The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-08-07

There is another stir in marrow gauge"
railroad extension to the south, to connect
with the Grand Trunk. When IL IL under
stood that the latter road runs within mile
of the southeast corner of Porter township,
SO that an. extension of only about nine
miles from Lawton will reach it, il seems
strange that the work is not accomplished.
The Grand Trunk is a competing line with
the Michigan Central, and in no apparent
way can the villages along the line OF the
narrow gauge secure the advantages of this
competition of rates SO we'll AZ by simply
pushing forward this connection.
Mr.. Q. ID. Lawton with party of men will
survey through Porter 10 the Grand Trunk
to ascertain the most feasible route.
The survey will be made on lines running
both south and north of Bankson's lake, and
will be begun the present week.
The people of Three Rivers are anxious to
meet IT, SO that if the road goes to the Grand
Trunk ii will aiso undoubtedly, extend on to
Three Rivers. Then by pushing out the
north end SO as to reach South Haven, we
should have this county nicely connected
by road extending from the extreme north
west corner to the extreme southwest COR
ner, diagonally across it, rendering all parts
accessible with each other and with the
county seat, and at the same time giving
competition of freights, by railroad and by
lake.
! zoe in your paper of last week some COM
ments about additional manufacturing in
Paw Paw. If Paw Paw wants to succeed in
manufacturing, she must secure competition
of freights, for it is well understood, the sue
cess or failure of manufacturing nowadays,
turns upon this matter of transportation.
Extend the narrow gauge and the census report
at the end of the next decade will not show the
Notifying result of falling off in popula-
ton.
Ii the railroad company and the people
will unite in the matter and all put their
shoulders to the wheel. the matter can be
accomplished. "a contamination most de-
voutly to be wished"
An illustration of the advantages of rail-
road competition is found i'll the recent ac-
ton of the Marquette Houghton & Ontona
gon railroad company which, until now, has
had The monopoly of the carrying of ore
from the iron mines to Marquette.
The Detroit, Marquette & Mackinac COM
pny having completed its line from the
straits to Marquette, have extended the lat
ter 10 Ishpeming, TO reach the important
iron mines, and compete for the ore carrying
business. The important result 10 the min
ing companies is a reduction of ore freights
OF Twenty-Five rents OB = tOH. Heretofore the
Nj. IL. d o. Co. charged s{rty.fge cents per
ton, but on the completion of the new COM
peting road, the company has reduced its
charges to forty cents. This reduction of
freghts alone represents a fair profit to the
mining companies on their ores. As for in
stance, the Lake Superior Iron Mining Co.,
which mines had shipped annually about
100000 tons of ore, thus save in its annual
freight cost the net sum of SO 600 The
distance is but thirteen miles.
Another item illustrating the advantage of
competition, is the fact that in buying a
ticket from Marquette TO kalamazoo, the cost
is think, Sl4.S5, bat from Marquette to
Lawton they wanted S1S.G5, or nearly 81 for
a ride from Kalamazoo to Lawton.
Clearly, Van Buren, county needs q little
railroad competition, such as can very read
lily be secured by the extension of the T. d
s. II. line. Since the completion of the De-
troit, Marquette IL Mackinac road, Marquette
has grown wonderfully, and the value of
property has doubled, and business of the
city also has greatly augmented.
Give Paw Paw the railroad facilities, and
by proper enterprise on the part of her
citizens, her growth should be as rapid as
any town III southwestern Michigan. Push
forward the narrow gauge.