Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-07-18
A NEW RAILROAD.

A Madison dispatch to the Milwaukee
Sentinel of Tuesday, contains the follow
ing items of interest concerning the reor-
ganization of the old Air Line Railroad
through this county:
Gen. w. A. Rosecrans, of Washington,
d. c., was 10 the city until noon to-day,
and was escorted throughout the city by
Coy. Rusk, who was accompanied by d
number of the old soldiers, who tlocked
around Gen. Rosecrans from all parts of
the capitol and the city. The General
looked we'll, and seemed to be enjoying
excellent health He was accompanied by
W. r Chadsey, a capitalist of New York
City, the two gentlemen arriving in the
city from Portage this morning, where
thay had been to see A. J. Turner in re-
gard to the Chicago, st. Paul u Northern
Pacific Railroad Company, whose articles
of association were filed with the Secreta-
ry of State about six weeks since. The
contemplated line of the company, as has
heretofore been stated in the Sentinel, will
run from Geneva, in the Southeastern cor
ner of WaIworth County, in a northwest
erly direction through the counties of Wal
worth, Jefferson, the northeast corner OF
Dane, through Columbia, Adams, Juneau,
Jackson, Clark, Chippewa, Barron, Bur-
nett, and Douglass, with n branch run
ming through from Geneva to Milwaukee,
through the counties of Kenosha, Racine,
Waukesha to Milwaukee, and another
from Necedah in Juneau county 10 Il
point on the St. CroiX river near Clifton
Mills. The main line from Geneva, on
the State line to Superior City, will touch
Geneva, Elkhorn, Whitewater, Jefferson,
Lake Mills Portage, Necedah, Neilsville,
and Flambeau. The Company organizes
with a capital stock of 100000,
and retains the option of increasing the
amount at any time. Mr., Chadsey gives
an interesting history of the line, which
was projected in 1858, by the Wisconsin
Central Railroad Co., and graded by this
company from point on the State line
to Jefferson, distance Of AL miles, at
an expense of 100000, when the
bondholders foreclosed, which occurred
in 1868 These bondholders Immediately
organized at the Chicago q Lake Super
Tor Company, and in 1867 received a
was to hold for ten years. but which was
revoked eighteen months atterTard, The
Chicago & Northern Pacific Air line was
formed in 1872 from the old company. In
1878 the celebrated Air Line Grant was
given to the Company and the grant was
was renewed in 1876 to May 1882. Be
tween 1876 and 1880 man named SEQ
field, of New York City. took the con-
tract for grading the Air Line Road
through the grant. In the meantime the
Omaha Company had quietly gotten the
stock of the Air Line transferred to it,
through a questionable transaction of the
lawyers of the Air Line and one of its
trustees who held the stock in trust, and
the Omaha Company came to the Legis-
lature in 1882, secured the revocation of
the grant to the Air Line, and had it
transferred to it.
The new compaDy's line will be 412
miles in length, and in the northwestern
part of the State it will probably run
nearly parallel with the Omaha road.
The President, Gen. Rosecraus, and the
dirsctors arc to meet in Chicago next
Wednesday evening, for the purpose of
laying plans for future operations. The
first work which will be accomplished
will, it. is understood, be to iron the old
grade of Az miles, between Jefferson
and Geneva. Mr. Chadsey says that he
expects to see one half of the line to Su-
pariOr completed in less than three years
The work upon the line will be begun
at EIkhorn, and the track layers will OPP
crate both ways from the point. Both
Gen. Rosecrans and Mr.. Chsdsey, who
have just been taking a carriage drive
over the survey from Geneva and Portage,
are enthusiastic in their praise of the
country, and express the firm belief that
the road will open up grand section.