Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-10-07
A Galena Editor on Our Narrow
Gauge. lancaster and Co. Fair.
From the Galena Industrial Press.


Lancaster, Wis, Sept. 49, 1880.
Stepping into the passenger coach
Of G. q n. w. r. at Galena. this
morning, l found it ona of the neat.
est and most comfortable lmagina.
bic. II is q little narrower than
broad gauge, but the rowing is
so distributed, say six inches in the
passage way and six inches in each
seat that it is hardly noticed, unless
two extra fat contributors occupy
the same seat at once, when the
squeeze appears slightly on the out
er edges. Two persons Of ordinary
sizs find ample room in one of them,
and "lovyers are apt to wish it
trifie narrower. The track of the
old G. d w. is now in prime order,
we'll balasted and runs like q top.
1t 4 just now delightful route on
account Of tha autumnal ;ints that
.hicken AMI deepen along the way.
Between BowdeB's Furnace and
Suttle's Mills the road runs near
bluff on which large masses of Amer
lean Ivy hang ia crimson festoons
from tie reeo, which, as if to vie
with these and ,ho Samachs, puts on
all the ,ints from lemon yellow to
crimson. Afterwards only occasion
al splashes Of color here and there
were noticeable until we reached the
high timber ridges near this village,
where some of the finest effects OF
color were seen. On these hard clay
ey soils growth ceases and ripening
"ets in lots earlier in the season
hence the extra brightness Of the
tints matured before the advent of
frost, which mars the perfection col
or. | picked up some Maple leaves
in Lane ster to-day, of most brilliant
color, yet PUPPY, fresh and full like
newiy ripened frnit, had these been
touched by frost they would have
baen fAbby and wilted.
The road ever which | came to.
day is DOT an air line; on the con.
trary it curves and Winds, first with
the sinuosities OF the vallies until,
reaching higher ground il follows as
closely the crookvdnesses of the
ridges. This makes longer line,
but railroad men seem to think the
longer the route the better, so that
every mile is made to pay. This we
feel sure this line will do, as it has
for it's tributaries some Of the rich.
est lands in the country and thus as
a feeder to its main lines there will
be no question as to whether it will
pay. The trade has but just begun
to dos eIope itself and yet as the ex-
tended trains wind along the sharp
curves they look back al themselves
and forward to themselves, and see
their goodly proportions with much
apparent satisfaction.
We notice that many conveniences
of the road are yet lacking on some
parts of the read. Thus far the
track and telegraph lines have re.
CURED chief attention, now they are
turning their attention to depot
buildings and to side tracks tor use
wherever needed. The Platteville
junction is q bungIe which the pres
ens Company has not yet attempted
to improve, and probably will not
until they change it altogether.
Running disconnected, as at present
time, il is of little moment so drop
ping part of the loads to run IN and
back out, is well enough; but should
the time come, as it probably will,
when the Madison and Montfort
broad gauge extension being COM
plated the plan OF making it broad
gauge through line TO Galena is
adopted, tSen the necessity OF ma
king time will appear and such q
llndrance must be got rid Of. That
could be done by going out to the
Northeast Of Platteville 10 such q
manner as to bring it into the main
line as st first int nded and as ought
to have been done. Above Mont
fort it will still matter little "a to
making time, and the present ar
rangement is less liable to objection.
| The Madison continuation leaves
the present line little less than Q
mile South of Montfort, and thence
! follows the old military road, very
nearly, finding convenient direct.
ness and unusual uniformity Of
grade. The road is very nearly
graded and as Mr.. Williams informs
us, track laying has already begun
at the Madison end Of the route
I Just IS soon as necessary rolling