Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-09-14
The st. Paul Eastern Grand Trunh.

Important railroad DrO1ecC. BOtn as men-
Der of congress for three years and lieu
tenant governor of Wisconsin, Mr.. Pound
has gained a position and prominence
which gives character to any enterprise in
which he may engage, and it gives the
GLOBE pleasure to know that he is actively
engaged IN securing line of railway from
st. Paul to Lake Michigan, by a route
which will open vast lumber and mineral
region and place it directly at cur doors.
Gov. Pound was met yesterday and asked
in reference to the project. He spoke
very hopefully of the enterprise and en-
larged upon the Importance such a road
would be to st. Paul. The object of his
visit he said was to impress the fact upon
our people. In response to request to
give some details of the road, of what has
been done and is to be done, as we'll as the
country it is to traverse, he outlined the fol-
| lowing
''The line begins at the city of Oconto,
Wis, point on Green Bay, almost due
east from st. Paul. Working in wsster-
| ly direction, we have com pleted and in OPP
Grafton ten miles, to point connecting
with the Milwaukee & Northern railway at
| Styles. We have now let and are con-
structing twenty miles of road in the direc-
| ton of Shawano, to point beyond Ocon-
to county"
"The route of the st. Paul and Eastern
Grand Trunk, to be brief, is from Oconto
to Shawano, on the Wolf river, thence to
Wausau on the Wisconsin river, thence to
| st. Paul, the exact location from Wausau
to st. Paul not being decided as yet.
| From Oconto branch road will extend
down Green Bay to Marinette and Menomi-
nee via Phestigo. This route, it will
be seen by any person at
all familiar with the country
will make tributary to st. Paul, Minneap-
oils and the Northwest the grandest and
most productive lumber district in the
country. To illustrate, at Marinetts and
Menominee this season they will manu-
facture 450,000,000 feet; at Peshtigo,
1OO,0O0,O0O; at Osonto, 1OOO0O,OO0; at
Shawano the production of the Wolf river
pineries will be tapped; at Wausau,
15O,OOO,O0O; at Merrill, 100000
600; Chippewa river, Menomonie,
etc., pineries 5OO,O00,OOO. In fact, over
billion and half feet of lumber will be
tributary yearly to this new railway.
Then there are magnificent forests of the
best hard woods now being utilized, and
the best agricultural district, all things
considered in Wisconsin. These things I
mention to indicate somewhat the amount
of local traffic which will tsnd in the di-
rection of st. Paul.
"But few persons outside the localities
name seem to appreciate how rapidly
development there is going on. Mari
nette and Menominee now have $4,000 in
habitants; Peshtigo, $500; Oconto, 5000;
Shawano, $500; Wausau, 10000; Chippewa
Falls, 10000; Eau Claire 10000, and Me-
nomonie, 5000; and the intermediate
country is developing wonderfully. Then
there is another thing ofgreat Importance:
By the construction of the line, st. Paul
is brought in close connection with the in
exhaustible iron mines of northeastern
Wisconsin and the peninsula of Michigan,
and just recently fine deposit of the best
Bessemar ore has been discovered in
Shawano county, Wis, close to the line of
the road. Indeed, it is the opinion of
many of the best informed railroad men
in the country that the local business on
the line of the st. Paul Eastern Grand
Trunk alone will warrant its construc-
ton.
sThe distance from st. Paul to Oconto is
only 800 miles, and the great advantages
of the route as trunk line between st.
Paul and the seabord is shown in the fact
that ii saves 100 miles of railway in reach
ing the lake system; and touching the
lake $50 miles down the lake from
Chicago makes $50 miles saving to the
seaboard by rail and water combined.
Crossing the lake and connecting with the
Flint & Pere Marquette road and other
lines through or across the state of Michi
gan, there is very great saving of dis
tance from st. Paul and Minneapolis to
New York, Boston and other points.
Making connection with the
Sault Ste. Marie, which is soon to be
built, we have the very shortest and most
favorable all rail route to the Montreal
and the seaboard; with saving of no less
| than 400 miles to Montreal, and $50 to
Portland and Boston, and splendid and
new competing route to New York. From
| Ooonto or Marinette we have fine route
to the Sault Ste. Marie. Another point of
advantage is in the fact that by the COM
pletion Of the st. Paul & Eastern Grand
Trunk, st. Paul and Minneapolis-an in
deed the Northwest-will be afforded
| additional southern and southeastern
outlets by the fact of the line crossing
five roads that run to Milwaukee and
Chicago, namely: The Chicago, Milwau-
kee & st. Paul, the Northwestern, Wiscon-
sin Central, Milwaukee, Lake Shore &
Western, and the Milwaukee & Northern
"The grand purpose is to make this the
trunk line between st. Paul and Mime
apols and the lake, leaving competing
| lines to exchange business at the various
crossings of the st. Paul Eastern Grand
Trunk and at Its terminus"
''Has your attention been called to the
talk of a route from Minneapolis direct to
Sault Ste Marie?"
81 have noted it; and in my opinion
there would be grave difficulties in con-
structing line east of Florence, Wis,
where physical obstacles can hardly be
overcome. And so I included the same
interests will be served by and will utilize
QUE line; at least the eastern portion of it.
With reference to the progress of work
I may say that we expect to be able to
push the line rapidly from Shawano to ST..
Paul and to complete it within two years
at the fartherest, and possibly within one
year, What we want to do is to give st.
Paul and Minneapolis another opportnn-
ity to display their powers at demonstra-
ton by affording just as much cause for
publication at the completion of a short
| limo In tho Atlanta "a thew racantIv had