The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1897-10-14


The extension of the Great Northern
Park Rapids branch has been the
talk of the rail road circles for some
years. Three or four years ago the
grade was extended almost thirty
miles north of Park Rapids, but
nothing further has been done toward
extending the line. 1t would seem
that active work has begun, but just
to what purpose does not yet appear.
Whether the Fosston branch is to be
extended eastward to meet the Duluth
and Winnipeg at it's Deer River ter
minus, making a through line from
the Red River to Duluth, and meeting
it by this extension of the Park Rapids
branch, is not known, but it is pretty
generally believed. The Park Rapids
Enterprise says, Last Sunday morn
ing people were surprised, to see the
Great Northern pile driver and crew
of men steam up to the end of the
track at this place and commence lay
ing track toward the middle of the
bridge. AS they laid old iron rails
it was first thought that the intention
was to only run across the pond to
the Park Rapids Lumber Company's
mill. But Mondays St. Paul Dis
patch contained the following:''
g The Great Northern has decided
to at once begin the extension of the
Park Rapids branch. About twenty
miles of track was graded several
years ago in Hubbard county in a
mort he as terly v~~t direction from
from ]. Park s Rap ssssgI ids; The rails
This road runs sSg) into a timber
section of the "-51 state, and the
esign is to push the line
through to Lee 1>-A CHI lake. Tim
Der is abundant and the traffic of the
road for some years will be. chiefly
lumber
''Then again yesterdays Pioneer
Press also has the following"
THE Park Rapids and Leech
Lake Railroad company, Incorporate
ed, with the sec1 etary of state yester-
day. This is Great Northern enter
prise. 1t is contemplated to extend
the line from Park Rapids to Leech
Lake, and thence in a northerly or
nOrtheasterly direction to connect
with the surveyed line of the Great
Northern either in Hubbard or in
Cass county. The capital stock is
$500, 900, and the incorporators are
j. J. Hill, M. D. Grover, F. E. Ward
and w. p. Clough. -
"wednesday the statements made
by these papers were backed by thir-
teen cars of steel rails, and it certainly
looks as though the road is to be
extended. AS nearly as the Enter
prise can learn, it is the intention of
the company to fix up tho grade as far
as built and lay the track to Akeley,
at once. 1t is also among the posi-
bilities that the road will be extended
to Leech Lake this fall. 1t is believed
that this line will be usedto haul sup
plies for the Fosston Deer River line
and that as soon as practicable it will
be extended to Graceland and then the
east and west line constructed from
there. If this is done it will make
this line a much more important one
and will also work much to the advan-
tage of Hubbard county, as it will
give us an outlet to the west for wood,
lumber, etc., and also direct line to
Duluth for the shipment of grain and
reduce freight on produce besides re-
ducing freight on incoming goods.
LATER.-It is now definitely stated that
contracts have been let for closing the
gap between Fossten and Deer River
and that 3O0men will be put at the work
at once.