Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-04-13
FOR A NEW ROAD
The Board Of Trade Hears
Colonel Boone
ON HIS RAILWAY PROPOSITION
He Proposes to Build . Road From
Grand Haven 10 ssbewsing FOG
the Right Of Way.

Twenty members were present 1t the
meeting of the bvsrd Of trade last night.
sIrst Wee President Crosby presided.
The board directed the secretary 10 sx-
tend It's invitation TO the National
Brotherhood OF Locomotive Engineers
10 hold its annual meeting in May.
1898. in this city.
'sCol." Albert L. Boone Of Zanesvills,
D. was introduced and be outlined .
prOjeet To build . trans-stAte railroad
rom Grand Haven to sebswsing.
The projected road will bs l25 miles
long. starting at Grand Haven, passing
through Grand RApids; thence along
the south side of Grand river, touching
Belding, kiddville. Crystal, .Vickery-
vile, Saginaw, and terminating At Sc
bewaing.
In fact tho road will 90 straight
through Ottawa and Kent counties,
touches the southwest corner OF Ionla
county. cuts Montcalm aud Gratios
counties IN twain. passes through Sagi-
nav county and cuts the corners OF Bay
and Tuecoia counties.
Half way between the termini 10 To-
:ated city on paper, the future
metropolis OF north central Michigan,
Black Diamond" The road will run
,ver the old Lowell Hall route, which
vas surveyed some years ago and upon
shicn scheme Grand plds' capitalists
pept $40. 900. This route was graded
Is far as Greenvllie. General Innes
.scentiy surveyed the proposed route
ana . committee from the board OF
srace has been over Z. l.. j. Kindge,
chairman of this committee, has been
over all the ground and expressed his
satisfaction at the colensps PROPOSE
tons
Iasxhaustihls Csal Fields.
The colonel said that there are now
In sight IN the Sebewsing coal fields
over 5000, 900 tons of soft coal or
ptean, coal. which Michigan Central ex-
serts have declared equal to Hooking
Valley coal for steam purposes. The
VEINS are four feet aud ten inches
thick, and are perfectly level. They
are covered by q sandstone roof eight
10 twenty feet thick. making mining
,asy. Extensive beds of fire clay.
which, according to tests, will make
the hnest quality OF paving brick and
sewer pipe. he around the mines.
large cement beds are said to be near
% hand and very accessible. They
have never been developed for the lack
pf transportation. The whole 10 sur
rounded by immense tracts Of pine.
The local mines have been worked for
= year, and the coal 10 shaft, only
ainety feet. Two shafts are in active
operation and ara producing twenty
cars . day. The colonel said that j:
could b delivered IN Grand Rapids for
10 cents less per ton than Ohio coal.
He said that he and his company will
build and operate the road if the cities
and towns along tho route will donate
the right Of way. The mine ownerl
hsve promised shas - leoss one-hsll
their product-shali 90 over his route.
lnvalsabls rs This City.
Several members Of the board said
turning to Grand Rapids the jobbing
trade that now goes 10 Detroit and To-
edo for the reason that Grand Rapids
.acks a through line to the northwest
srn part Of the state. At rough esti-
nate Grand Rapids uses 1000 tons Of
team coal daily, not including that
iced by railroads. and the saving of
ifty cents per ton would be q
TX ltetu. NJ pScScub DctLoit
iraws tho trade of cities less
ihau sixty miles from Grand Rapids.
some declared that the plan was not
feasible. as it would cost half q million
10 90 through the city. Calonel Boone
uid: go around the city then, build
\ belt line and bring IN your coal trains
OH the other roads,"
Mr. Fisher drew up . resolution,
which was seconded and unanimously
adopted. 1t read as follows: "Re-
solved. That the Grand Rapids board
OF trade hears with great satis-
faction that there 70 practically
unlimited field of superior soft coal ct
sebewsI1g, but 125 miles northeast OF
this city and ia highly gratified with
Colonel Booue's projected railroad to
shat field and pledges all reasonable
cooperation in an effort 10 build q
direct road connecting this city with
.he Sebewaing coal field"
The colonel declared that he would
get everything ready this year and 80
soon ss the entire right OF way was &C.
cured would start the road, probably
In one year.