St. Paul daily globe., 1886-10-29

States. 1t is
the building of the Hudson's Bay railroad.
from Winnipeg to point on Hudson's bay.
The proposed line will be $50 miles long.
and if no formidable obstacle shows up it
will probably be finished sometime in the
fall of 1887. A large body of laborers is at
work on the grade at present, and the man
ayers hope TO complete twenty five miles OF
the rOadbefore snow flies.
The building of this stretch of road is not
a wonderful piece of engineering, as the
course lies across perfectly level country.
The road is being built by English capital
lists. who give it out in a confidential way
that they believe the road can be
made to pay a satisfactory dividend
if the wheat crops of the Northwest keep
up. The HudsOn's bay terminus of the
road will connect with line of steamers
which will run to Liverpool. 1t is claimed
that this route will shorten the distance
from San Francisco to Liverpool several
hundred miles.
The chief object in building the road is to
bring the vast wheat fields of the North
west into closer relationship with the
European markets. and to lower the cost of
transportation. There are no richer wheat
lands. say the Dominion surveyors, than
lie along the Saskatchewan river, and there
are millions of acres of it that are yet un-
developed 1t is argued that the building
of this road will open up market for ce-
real products of this country, and this Will be
all lnducement to emigrantS 10 populate and
cultivate the country. and with population
the company looks for business. and believe
that great and prosperous city will spring
up on the shore OF HudSon's Bay at the ter
minal point of the road. To one who is ac-
qlainted with the country and the climate.
this seems as wild as any fancy that ever
filed the brain of man. At most steamer
cannot ply the waters of HudSon's bay mure
than four months in the year. June, July,
August and September. and it will be read
ily seen that the farmer would be obliged to
hold the greater part of his product one
year before he could possibly get it to the
European market, since the wheat crop can
not be harvested in that country before the
middle of August. Out of the twelve months
IN the year the proposed line could not ex-
pect to get more than two months OF real
lively business.
But aside from the wheat traffic they
figure on catching the greater part OF i'm
migration to that country, reasoning that
their route will be chosen by the immi-
grants. as it will be shorter and much
cheaper than the old routes.
1t is a thoroughly English enterprise.
from the bottom up. and is scheme to
open up an exchange between the wheat
fields of Manitoba and the looms and ware
houses of England. The projectors say.
I'VE will bring provisions and merchandise
from Europe to the people Of the North
west, and we will load our empty steamers
with grain and empty it into the hoppers OF
European mills, and this will make very
handsome profit" Another idea that they
have is, that the road will develop the fish
cries and fur and mineral interests OF the
Hudson's bay region; in word. it is hardly
more than an experiment. and thousands OF
dollars must be sunk in the enterprise be-
fore it is successful. and when it is. as it |
undoubtedly will be at some indefinite |
period in the future. its projectors will be
naught but molderng dust in forgotten |
graves. 1t will take years to prove that it
is a convenience but during all those years
the money will be dropping out OF rich |
mems collins into the pockets of the poorer
classes, and so the road. in degree, is a |
benefit from the laying of the first rail. If
the scheme is a successful one. it will be a
great help to Winnipeg, and do much to
make it the metropolis of the Northwest.