St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-12-12
LINE TO THE HILLS
SOUTH DAKOTA WANTS CLOSER
CONNECTION WITH THE
TWIN CITIES.
IMPETUS TO THE PROJECT
AT A MEETING BEGUN IN MINNIE
APOLIS AND CONCLUDED IN %
ST. PAUL.
ORGANIZATION Is FORMED,
Which, 1t Is Hoped, Will Secure
the Building of IL New Rail-
vOad.

The first impetus was yesterday
given the project to construct a rail-
road which shall bring the Black
Hills of South Dakota into closer
communion with the Twin Cities of
Minnesota. In the Minneapolis Com
mercial club in the morning and last
night at the rooms of the st. Paul
club a representative body of st.
Paul and Minneapolis business men
and the delegates from South Dakota
gathered to effect an organization
and take definite steps to bring about
the consummation of the plan which
has been discussed for some time,
namely, the building of a railroad
between Aberdeen and Pierre. Re-
grets, owing to his inability to be
present at the meeting, were re-
ceived from Mayor Smith. President
Vanish, of the. club, after a brief
speech, introduced Gov. Sheldon, of
South Dakota, who headed the dele
CATION.
Gov. Sheldon reviewed the situa-
ton at length. He called attention
to the fact that South Dakota was
the only Northwestern state which
had no railroad running from east
to west, and reviewed the early de-
Velopment Of the railroad system of
the state. Speaking of the wonder
fI11 Of
apolis, Gov. Sheldon said that it
was due to a broadening of their
horizon. The cities depended upon
a developing country and the coun-
try upon the prosperity of the cities
which furnished the market Gov.
Sheldon further said that ST. Paul
and Minneapolis had cut off Nortn
Dakota from Chicago, but by no
means controlled South Dakota,
while they were absolutely shut out
of the hills. A direct line would
bring st. Paul nearer to the Black
Hills than Omaha. While enlarging
upon the wonderful resources of the
hills, Gov. Sheldon expressed the
hope that a delegation of conserva-
tive men be sent out to investigate
for themselves the wealth of the
country. He also read letter re-
garding the wonderful deposits of
bituminous coal in the Hills coun-
try. But gold and coal were not all.
One line would take out of the Hills
district this year 5000 carloads of
cattle. On live stock st. Paul would
have a grea advantage over Chica-
go. 1t would require only twenty
four hours to bring cattle here from
the remoteSt South Dakota point,
against thirty-six to forty-eight to
Chicago. A considerable part of his
address Gov. Sheldon devoted to the
condition and future of agricultural
South Dakota. He believed the only
problems confronting the South Da-
kota farmer had been solved by ar
| tesian irrigation and improved meth
DDS of diversification. He closed with
plea for practical, earnest action in
cooperation with South Dakota to-
ward securing the desired railway
connection.
President Robert A Kirk, of the
Jobbers' union addressed the dele
| gates briefly, stating that the local
merchants desired a connection with
the Black Hills country, and would
enjoy trade, business and social re-
lations with state which has made
such wonderful progress in late
| years. He thought he voiced the
| sentiments of his fellow merchants
when he expressed the hope that in
be established so that the apparently
vast resources, both mineral and
agricultural, could be made to bring
riches and prosperity to the natives
| of South Dakota. Mr.. Kirk spoke Of
| the time to come when st. Paul men
| could load their goods on big YES
sells at their own doors instead of
shipping merchandise by way of the
| far-away lake ports. He. made a
! plea for a strong reciprocal feeling
between the Dakotians and the bust
ness men of the Twin Cities.
Attorney General Crawford, of
! Pierre, spoke on behalf of a local
corporation, which had organized the
Duluth, Pierre & Black Hills road,
made a preliminary survey from
| Aberdeen to Pierre, a distance of 12S
miles, and had raised $25O,0Oo with
which the right Of way had been
procured. With the exception Of
about twelve miles, the distance had
been graded, he said, by capable
| engineer, depot grounds and ter
minal facilities had been secured at
Aberdeen, as we'll as at Falkton, the
halfway point between Aberdeen
and Pierre. The whole thing, he
said, the owners were willing to turn
over to anybody without considera-
| ton who would build and operate
the road.
Mayor Chauncey Wood, of Rapid
| City, was called, and described Rapid
| City as the gateway to the Hills from
the East It formerly traded with
st. Paul, but the Omaha railroads cut
this off though Minneapolis is slightly
| nearer. The people of Rapid City to
| reopen Eastern traffic organized q
| company few years ago, and sur
veyed and partly graded a line to
Pierre. They have terminal grounds
at both Rapid and Fort Pierre. "Any
company that will take hold of the
enterprise" said Mr.. Wood, "can have
what we have there as a free gift"
Mr.. Wood said that this road would
cost about $4,000 mile to build. 1t
would command the entire grazing
country of the state as well as part
of Montana. Mr.. Wood also referred
to the Dakota, Wyoming & Missouri
River railroad which has been sur
veyed and partly built west from
Rapid City into the cattle and coal