The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1899-04-19
GOLD COUNTRY RAILROAD.
At Last 1t Seems as IL the Gold Country
Would Get 1t.

what the Rainy Lake country would
y receive within short time what it
has needed for considerable time.
: The passage in the legislature
Thursday of an apparently innocent
bill entitled "an act to provide for
the incorporation of bridge compan-
ies," means new railroad for Mime
sofa: what is more, one of the most
important lines projected in recent
years says the Minneapolis Journal.
The passage of the bill removed the
last obstacle in the way of the pro-
iected line around the southern shore
of the Lake of the Woods, connecting
lines from Winnipeg and Port Ar
thur.
The new line is to be known as the
Minnesota s. Manitoba railroad, and
will run from a point on the northern
boundary of the state just west of the
Lake of the Woods around the south
ern shore of the the lake to point
on Rainy river, some miles east of the
lake. forty miles in all; a short line
and one in a remote country, appar-
emily, but destined to become part of
a system to compete with the great
Canadian Pacific. 1t is the last link
to be provided in line projected by
VIM. Mckenzie, the railroad and
street railway magnate of Canada,
between Port Arthur on the northern
shore of Lake Superior, and Winnipeg,
Man. This makes the Minnesota
part of the line liz conjunction with
the Canadian portions, competitor
of the Canadian Pacific for the whole
territory between the Manitoba cap
ital on the east, and ultimately for a
large portion of territory northwest
from Winnipeg. which is now being
built by the son of VIM. Mckenzie.
Engineers have already been over
the Minnesota line and have decided
that the best route will carry it be-
tween War Road river and Lake of
of the Woods to the mouth of the
river, at which point there will be a
TOWNSHIP and a harbor, which will
furnish port on the Lake of the
Woods for vast territory along the
western and southern shores of the
lake. Another TOWNSHIP will be estab-
lished where the line is to cross
Rainy river, whichis navigable and
will furnish another port for the ter
ritory along the river to the east and
along the eastern shore and arms of
the lake. The road. therefore, will
tap one Of the richest territories in
Canada, and will doubtless mean in
the near future line from the Lake
OF the Woods to Duluth, giving d
great lake outlet much nearer than
Port Arthur, and consequently the
opening up of large extent of Min
nesota territory as yet untouched by
any railroad, The impOrtances of the
line to this state can, therefore, be
readily seen.
There is no doubt that the line will
be built at once. 1t will. in fact, be
built this summer. The line from
Winnipeg southeast to Lake Of the
Woods is already largely graded,
while the line from Port Arthur west,
which will connect at Rainy river,
is already operating 100 miles at the
eastern end as far as Gunfiint Lake.
The incorporators of the company
which will build the Minnesota part
OF the line, and which has already
filed articles of Incorporation with
the state auditor and Hennepin
county register of deeds, are all Min
neapolis men, and are understood to
be backed by Mr.. Mckenzie and ample
capital to put the scheme through at
once. They are Hector Baxter.
Clarence Fl. Childs, Charles e. San