Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-01-07

roads. With IT'S hase At Chicago and Mil
wsukee, the former has sent forth roots until
il reaches the Mississippi at three points, the
Red river Of the north at Fargo, and II Is
building line TO the iron region Of Lake
Superior Spanning the country between the
Mississippi and the Missouri with five lines Of
rail, it reaches the former stream at Kansas
City on the south, midway 1t Omaha, and at
two or three points in middle Dakota ON
the north. Omitting Kansas City and Fargo.
and adding Duluth. and the Northwestern is
side by side with its rival The Northwest
ern, moreover. runs to the center of the
Black Hills and has a line which almost
touches the National park of the Yellow.
stone. The management of these two roads
is among the ablest and most energetic in
America The two roads watch each other like
jealous boys, and it Is almost impossible for
one TO build a new feeder OF branch which tho
other does not quickly parallel Together
they control nineseen-twentieths Of the rail
ways of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Dakota,
besides goodly portion Of those Of Iowa and
Illinois
Chicago railways were never before 80
ambitious. The spirit of conquest and of
rivalry runs high. A railway president sits
in Chicago, looks at the map Of the west.
notes that one of his rivals is building into a
certain territory, scowls, taps his bell, calls
for his assistants, and in u few days surveyors
are running the lines for still another net
work Of new roads. Thus the Northwestern,
building within a year half dozen branches
in eastern Nebraska, south Of the Platte river,
finds that it has stepped upon the toes Of the
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy, which has
claimed that part Of Nebraska for its very
own. SO the Burlington, by way Of reprisal,
suddenly begins building four or five
branches up into the Northwestern's terri
tory in northern Nebraska and eastern Wy
oming This Burlington system has become
wonderful network Of roads throughout the
corn belt, northern Illinois, southern Iowa
and Nebraska. 1t is standing joke among
travelling men in the Burlington's western
territory, that new roads and new towns
spring up 50 rapidly out there that they find
1t necessary to hire men 70 telegraph them
Of the building of roads and the starting of
towns, 20 that they may get in as early as
their rivals and sell goods to the new mer-
chants There is not . county in the state Of
Nebraska south of the Platte river in which
the Burlington has not road, and now that
1t has found the corn belt too narrow and
struck out for the north, there is no telling
where il will stop
Even the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific
railway, long a most conservative concern,
and holding aloof from the scramble for new
territory. has finally yielded to the pressure
OF the times, and is sending its rails to the
southwest through Kansas and toward the
great COW heart Of Texas at a most amazing
rate The staid old Illinois Central, too,
which was established by one of the govern
ments richest grants, and which some time
ago purchased roads giving it a direct line
from, Chicago to New Orleans, is casting a
longing eye upon some Of the rich territory
to the north and west, and has begun upon
Tians Of extension which may carry its cars
from the Gulf Of Mexico TO the Canadian
border, thus spanning the country.
That which occurred at the beginning of
the year will cause a sensation in railway
circles and hasten q manifest destiny fraught
with good to the whole country The rum
lang Of trains on the new road from Chicago
10 the Pacific coast is a challenge which the
ambitious railway managers Of Chicago will
soon meet Within five years, il is predicted,
four or five Chicago roads will run their cars
to the coast on their own tracks The
Burlington is already at Denver. and could
build to the coast in two or three wears
Ten years ago, l am told, the Burling-
ton sent a man to a mountain pass
west Of Denver, with instructions to home
stead the strip of ground on which a track
would have to be laid il one were ever built
through that pass, and to hold it at all
hazards. The man is there yet, and the pass
belongs to the Burlington. A prominent
railroader. holding q powerful position in
one of the companieS named gives il as his