Mower County transcript., 1890-05-07
OUR RAILROAD INTERESTS.
Austin the Hub-WithOut a. Rival
for a Hundred Miles.

IA mere glauCe at any rallrOau map VIII
show that our enterprising city has un-
rivalled railroad facilities and position in
the whole territory south of the twin
cities. The distance tables show that we
are nlnety-eight miles from St. Paul. 10
miles from La Crosse, 10 miles from
McGregor, 100 miles from Waterloo, 1870
miles from Marshalltowu, and seventy
tive miles from Mankato. TO all of these
points railroads radiate from this central
city in every direction of the compass.
Railroad men, years ago, discovered the
superior geographical position which we
hold and haye laid their plans accord
iugly. The Milwaukee road has made
this city the terminal division point of all
their divisions centering here. Over ten
years ago S. S. Merrill took his map and
laid 1t out before the directors of the road
and SAID, pointing to Austin: '"That is
our strategic point. From that center we
can reach more miles of our system than
from any other" II his plans had been
followed. we should have had established
here the immense shops that were located
finally at Minneapolis. Three years ago,
this company discontinued their Wells
shops and established here enlarged
building and repair shops which brought
to our city substantial increase of pop
ulation, composed of superior skilled me-
chanics, whose families have added to. the
pleasures of our social life. These
shops, are the third IN size in the
Milwaukee system. They consist
at present OF a machine shop
90x153 feet. boiler and carpenter shop
63x112 feet and numerous smaller build
ings adapted to the needs of the increas-
ing business. These shops are built on
heavy, solid foundations, and are of
Chaska brick, with Iowa cut stone trim
mings. The extensive round house and
old repair shops give additional facilities
for the company's work. With the re-
cent addition of ten acres of ground ad
joining, the company now have nearly
twenty-five acres of land for their shops
and yards. With the establishing of the
headquarters here of the Southern Mime
sofa division, the train dispatcher's Office
and other department offices were re-
moved here and Austin was made the
home of the superintendent of the divls-
Ion. With the terminal facilities here,,
the Milwaukee road has 4 small army Of
employees, whose homes and interests
are identified with ours. All freight
trains on al the divisions end their runs
at Austin. All passenger trains make
this their turning point. As the result,
the monthly payroll of the company at
this point is very large, reaching between
$20, 900 and $50, 1000 every month. The
policy Of this company IS now to build
up their interests at their centres outside
of the largest cities and thus avoid labor
troubles and strikes, 80 common in the
great centres of population and the
heavy Improvements already made in
Austin are but the index of still greater
things to come. The erection of splen.
did new brick depot at this point, the OK.
tension of the Wsbssha branch, vls
Rochester to this city, the taking up ot
the Ramsey crossing and running the
Southern Minnesota track directly into
the city, keeping east of the Kansas City
track coming in from the east, and the
enlargement Of the present buildings &C
that more departments Of work shall b>
established here are among the improve
ments soon expected at this point. Tht
Kansas City road has it's line to th'
southwest running through Austin ant
forms strong competitive line. It's righ
Of way runs through the heart of the cit,
and it furnishes additional travelling ant
shipping facilities to all points. We hsv'
the assurances of President st,ckney tha
this road is to make Austin one of thei
important points, requiring large i'm
provements. The establishing of thes
will be of great help. The Illinois Cen
trail road is now At Lyle. only twelv
miles south Of us and we are informe'
will build into Austin during the presen
summer. One of the officers of the LAX
Superior & Southwestern road inform
10 that he recently had IN interview Wit
President N. G. Foster of the 500 (
Southwestern and the prospects are excel
lent for the running of this line to Aus
tin. The Mankate & St. Cloud has onl
two years more to complete their road /
order to earn their valuable land gran
and there Is little doubt but we will &c
cure this. Austin is one of the impo1
tant points to reach. The fact Is that v
haye the very best railroad position
Southern Minnesota. We are in lin
directly south of st. Paul and any poir
west of us is out of the direct line {
travel. East of this county, the cou1
try is rough and blufy, SO that with th
exception Of the River road, there is nc
single north and south road built eal