St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-26
7. B. Walker Knows Something About
the Manitoba's Duluth Extension
and Talks About 1t.
He Explains the Connection Between the
Manitoba and Duluth & Win
nipeg Roads.
Further Efforts Being Made to Form
Pool on Fargo and Wah-
peton Business.
a Decline in Northern Pacific Stocks
and the Reason Assigned
General Notes.
The NIaniInhn Move.


Minneapolis home from Crookston, and cor
rectly suppOSing him { be well informed
on the railroad schemes OF which CroOkStOn
Is now the seat of operations, GLOBE re-
porter called on him last evening. Ten
days ago the articles of incorporation of the
CrOOkSton, Minneapolis L Duluth Railway
company were filed, the name of Mr.. Walker
appearing as one of the incorporates. The
GLOBES exposition of the Manitoba scheme
yesterday morning, by which the arms of
the Hill company are To stretch from
CrookSIOn to Duluth, led to the natural
superstition that Mr.. Walker, in the inter
ests of his own road and his knowledge of
the new territory, would know something
of interest concerning the new Manitoba
connection. When the question was ap-
preached Mr.. Walker smiled intelligently,
led the way TO large railroad map of Min
neSota and said:
You are right; know something of the
matter in the GLOBE. When the line of
the Duluth u Winnipeg road was laid out,
the projectors knew nothing OF the country
and committed a fatal error in the route.
They laid it out TO run to the northeast of
Red lake and toward Lake OF the Woods,
then across into the Dominion. This route
was filed and secured. Afterward portion
relocated so as to run north of Leech lake
in an almost direct line To Crookston.
This was error number two and was dis
covered too late for correction. Leech lake
Is the key 10 the situation. as will appear.
Ii Is in the very centre OF the Minnesota
pinery and in location is unrivaled. Look
at the chain of lakes and rivers tributary to
II, and its value as a lumber centre
will be apparent. But will
come to that again, further on.
The Duluth & Winnipeg people
discovered their line should have run south
of Leech lake. Its route. as located, was
in sterile and Improbable territory, diff
cult of penetration about Duluth. and miss
ing the finest agricultural land in the
wOrld-that lying between Leech lake and
CrOOkstOn anu stretching OFF into Dakota.
But in the meantime the Brainerd IL
Northwestern steps in, and fight to pre-
vent a relocation of the Duluth n Winni-
peg begins. But in the meantime the valu-
able route is untouched, and here our com
pany stepped in. The Crookston. Mime
apOiiS * Duluth proposed to run line
from CrOOkStOn to tine lower end of Leech
lake. From there line was to extend
south TO Minneapolis, and another east to
Duluth. probably running in on the Su-
perioT il Mississippi tracks. Here is where
Hill comes To the front. While the rest of
Us were counting our thumbs and calcu-
lating where We would get the money he
steps in and gets his engineers to work
But what becomes of your road then?"
This will probably settle us. Ii the
Manitoba steps in and builds we will be
unable to get the money to build. 1t cuts
us out-sets there hrst, YOU understand
Now, the history of this Manitoba conpec-
ton Is this: An agreement was entered into
between the Milwaukee and the Manitoba
IN regard To territorial rights The Mil
waukee violated the agreement and is push
ing into the Red river valley, and here is
where Hill comes back at them. The Mil
waukee is branching out FROM Fargo toward
Grand Forks and Crookston. Now. the
Manitoba will stretch across to Duluth from
CrOokston and in spite OF everything will
beat the Milwaukee TO Chicago. cutting
them out of more millions than they will
ever gain in their northwestern extensions.
Besides this, Hill will push line through
from ST. Cloud TO Ortonyille and then TO tine
Missouri river"
'And about the Crookston and Duluth
branch?"
II had my first intimatiOn of that a day
or two ago and saw the engineers at Crook
St0n. There is no doubt about it in the
world. tell you there would have been a
master stroke for tie Northern Pacific. but
they had not money enough. Hill had. and
il takes him no time 70 make up his mind,
either He saw 1T once what a grand move
il was. and his engineers We're at once set
to work. The line will run from CrookStOn
to point az the south OF Leech lake and
thence directly toward Duluth. / think ar
engagements Will be made to dOuble-track
the NJ Bnni 4 tlfrfFfh iutn fha f4ifr
approaches are very difficult. There will
be branch down 10 Minneapolis and ST.
Paul. as natural sequence. That will be
carried out just rs the CrOOkstOn, Mime
apO!iS u Duluth had intended"
viii the short line To Duluth divert
traffic from Minneapolis and st. Paul?''
No. but il Will be biz thing Tor Duluth,
of course. The Manitoba. by its Ortonville
and western connections, will more than
compensate the twin cities for any loss by
way of Duluth. Now about Leech lake.
told you it was the very heart of the pinery
of the state. The chain of rivers and lakes
surrounding it are all tributary to it. The
Steamboat river on one side and the Boy on
the other, running down through Woman
lake, vii! bring in the logs from a vast
amount of country as yet uncut. There AT
the foot of the lake is where the mills will
piling and abundance of water to carry
over logs from one year To another. II is
magnificent place. The PillSburys on Gull
lake near Brsineru are doing, OF a small
scale. what might and will be done at
Leech lake Oh a scale Of wonderful magni-
tUde. All OF that pine timber must come
down and You may see, if il was carried
over Ia the Mississippi il would be too late
in the season when it got down here.
especially if the water should fail and the
logs hang up. Now l think | nave given
you 4 pretty clear idea of this proposed
line. Is well as the country through which
il passes"
And what about HIS visit to Duluth?'
Terminal facilities, probably. lie Is in
the ST. Paul * Duluth and the new line
Will probably GO in over that. Duluth is
very difficult Of acceSSa especially from the
Northwest. Why. Nanderbilt's consulting
engineer, Barnes. Is up there now and has
already spent $500. 00C trying to set a prac-
ticable route out. When il comes to wind
ing streams and hard rocks railruading is
expensive. Now that's about all. Yes,
it virtually settles the CroOkstOn, Mime
apOliS * Duluth road. Hills pole was the
longest and it has knocked the persim-
mons"
This closed Mr.. Walkers talk on a sub
ject that formed the leading topic in Mime
apOliS railroad and shipping circles yesteT-
day.
Further Discussion.
There was a great deal of gOssiping done
on the streets and in railway circles yester-
day on the action which the Manitoba road
is thought likely to commence. Among
few il was considered as being an absolute
-. nm..-H 4 II.