Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-20
NEW COMPETITOR IN FIELD
Minneapolis & St, Louis Has Short Lin
Between Omaha and Minneapolis,
IMPORTANT FACTOR IN RAILROAD CIRCLES
Connection with Illinois Central Mt
Fort Dodge Reduces Distance to
Minneapolis ThIrty-Four MILES
Lower Rntes Assured.

The completion OF the Illinois Central S
Fort Dodge extension to Council Bluffs AMI
Omaha will bring into competition for Min
neapolis- Omaha business a new line-the
Minneapolis & st. Louis. BY virtue OF con-
nections made possible through the Illinois
Central extension the Minneapolis & st.
Louis will virtually be able to control pas
scnger and freight business between Omaha
and Minneapolis for the reason that its
route will be thirty-four miles shorter than
the present shortest line between these two
cities, thus enabling the shaving off of at
least an hour in time
The main line OF the Minneapolis & St.
Louis runs through Fort Dodge. Hereto
fore it's passenger and freight business des-
tined for Omaha and points reached through
this city has gone through Fort Dodge to
Des Moines there making connection with
the Rock Island. This line was such a
roundabout one and so much longer than
other lines operating between these cities
that its business was but small proper
tion of the total traffic. Connection at Fort
Dodge with the Illinois Central, thence over
the new line to Omaha, gives the Minneapo-
lis & st. Louis now, however, a prestige
which will be used to it's advantage and
which the other Minneapolis Omaha lines
contemplate with regret. It's new line via
fOTJ DOuBe Will DG only O4O miles lung, as
against the distance of 3S2 via Sioux City
and Council Bluffs and of 392 via Sioux City
and Blair.
Aside from the advantage gained by the
public in reduced distance and time between
Minneapolis and Omaha there is another
item of much Importance. The shortening
of the liue will result in a reduction of fare,
which will in all probability approximate
so cents on the one-way rate. 1t is stated
that the Minneapolis e st. Louis intends to
establish this reduction in fare, and the
fact that it is the short line with the prvi-
lege of basing the rate will force the other
lines to make like reduction. The reduc
tion of time and fare over this line applies
to other Missouri river points as well as to
Omaha Kansas City, st. Joseph, Atchson
and Leavenworth will all be reached in less
time, as well as the territory reached
through these cities.
Details of the train arrangements are not
yet fully completed between the Minneapolis
& st. Louis and the Illinois Central. Gen
eral Passenger Agent Cults of the former
has progressed sufficiently in his plans, how
ever, to be able to say there will in due
time be two trains daily to Omaha via Fort
Dodge. The Minneapolis & st. Louis will
have the advantage of the same terminal
facilities in this city as the Illinois Central
the Union depot for its passenger traffic
and the Terminal depot for freight.
The Minneapolis & st. Louis eventually
expects to enter Omaha as an independent
road. II has in course of construction now
a limo from New Ulm, Mimi, to Storm Lake,
Ia, and from this latter point it is reason
able to expect that it will reach Omaha. All
its present time cards show proposed road
into this city. The new line is already COM
pleted from New JIm to EStherville, and
it is expected to have it in operation as far
as Spencer, fourteen miles south of Esther
vile, this winter. The gap between Spencer
and Storm Lake will hardly be completed
this winter, as there are several bridges and
fills to be finished.