Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-04-15
Chicago and Northwestern
lkaifrOad. ..

There is possibly no link in the great
railway chain. stretching across the
American Continent. from the Atlantic
coast to the Pacific slope. that forms 50
material a part of that great continental
railroad and is of such Importance as
the Chicago and Northwestern Rail-
road, running from the metropolis, Chi
eago, to the Missouri River at Omaha.
In its construction from Chicago west
ward it was the first to connect with the
Union Pacific, virtually making that
road practicable. and well deserves the
title it won of the "Old Pioneer" 1t had
hard work as it forced it's way over the
then unsettled but fertile prairies of the
States of Illinois and Iowa, but being
the shorter or inside route and actually
having less gradients or curvatives than
its rivals to Council Bluffs, its records
show achievements in speed, safety. reg
ularity and reliability unsurpassed, if
equalled, by any competing line
Its improvements in the last two or
three years have been simply remarka-
BILE. and the changes the most wonderful
ever wrought in the East or West. II its
roadway. rails and general equipmsnt.
It In now strictly first class, the model
railroad. gravel ballasted. with steel
rails, stone culverts, iron bridges, white
oak ties. superior engines. airy and ele-
CANT coaches, supplied with the Miller
couplings and Westinghouse steam
brakes and attachments. in the shape of
what have been called "marve.' of splen-
dor" the Pullman palace hotel cars, in
which the traveller eats and sleeps in the
most luxurious apartments, with all the
comforts and convenienees of a well
stocked home. The matchless tracks
and the scientific outfit of this road are
triumphs of art in railway construction.
But in addition to its excellency of con-
struction. itenjoys the signal advantages
of natural location and management
that, from the highest official to the
most subordinate employee, most sedu-
lously cares for the convenience and sat
isfaction of It's patrons. During tine
past year it was without a terminal de-
tention, and such is the increase of its
freight and travel that double track
is necessitated. The development Of the
road is marvelOus-irOn rails in 1855,
steel rails in 1875, and steel rails and a
double track i'm 1870.
The Chicago and Northwestern Rail-
road operates nearly 1900 miles of road
(the exact figures being 2,l5s) and reach
es nearly every important point in
Northern Illinois, Wisconsin,. Northern
Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, running into
Dakota. 1t transports millions of pas
sengers annually. and its freight ear
riage is simply enormous. From Chiea-
go, westward, You can trace its Califor-
mia line, until you touch the Missouri
river at Council Bluffs, opposite Omaha,
a single run. of nearly 500 miles. North
westward, through Madison, the capital
of Wisconsin, and through the pine
woods of that State into Minnesota, 400
miles more. Again, looking from Chi
cago, you can trace line through Spar
ia, Wisconsin, La Crosse in the same
State, Winona, Owatonna and New Ulm.
in Minnesota, and northwestward far
into Dakota, 825 miles more of road.
Again, coming to Chicago, we see two
lines running nOrthwardly-One along
the lake shore to Milwaukee and thence
to Fond du Lac, and the other running
more inland through Janesville. Water
town, etc, also to Fond du Lac, thence
north through Oshkosh. De Pere, Green
Bay and Escanaba to Negaunee, Ish-
peming and Marquette another 440
miles of road. Then we have u line
from Chicago to Elgin, Rockford and
Freeport; another from Clinton, Ia, to
Anamosa, In the same State; another
from Kenosha, on Lake Michigan. to
Rockford, in Northern Illinois.
Passengers to or from California, Col
orado, Utah, Nebraska, the Black Hills,
Minnesota, Manitoba, the East, West,
North or South, should see that they are
furnished tickets by this great line. No
other road has Pullman or any other
form OF hotel car.
Considering the vast area of territory
tracked by this road, the number of
trains daily running. the freight and
passenger business 10 transacts, Its main
lines and ramlhcations, Its equipment
Its celebrated hotel cars, and In short, the
character of It's entire outfit. the Chicago
and Northwestern Railroad elhinently
deserves the title OF one OF our grandest
trunk lInes.- Daily Graphic, New York,
May sist, 1879.