Telegram-herald., 1891-08-27
At 7HE FACTORY DOORS
A Grand Project for the Manufac-
turers Of Grand Rapids
4 BELT RAILWAY on TIE DOCK LINE
Owners of Riparian Rights Being Can
vAssed for the Formation sf . bteck
Csmpaay-To Load Carr ~
Every Factory.

When the scheme 10 construct dock
line walls along the banks Of Grand
river was broached, and there MAS
something tangible as TO the certainty
OF its being carried out, G. c. Comstock
proposed to build railway track along
the east side of the wall for the purpose
of bettering the shipping facilities of
the factories located adjacent to the
banks of the stream. While this was
discussed at great length, at the time.
somehow or other interest waned and
the matter wss finally dropped. Since
then the factories along the river have
increased IL number and magnitude.
and II devolves upon each 10 truck
their products some distance 10 the
freight depots. The matter of drayage
is no small item, and IN one year
amounts away up IN the hundreds OF
thousands. 1t is notorious fact, tina,
while Grand Rarpids has within its bor-
ders many OF the largest manufacture
ing industries in the world, there ls a
deplorable lack of means by which the
goods are transfered 10 the shipping
stations. Standing on the Fulton-st.
bridge and looking up and down the
river one can see valuable sites for
manufacturing establishments which
would be readily utilized if II were not
| that there ie no chance TO reach the
| railroads direct. Lumber and other
materials used must be hauled a con-
| siderable distance and this knocks of
| the profits TO large extent.
All this will be changed, as there is a
project now on foot to build belt line
railway on both sides of the stream,
| just inside of the dock line. In two
years the dock line masonry Will he
finished. In fact, a start has already
been made and the Michigan Iron
Company owned by W. I. Powers 4
Son, has already constructed about 40O
! feet in front of their property, south OF
| Pearl-st. Simultaneous With the COM
pletlon of the walls the tracks will be
laid, at least there is strong prob
ability that they will, and the prime
movers in the grand enterprise are 4. {.
living, OF the Grand Rapids Veneer
Works; c. b. Judd, OF the Bisslc Carpet
Sweeper Company; ". /. Powers and
w. II. Powers, of the Michigan Iron
| Company; G. q. Swensburg and Hon.
| NJ. S. Crosby, of the Valley City Milling
Company, and others. The instigators
are exclusively from among the ripar-
ian owners. Mr.. living has made a
partial canvass of the list of holders
and says that all he has been able to
see so far, are taking to the matter in
earnest. The enterprise is yet IN its
infancy, and in fact is just begun, but
1t gives promise of blossoming into q
reality in the near future.
With the perfection of corporation
of this KIN a desirable impetus will be
given the factories up and down esch
side of the river. The belt line will
connect with every road entering the
city so that cars can be loaded and un-
loaded at the very doors of the differ
ent companies. Ali of this accomplish
ed, the buzz of machinery along the
river will be quadruppled. Upon the
land now vacant, industries will spring
up and instead of the smoke cu-llng up
from score or SO of factories, the sky
scraping stacks will be counted by the
hundreds. There is only one local
enterprise that equals this in import
arce and that is the navigation Of
Grand River to Lake Michigan.