St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-02
General Belief That the Grand Trunk Will
Extend Its Midland Branch to
the Straits.
Oredence Given to the Report Of the New
Deal Between the Union Pacific
and st. Paul.
Report Current That Work on the
Winona, Alma d. Northern VIII
be Resumed.
A Northern Pacific Appointment and
Its Land Sales for the Month
of July.
ALine from ocean to Ocean.

The announcement made yesterday morn
ing, that the Grand Trunk Railway COM
pany intended extending its Midland branch
to the straits of Sault Ste Marie, to those
railway men who would be interested in
such a scheme, was regarded as the newt
able The extension has long been pro-
jected by the Grand Trunk, and now it is
generally believed it will build within the
next year or two. The Midland branch of
the Grand Trunk at present extends from
Prescott to point ten miles beyond Mid
land, on Lake Simcoe, III Ontario, and IL
such an extension was made there would be
junction formed with the Canadian Pacific
at point directly north of the northwest
eTn corner of Great Mountain island in the
Georgian bay. From there the line would
run in an almost westerly direction to the
800" Here connection would be made
with the Detroit, Mackinaw 81 Marquette,
which line is completed from Ste. Marie to
Humboldt. The uncompleted part from
Humboldt to Ashland leaves gap of about
125 miles, which, with the distance from
Midland to the $500" would make about
325 miles of line to build before through
unbroken line could be had.
When the Grand Trunk projected such
line it did not really have any use for it, as
it had no other competition to the West, but
now that the Canadian Pacific is completed
around the north shore of Lake Superior
the Grand Trunk must make some move or
its shipments to and from the Northwest
will
CUT a SMALL FIGURE
in its total traffic. Since the Canadian
Pacific was completed the earnings of the
Grand Trunk system have decreased over
25 per cent, and it now notices the fact that
it must do something to redeem
itself and that quickly. By the
extension of its Midland line
it would have monopoly which
no other line could effect. The Grand
Trunk, for some time past, has been using
the st. Paul s. Duluth line as part of its
through route to Winnipeg from the East,
when shipments were made by water, and
in return the st. Paul d Duluth has given
the Grand Trunk the bulk of its flour and
grain traffic for shipment by what is yirtu-
ally its boat line from Duluth to Sarnia.
But should the proposed extension be made
by the Grand Trunk road most of the grain
shipments would be made by rail, which
would lessen the distance to the seaboard
about 400 miles or more from the North
west.
This would enable the Northern Pacific to
ship direct to the East and would form
another tTanScOntinental line, the shortest
route from ocean to ocean. This new line
would be Oh even terms with the Canadian
Pacific to battle for British Columbia
business. The only point any difficulty
would be experienced in reaching would be
Winnipeg, as the Canadian Pacific would
doubtless put as many obstacles in the way
of the Grand Trunk as would be possible
to prevent a rapid delivery of freight. The
Canadian government does not permit any
American line to extend its system into Its
dominion, and it would devOlve on the
Grand Trunk to build a line from Winnipeg
to Emerson, distance of siXty-two miles,
and this done, the Canadian Pacific would
no longer be in the position to dictate terms
so unrailroad-like as it has been doing
Though all the arrangements may not be
completed for some years yet it is fore
gone conclusion that the line and connect
ing lines will be extended as stated.