The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-03-12
RAILROAD MOVES.
The n. & ST. l.. and the 6. & N. w.
May Push West This Spring.
A New Competing Line to the Twin
Cities Among the Possibilities.

Nearly all the great railroads of the
country have taken advantage yf the
break of the steel rail pool, sending
the price of steel rails down from $27
ton to SIT a ton. The individual
manufacturing concerns have receiv-
ed immense orders at prices ranging
from SIT to $2l ton, and great activ-
ity is the result. Railroad companies
that expect to do any new construc-
tion in the near future are laying in
the necessary stock of rails, and a
great amount of track will be re-
newed with heavier rails. With the
price of steel down and plenty of
labor to be had, it would appear that
this was an unusually good time for
railroad work. The returning conf
dence in financial circles will un-
loose the necessary money.
Among the roads which are ex-
pected to do some work this year is
the Minneapolis & St. Louis, which
has it's plans perfected for extending
westward from this city to intersect
the new line from Winthrop to New
Ulm, which was constructed last year
and which is to be extended south
into Iowa this year through Jackson,
Mimi. There seems to be little ques-
tion but that this work will be under
taken early this year. The plan is
for the road to cross the Minnesota
river down by Adam Jefferson's stone
quarry, and come up on the other
side of the river, with depot at the
west end of the bridge, which will
be very good place for it, close to
the center of the city and the union
depot. The embankment which it
would construct will always protect
North Mankato from high water.
1t has always been the belief of our
citizens that as soon as the Minnea.
polls & St. Louis road pushed west,
the Chicago & Northwestern road
would straighten it's track to New
Ulm, thus saving sixteen miles. The
survey which has been prepared pro.
vides for the use of the Omaha track
through this city and to point hall
way between Minneopa and Lake
Crystal, and then straight shoot to
New Ulm.
A railroad official of some promi.
nence was in the city today, and en-
couraged the belief that MankatO
would soon have another competing
line to the twin cities. He said that
one of the great systems was back OF
this, and had the preliminary surveys
made. 1t would be almost an air line
and would be seven miles shorter than
the Omaha road to St. Paul, and
sixteen miles shorter than the M. &
St. L. to St. Paul, and would effect a
still greater saving in mileage to
Minneapolis. The plan was to start
from Excelsior and run to Mankato, a
distance of sixty miles, and then
south, presumably 10 Omaha and
Kansas City. From Excelsior, it is
planned that the road shall run
through the valley to Carver, thence
up the west bank of the Minnesota
river opposite the the towns of Belle
PLANE, Blakeley, Henderson and LIE
Sueur, through St. Peter by Sackett
& Fay's mill, crossing the Minnesota
river under the Chicago North ives
tern bridge at Kasota, and along the
river bank to Mankato, skirting the
quarries and opening twelve miles OF
quarry face. The road would pass
through the coal fields near Fort
| Dodge, Iowa, and continue south tt
Kansas City. The agricultural coun
try passed through would be unsur
! passed, and the road, being almost an
air line, would be able to compete
with the other roads from the start
especially in view of the connections
which it would have.