Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-08-10
THE NEW 6. & N. w. LINE.

THE NEW C. & N. w. LINE.
In giving a review Of the new Iowa,
Minnesota & Northwestern Railway
Company, which projected line from
Belle PLANE, Iowa, to Blue Earth,
Mimi. and which the Chicago & North
western subsequently acquired through
negotiations with its leading protector,
Mr.. w. e. Brice, the Belle Plaine Union
speaks in glowing terms of the future
of the line. After referring to the pre-.
liminary work the Union says:
1.-THE Northwestern had looked with
jealous eye upon this very field for
twenty years and the officers are today
as happy as school boys over the occa-
sion. They were all very much sur
prised at the easy grades, which at no
point exceed thirty-iye feet to the
mile. 100 per cent better than the
Northern Iowa. Upon the closing of the
bargain Marvin Hughitt complimented
Mr.. Brice not only on his enterprise, but
also upon his nerve. It was no small
thing to venture, as did he, in the ex-
penditure Of $4,000 IN preliminary work,
but that the line was carefully Sc
lected is evidenced by the fact that
Chief Engineer Carter, OF the North
western, has not changed Engineer
bikes survey in a single instance from
the first selected route. That Marvin
Hughitt meant what he said could cer-
tainly find no better proof than the fact
that he not only accepted all of Mr..
Brices demands, but Mr.. Brice was
voluntarily continued as president of
the company, with Messrs. Hughitt,
Whitman, Kirkman and other WE'LL
known Northwestern men as his official
colleagues.
"a sudden change of our plans was
brought about by the completion Of
terms and all tax elections were Inn
mediately discontinued. The procur-
ing of the right of way was the one
order of the day and Mr.. Brice called
in his helpers from Belle PLANE through
to Blue Earth and all were put to work
on stations Of from six to twenty miles.
The whole way was secured and also
the additional tract TO Fox Lake. to
which Mr.. Brice was hastily and Sc
cretly dispatched to avoid others head
ing him off. So theoretically was the
work pushed that the whole 1870 miles
was practically under contract in seven
weeks and nearly 60 per cent Of the first
100 miles graded. Mr.. Brice is young
man of indomitable energy and clear
business sagacity. We have known him
all his life. His parents came from New
York and Pennsylvania and he inner
tied exceptional business qualifications.
His whole life has been given to busi-
ness, and we have reason to believe,
with the progress he has made. that
i this young Wellington of Finance will
yet be widely. known in American COM
mercial circles. We value his friend
! ship. 1t also means much for Belle
PLANE.
What this means to Belle Plaine can
scarcely be estimated. Besides the Da-
kota connections 1t will be a through
lime between ST. Paul and Chicago, over
which immense amounts OF passenger.
mail and freight business will be hauled
lin preference to the Wisconsin line, on
account of the very easy grades this
4 way and the tremendous hills on the
other divisions. The passenger service
upon this road will be an entirely new
train from Chicago to Belle Plaine and
/ from Belle PLANE to Minnesota. The
| first division north will be at Mason
City. 106 miles from here, but Belle
Plaine will always be the terminus of
this road and will feed the many men 1t
will take to operate the same from this
END. The road is to be laid in seventy
two pound steel to begin with, which OF
itself means first-class road from tho
very start. Rails will be laid on the
north end first. but all grading is con-
ltracted to be done by Nov. 1. 1899 and
rails will be laid from this end in Octo-