Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-12-31

vision and branches, 166; Sioux City di.
vision and branches 31s; Nebraska d.
vision and branches, ls9. To this will be
added the coming spring about 100 miles
which is partly constructed at this time,
and another 100 miles will be added
during the year.
The construction work of this year has
has been mostly in the Northern divi-
sion, the main line of which has been
extended thirty miles beyond Cable,
bringing the track within eighteen miles
of Lake Superior and about thirty
miles from Bayfield,, the terminus
of the road. A cross line is being built
from Superior City by way Of veazie, on
the Northern division, to Chippewa
Falls. From Superior City towards Yea
zie, the line has been graded this year for
Is miles. From Veazie towards Superior
City Is miles of track laid. From Chip
pewa Falls towards Veazie, the line is
partly graded for Al miles and Is miles Of
| track has been laid.
In the Nebraska division the grading
and bridging of the Norfolk branch, so
miles has been finished and rs miles of
track was laid this year. The line from
Covington Opposite Sioux City to Omaha
is being improved and shortened by work
which will probably be completed early
next summer.
The MERRIAM and Blue Earth branches,
built in 1880, were fully opened to traffic
early this year and have been important
feeders of the road. The latter connects
at Elmore on the Iowa line with north
ward branch from the Chicago & North
western company's system of Iowa roads.
The latter has a gap Of about Is miles to
alter from a narrow gauge, when the two
branches will be operated together, form
ing a good line between st. Paul and Des
Moines. In preparation joint station is
being made at Elmore, where grading,
track laying and the building Of station
houses will be continued through the
winter.
BETTERMENTs
Twenty miles of iron track having
been replaced with steel during this year
the main line from Elroy to st. Paul and
ST. Paul to Sioux City Is now all laid with
steel rails. A round house with 20 stalls,
water tank and coal sheds, holding
5000 tons, have been built at Eau
Claire and five miles of side and spur
tracks have been laid there. The old
drawbridge over the channel of the st.
Croix at Hudson has been replaced with
an iron draw, and all the wood work Of
the bridge is to be replaced with iron dur
ing 1882. The line through Hudson has
been changed so as to shorten the dis
lance one and quarter miles and to avoid
the remarkable curves of the old line. A
brick building has been put up for the
passenger depot at Hudson.
The company has met its great increase
of traffic by adding to its rolling stock
this year 20 locomotives, 10 passenger
cars, baggage cars and $50 freight cars.
Its contracts for 1882 include 25 locomo.
tives and ], 400 freight cars. Its present
equipment includes 140 locomotives, 900
freight cars, and los passenger cars.
INCREASE OF TRAFFIC.
The traffic of this line for 1881 has
been about As per cent. greater
than 1880. Prominent in the increase
has been the Lumber Line business which
has amounted this year to about $50, 000,-
900 feet, most of which was transported
the full length of the company's road
west of the St. Croix. The return freights
Notwithstanding the par tial failure OF
farm crops and tn great delay in NOV
ing crops occasion ed by the heavy fall
rains, have also been largely increased
over the previous year. The gross earn
ings of the road in round numbers may
DO estimated for 1881 at $3,750,00O,
against s2,75o,OOo in 1880. The average
operated mileage of 1880 was abont $40
and of 1881 about 1850 miles.
At the east st. Paul station the freight
house and round house have been COM
pleted this year. The former is 25x40
feet and the latter has AZ engine stalls.
At the new shop grounds above the rail-
road bridge over the Mississippi the round
house, machine shop aud boiler and
blacksmith shop are now nearly complet-
ed and the workmen are to be immediate
ly brought from Shakopee to occupy the
shops. A detailed account of theseSim-
portant improvements will be found in
another column of to-day's GLOBE. The
grading Of the company's freight yards
below Broadway is about finished and a
new freight house 30x500 feet has been
added this year. The general office build
ing of the company, at the corner Of
Fourth and Rosabel streets, was complet-
ed last May and is now fully occupied.
Chicago, Mtlsvauhee 6 St. PasI.
The construction operations of this
company during the year 1881, which are
most interesting to st. Paul and Mime