Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1884-02-29
JAMESTOWN AS A RAILROAD
CENTER.
THE NORTHERN PACIFIC Il. L.

ern Pacific railroad from Lake Sd
perior to the Pacific ocean, while
only accomplished few months
since, has already been followed by
advantages to jamestown that
would never have come from loca-
tion on a short or unimpol tant line
Of road. Railroads of the latter class
concentrate their intrests at a single
headquarters TO the exclusion of all
others, while on the contrary, a
great transcontinental road like the
Northern Pacific is compelled to
maintain at stated intervals along
its roadway all the paraphernalia OF
an independent road. With their
business headquarters at St. Paul.
and manufacturing headquarters at
Brainerd, the Northern Pacific to
day maintains at Jamestown Z.
plant more extensive than is requir.
red in the entire operation OF most
eastern railways Jamestown is
the official headquarters for the Da-
kota division, the Missouri division,
the Fargo and Southwestern divis-
ion, the Sanborn and Cooperstown
division, Of the Northern Pacific
railroad, thus making four hundred
and fifty miles Of main line and $50
miles OF branch lines Of this one
company tributary to our city. The
Office of the superintendent of track,
of bridges and Of buildings for the
entire main and branch lines is in
this city. the company has during
the past season erected an imposing
bodybuilding III this city for Off
cial headquarters and a large cler'
ical force is maintained in connec-
tion Herewith. The main shops,
and stock yards for the above d.
visions are also located at James
town and large force Of expert
mechanics employed. The exten.
sion during the present year of the
Jamestown 4 Northern. the Sykes.
ton branch and the Cooperstown
branch will bring all Northern
Dakota, including both the Devils
Lake and the Mouse river regions
into position where they must
necessarily contribute for all time
to come, largely of their resources
to Jamestown's prosperity. That
jamestown is reciorocating the
favors received from the hands Of
the Northern Pacific is best cvi-
denced by the fact that this COM
pany's receipts for passenger and
freight business at jamestown dur.
ing 1883 reached the enormous
total of $297. .345. 19-an amount
equal to the total income Of many
Of the short railroads Of the coun-
try.
THE JAMES RIVER VALLEY II. Il.
Next, if not equal, to the N. Z.
r. r. in Importance to Jamestown $
future development. comes the
James River Valley railroad, an out.
growth Of the public spirit and in.
domitable pluck Of a few Of on rown
citizens. This is, with the cxcep-
ton of a short road in the Black
Hills, the only railroad i'll the terri.
tory not owned Or controlled by one
Of the three or four great trunk
lines that have their eastern termi.
nj in Chicago or St. Paul. The
James River Valley K. Il. is under
construction south from jamestown
along the banks of the James river
and in it's first one hundred miles
will make connections with the
Chicago & Northwestern. and the
Chicago Milwaukee 4 st. Paul roads
already built. and before the close
Of the present year with the Rock
Island and the Wabash systems as
they advance on towards James
town. Independent Of either, but
connecting with all. and connecting
all with the great Northern Pacific,
the James River Valley railroad will
secure to jamestown the enormous
business that will be interchanged
between these great trunk roads.
The James River Valley railroad
has its headquarters in jamestown,
and will erect all it's shops here, Civ
ing employment 10 idiSG uttiiott ,
Of men at an early date. The work
Of construction will be pushed in
the spring and the iron Immediately
laid on sixty miles already graded.
OTHER RAILROADS.
The Dakota l. Minnesota 4. Il.
Co., recently Incorporated, with
headquarters at Jamestown, has
given no public statement Of its
purposes, but from its published arti-
cles of incorporation, and from other
sources the information is CLEANED
that this road will give jamestown
a direct and independent connection
with st. Paul and Minneapolis. 1t
is understood that n preliminary line
has proven that road can be built
that will shorten the distance to
these cities nearly or quite seventy
miles, and with minimum grade
and cost. From Minneapolis the
Sault st. Marie road will form a di.
rect line through Canada and give
aIlou o,l N.b ollr indapaoaonf