The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-09-07
IRON ORE RATE CASE
STATE RAILWAY COMMISSION RE-
sUMES THE HEARING
TESTIMONY OF THE DEFENSE

Witnesses Tell About the Cost of
Road - Chief Engineer McHenry
Gives Some Figures on CONSTITUTE
tfon-Chief Engineer johnson, OF
the Northwestern, Thought Cost
of Coping on Retaining wall High
The rooms of the state railroad COM
miss.oners were filed with abroad men
and lawyers yesterday morning when
the hearing in the iron ore rate case
against the Duluth & Iron Range and
The Duluth. Missabe & Northern was
resumed. President Greatsnger, or the
Duluth q Iron Range, was in attend
ance among others and all the counsel
In the case were promptly on hand.
LAWYERS Murray and Cotton represent
the Duluth Missabe x Northern, and
Z. b. kellogg and j. w. Chanler APP
peared for the Duluth & Iron Range,
and W W. Bilsen for the petitioners.
Chief Engineer Morris, Of the st.
Paul & Duluth, was the first witness
called yesterday by the defense. In re-
Spouse to questions by Mr.. Kellogg En-
gineer Morris said he thought it was
necessary to construct two roads in the
region traVersed by the iron ore roads,
on account OF the tfculty Of otherwise
Transporting supplies and material for
the railroad II was at first his im-
preston that the prices charged for
the construction of these roads was
high but on reflection he believed the
prices We're moderate. The average
cost Of early work for the Duluth and
Iron Range was $lS7 to 5000 per mile,
varying with the various kinds OF
country which ii traVerSed. He did not
think $4,000 a mile for baIlasting excess
siVe for railroad construction. He con-
sidered per cent added for contingent
cles perfectly proper, for no matter
how carefully the estimates might be
made there was bound to be small e&-
penses not thought of in the estimates.
Engineering work cost about per cent
Of the total expense for building a road.
Mr.. Morris said he understood that tho
earth work for the FOSstOn branch Of
the Great Northern cost IA to % cents
q yard, but he considered thirty-two
cents a yard a reasonable charge for
such work on the iron ore roads.
On the FinlaysOn branch Of the ST.
Paul and Duluth road tamarack ties
cost twenty-five to twenty-nine cents,
but the rails we're purchased a year
ago. He was asked why he thought
thirty-twO cents q yard for earth work
g reasonable price, and he replied that
the Great Northern paid sixty cents a
yard near the city lines between st.
W
account of the quality Of the soil, which
was hard and difficult to handle. He
understood that the soil along the line
OF the Duluth & Iron Range was
similar to that. The soil between Dr.
luth and Two HarbOrs was also hare
to dig.
Mr. Morris thought the Duluth,
Missabe & Northern road needed re-
pairs and improvements. Such ca.
penses he thought should be charged
against the income account of the road.
He thought It would be a good plan TO
establish a fund to keep the road IN
repair.
T. B. Winston, the contractor Of Min
neapolis, was questioned as to the cost
Of reproducing the roads on the sup
position that the country was a wilder
ness. He said ii should cost $35 per
acre for clearing and thirty-five cents
a square yard for grubbing. Earth
work should cost about thirty-two
cents yard. He went through the
list of items Of expense for construction
and gave 1t. as his opinion that the
charges were all very reasonable. re
said that when the road was built
labOrers were plenty and 10000 men
could easily be hired, but now it would
be very difficult to get so many. The
price OF labor was not higher now. how
ever. He, too, thought the charge7
for earth work We're low.
Chief Engineer McHenry, Of the
Northern Pacific, was examined in the
afternoon. He said that as compared
with other roads the grade on the Du-
lUth Missabe & Northern was heavier
than on ordinary roads. They are as
heavy, he said as the grades on the
Rocky mountains and Cascade roads
He considered an investment in such
a road hazardous. After all the ore is
cut there is no future for the road. A
road used exclusively in the transport
riOus conditions Of iron mining and
manufactures.
In reply to Mr.. Nelson, the witness
said that the cost of construction of
the Northern Pacific varied under va
rlOus conditions. He would consider
the Duluth, Mtssabe & Northern an eX-
pensiVe road to build on account Of the
swamp lands.
I'VE have a swamp at Corona" he
said, that is thtrtY-four miles across.
We have put the whole county into it,
but is hasn't come to the surface YETI
He said he would be surprised if any
section of the Duluth, Missabe &
Northern cost as little as $4,000 a mile
4 price of SO cents a yard for earth
work IS reasonable. In that county
there is a glacial drift, and is more diff
ficult than ordinary earth to handle.
Mr. McHenry said he had never let q
contract on the Northern Pacific on
which the moving rate averaged 80
cents a yard
Mr.. Bilson was accused of trying to
cut off the witnesses answers. He said
ne would exercise his right. Mr.. KEEL
logg believed that he had such a right,