie
pendent northern line through to the
ocean: when that is accomplished all
Minnesota will be free, and her metrOpO-
lis, which is the exponent of her bust
ness, will no longer wear the letters of
ChicagO's commercial kings.
1t Is 400 miles to Sault Ste. Marie,
which can be easily bridged, and $50
thence to Montreal and ocean steamers.
One-third the line from Montreal to the
Sault is already built; there is land
grant line nearly across Michigan's up
per peninsula; the New st Paul, Mime
apOlis and Manitoba road needs Just such
a line in order to hold the Canada trade;
Canada needs just such line in order
to concentrate the Manitoba trade; Mich
igan wants the road, Wisconsin would
be glad to have it; Minnesota and Dakota
can't be free without it, and Minneapolis
and st. Paul can't keep house much
longer unless they build it. Is there not
vim enough in Canada, Michigan, Wis
cOnsin, Minnesota, Dakota, and Canada's
northwest provinces to organize and con-
vince England's capitalists that there is
merit in the line? The distance to be
built to reach Superior City, and the
money required to build there over the
proposed st. CrOiX line would build
road almost to the land grant road of
Michigan.
A meeting was to have been held at
st. Paul last Tuesday, and the Pioneer
Press urges that some prompt action be
taken to circumvent the railroad mOnOp-
oily of Chicago and open up through
route to the east, making the Marquette
and Mackinaw railroad a connecting
link. We believe that if the capitalists
of our state take an interest in the move
ment that it would insure the early con-
structiOn of this road in which our state,
and especially northern Michigan, is so
deeply interested. With this road con-
structed from Marquette to the Straits
and branch to the Sault, immigration
would pour into the upper peninsula
and occupy the vast quantity of farming
lands of the lower portion and make
what is now vast wilderness one of the
most productive regions of the State.
With the assurance of the completion of
the upper railroad, the two roads reach
ing for the Straits would be pushed for
ward at an early day opening up and
making accessible to market thousands
of acres of some of the best farming
lands in the State, and in few years
would make this upper portion of the
lower peninsula the equal of any other
portion of the State in the production of
grain. e3..