Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-04-14
FROM THE FRONTIER.

WATERTowN, d. T., March 31.-This
is the terminus of one of the great arms
of the Northwestern railroad company.
A year ago on these broad prairie fields,
where nature has been most lavish, there
was hardly white settler, and its virgin
soil untouched by the civilizing hand of
the husbandman, now busy, thrifting,
enterprising, energetic class of business
and professional men are laying the
foundation for prosperous and perma-
nent town, while the adjacent country
tributary is being settled by class of
men who have come here to make homes
for themselves and families. A large
corps of engineers are now IN the terri
tory locating new routes and laying iron.
One of the most feasible routes is a line
from Volga to Watertown. The deepest
cut is tride less than three feet in dis
tance of forty-two miles, so free from
grade of every description, that it is cal
culated one engine will haul easily sixty
cars The branch west from here will
stretch away across these fertile prairies
to the famous jim River valley, and
thence northwest probably to the Yellow
stone. The Tracy branch that is to be
the trunk line to the Black Hills is to be
pushed forward rapidly and will be COM
pleted to the Missouri river early in the
summer. Probably the most popular
line, and one that will develop the best
tract of country, is the branch or river
road, running north from some point on
their trunk line up the valley to Belch-
er's Fore, Sphinx county, then to Maple
River, Columbia, in Brown county, and
ultimately to the Manitoba region. This
feeder will be built the coming season,
and the tide of immigration that has but
Just commenced will soon be followed
until, where are now hundreds will be
thousands of industrious men and women
with nerve and intelligence, such as only
come to pioneer and make homes in
new country.
Already towns are springing into exis-
tence that have followed in the wake OF
the iron horse that reflect credit and COM
pare most favorably with the older and
more settled cities of the East.
One year ago the President issued an
executive order for the removal Of the
land office from Springfield to this place,
and the hope and destinies for the future
growth of the town since then has gone
up and down as rumors from Washington
have been received. City lots have had
much of their value based upon this fact
of removal alone, and prices have risen
and fallen by this political land office
barometer, and when the official order
was received here last night announcing
the removal, everybody was happy and
jubilant, even to "honest John Kemp"
A stock company for the purpose of
building city, improving and making
navigable the Jim River, have obtained
charter from the territorial legislature.
The incorporators are gentlemen of pro-
minence in railroad and other circles.
Among the most prominent are M. r.
Baldwin and J. r. James, of Minneapo-
lis, and Mr.. VIM. Townsend, a capitalist
of Michigan. Mr.. John d. Larvin, of
Flint, Michigan, will be superintendent
of the work The party left this morn
ing for Columbia, Brown county, where
they have located with Sioux half breed
scrip eight hundred and sixty acres of
scrip at cost of $4,000. At this place
they have mill dam, and propose to
erect Touring mill the coming season.
There is no better water power probably
on the river, unless it be at Belcher Ford
forty miles below. The company have
been building at jamestown vessel
eighty feet long, with five feet hold.
Hotels are crowded. When the cot
beds are full-the guests are obliged to
sleep on the floor in the Office OF roll up
in a blanket on the prairie under the
canopy of heaven. The fast mail and
the stage line to Belcher's Ford and
Ashton are crowded with land seekers,
and each succeeding day the exciting
scene is repeated.
Chief En- gineer Blunt has just return
ed from the Missouri river where he has
been to locate a railroad bridge ON the
line of the proposed Northwestern exten-
sion.- Correspondent MilUaukee Senti-
neI