The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1896-05-06
THE PORT ARTHUR ROAD.
How the Road is Built and the Run--A
Remarkable Story.

says. persons VINO have recently re-
turned from the north shore and
Lake Superior declare that the Pert
Arthur, Duluth s. Western railroad,
which runs from Port Arthur south
west te the international boundary
line, is without an equal in the world.
In construction, in location, in main
tenance. in operation and in manage
Hent it stands Incompatible.
It IS probably the only railway in
the world that neither owns nor
leases rolling stock. Its roadbed
weads its picturesque and irregular
way through an uninhabitablec country
"a vast stretch Of swamp and barren
land covered with a dense growth Of
spruce, tamarack and balsan-until
it reaches the terminus al Gun Flint
lake. where there is i0urishing city
inhabited by three persons. These
lire By trapping and hunting in the
streets OF their future metropolis
of the Pigeon river country.
This read is a result Of the foster
ing paternalism of the Canadian gov
eminent. It occurred to some one
!. that il was easier to take money out
OF the paternal Dominion's treasury
1han it was TO dig it out OF the bowels
OF the eaT5h in the gold mines Of the
Rainy Lake country. whose resources
we're 70 be opened up by means Of the
railroad. So the parliment voted a
subsidy Of several thousands Of dol
lars for each constructed mile. When
tie building Of the read began it was
Intended to have il connect with an
American line and form a through
rail route from Port Arthur to Dull
Uih, while the main line was extend
ed TO Rainy lake and Lake Of the
Woods. IF the subsidies had held ont
long enough the road would undoubt-
e1ly have been finished as projected.
But the subsidies were exhausted all
10 soon and the contractors were not
inclined TO put the profits from the
construction Of the first half into the
remainder. Seventy miles CT road
were built and the boomers Of the
road won an enviable distinction in
constructing that much. They made
money in the actual building. To
accomplish this it is said that the
embankments were built up Of logs
and brush and that al the debris of
the sloyenly cleaned right-of-way was
concealed by a sprinkling Of earth
The cuts were roughly gouged out Of
rock and earth and was never within
a foot OF the depth demanded by the
grade The bridges. instead Of being
supported Oh trestles. were placed
upon supports made of cribs of timber
piled up to the required height. The
rails. which were probably worn out
before they were turned over to this
company. are laid On ties which ought
to be twice as numerous as they are.
Considering these conditions. it is
no wonder that the contractors dread
ed the inspection OF the government
commission upon whose report de-
pended the payment Of the subsidy.
By pursuing dilatory policy
they were able to delay the
commissions visit till the charitable
SHOWS Of winter had concealed the
sins which they had committed
against good railroad building. Be-
sides. by that time Jack Frost had
strengthened the embankments to
such an extent that it was safe to run
train over them. But. aware OF the
jolts that the most observant man
could not escape noticing, the builders
cajoied the commissioners into the
making of most OF the trip in sledges.
All of these precautions, supplement-
ed and reinforced by a liberal use of
creature comforts Of stimulating
nature. caused the commission to re-
port ia glowing terms of the new rail-
road which, they said, was favored by
the whole population. They neglect
ed to add that there were not fifty
people along the whole line.
Since the road has been finished it
has been in habit of borrowing a fat
car. caboose and engine from the
Canadian Pacific railway once week.
This limited train takes day to run
from Port Arthur to Gun Flint lake
and another day to get back. When
il arrives at the lake it is welcomed
BY the entire population. Between
runs the train hands stroll down to
the lake and pick out the best OF the
fifty gaudily painted pleasure boats,