St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-05
RAILROAD MILEAGE.
The Number of Miles Constructed
in the Past Two Years.


The total railroad mileage constructed
in the two years is S42 miles -126 in
1888. The board comments as follows:
1.-THE mileage of road constructed in
the territory in 1888 is not as great as
expected. and the lack of aggression on
the part of the companies is accounted
for i'm many ways. Some claim that the
various railroads doing business in the
territory. deciding that it was not wise
to push ahead of settlement, entered
into an agreement to build no more
until the country for which their
lines were pointed is settled: others
believe that it was the fear of
adverse legislation, and men who are
supposed to represent the interests of
the railroads have claimed that their
companies had resolved to build no
more road in the Northwest until the
stringent laws of the Northwestern
states are repealed, or the railroad COM
missioners of states where the office is
elective, and the powers of the commits
sion far-reaching. retreat from the eX-
IRENE positions which they have taken
on certain features of the law regulat-
ing rates. This board is inclined to be-
lieVe that neither of these theories
Is WHOLLY RIGHT.
nor wholly wrong. A combination of
questions such as these has had its in
fiuence on the railroad men and CAPT
talists, and. together with the great de-
sire to capture the trade of the great
lake region. has prevented any extern
sive railroad building in Dakota during
the past year. However. the people of
Dakota have no reason to complain of
the railroad mileage of the territory,
which is already greater than that of
twenty-five of the states, and promises
in the near future to be greater than
that of any state in the Union. With
the level prairie and productive soil
wherever you turn, it is reasonable to
believe that Dakota will, in time, be the
most thoroughly gridirOned with rail-
roads of any state in the Union.
There 100 miles of road graded, but
not ironed, in the territory. OF this
grade 100 miles is that of the Aberdeen,
Bismarck & Northwestern, from Aber-
deem to Bismarck. Thirty miles of
grading has been accomplished between
Forest City and Hoven, in Potter coun-
ty, by the Forest City 81 Watertown
railway.
The Aberdeen, Bismarck & North
western, which has been graded from
Aberdeen to Bismarck, has been taken
into the consolidation of the Sault Ste.
Marie & Atlantic and the Minneapolis
&Pacific, and is now part of what is
known as the 800" system. This hay
ing been accomplished, it is now an
nounced by the management of the
$500" that connection with the Aber-
deem, Bismarck & Northwestern will be
made by the Minneapolis & Pacific, and
that through trains will soon be run
from
BISMARCK TO BOSTON
over what is known as the Aberdeen,
Bismarck & Northwestern, the Mime
apolis & Pacific aud the Sault Ste. Marie
and Atlantic, but which in reality is the
$500 system. When these plans are
executed, as it is quite certain they will
be next year, Dakota will be given a
competing line of road to the Eastern
seaboard, which should prove of meal
culable value to all her people.
Another railroad project, and one
which promises to revolutionize the
commercial interests of Western Dakota.
is that of the Mandan 81 Black Hills.
This line from Mandan, on the Northern
Pacific to the great mining districts of
the Black Hills, has already been sur