Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-08-16
WISCONSIN RAILROADS
Nine Lines Across the State to the
Mississippi.
$50 ROADS ORGANIZED SINCE 1s47.

o0U SINCE 1917.
Ten New High Schools, Thanks to In
creased Appropriation - Taxing 1000
Corporations Under the New LAWNS
consin Seventh in Iron Ore Production
Growing List of Gubernatorial Candi-
dates.
Madison, Aug. 15.-The report of
Railroad Commissioner Rice contains
some historical matter that makes il
of more than usual value; in fact, the
activity of the department at present
merits praise. There was talk of a rail-
road in Wisconsin in territorial days,
but there was much opposition, people
inclining TO state wagon roads. In
1847 a charter was granted to the Mil
waukee and Waukesha railroad by a
majority of one vote. In 1848 the
charter was amended extending the
line to the Father of Waters" and
in 1850 ten miles of road were com
pleted. This branch was the begin
ming of the Chicago, Milwaukee and
st. Paul system.
From 1S47 up to 1860, a period of
thirteen years, the mileage was $50;
" AOoL W LOW WCItd Qutu fUO ullIGS ,
from 1871 to 1880 were added 1884
miles; from 1881 to 1890 were added
2,351 miles; from 1891 to 1899 were
added S31 miles. Since 1847 more than
$50 railroads have been organized in
Wisconsin.
There are in Wisconsin today forty
six lines of railroads making reports,
embraced in forty-two systems. The
business of the state is done on the
seven great systems as follows: Chi
cago, Milwaukee and st. Paul, with
1850 miles; Chicago and Northwest
ern, 1923 miles; Wisconsin Central
lines. ST miles; Chicago, st. Paul, Min
neapolis and Omaha, $40 miles; 500
lines, FL miles; Green Bay and West
ern. 225 miles; Chicago, Burlington
and Northern, 222 miles; leaving thir-
ty five small roads with a total mileage
of $50.
Railroads Worth $30O.OOO,0OO.
The value of the railroad property
in the state is about $500, 900, 900, but
the commissioner thinks $225, 0O0, 900
would build it. Indeed, the roads cost
no more than that sum.
In 1867 the mileage was about one
seventh of what it is today, and a sur
vey of the railroad map at this time is
interesting. The work of railroad con-
%struction had been confined entirely to
the southern portion of the state. The
most northern point reached vas
Green Bay, on the extreme east of the
state and Tomah ON the west, less than
one-fourth the area. From 1S6S-1S73,
the year of Jay Cookies crash, resulted
in the building and equipment of 1888
miles of road. The most of this was
extensions in the northern part of the
state, all pointing to the Wisconsin
lake ports, Ashland and Superior.
The hard times of 1874-5-6 and 7
caused a halt, and only 1923 miles were
completed. From 1878 to 1889, inclu-
sive, 1855 miles were added, an aver
age of 240 miles per year. From 1889
to the present time mileage has been
added at the rate of from seventy
five to 200 miles each year, and today
Wisconsin has in all 1000 miles of
main line railroads, and one may start
from Lake Michigan and reach the Mis-
sissippi river by going over any one Of
the nine routes across the state from
east to west. One wishing to go north
nay choose from any of the eight
routes.
Wisconsin Seventh in Ores.
What a richly endowed land this
old Wisconsin of ours is. No "hogs
and corn" to the exclusion of all else;
no eternal rolling prairie to weary the
eye; 10 tedious, endless mountain
country; no all-manufacture, nor all
farming, nor all-mining, but a glori-
Gus diversity. Some part of almost
every industry is ours. All sorts of
things to do and to enjoy. The sum-
mer resort state of a dozen less favored
states; the biggest bodies of fresh wa
ter on earth ripping against our
coasts; the Father of Waters" trick
ling down n side; a gridiron of other
rivers fertiliZing the vast tract, the
whole fiecked with lakes that delight
thousands, feed great numbers and
give rise to a large output of bad poet
ry.
Grand old Wisconsin! No strike in
one industry or depression in another
can affect more then a part of the
people. The grasshoppers or the San
Jose scale may distress a few coun-
ties, but the factories of our Lowells
and Observation-Disclosures, Racine,
Beloit-run merrily on. If hard times
GAlCSN IACSSs VI ~ may khIN
work in her forests. Cattle are on her
thousand hillsides, and now the feder-
al geological survey reports that Wis
consin stands seventh in output of
ores, almost as much as Virginia and
Tennessee, and yielding 500 ,645 tons,
against 773, 0S2 tons in Pennsylvania.
What western state can compare to
Wisconsin in resources, in people, in
homes! Happy they who possess this
paradise.
Punishment at waupun.
The new trained warden at Waupun,
Mr.. McLaughrey has introduced some
innovations, among them the string
ing up" of obstreperous convicts. He
says that the punishments in vogue at
the prison are so mild as to be value
less. His plan of giving every pris-
oner a hearing before he is punished
cannot but meet with general approval.
My reading indicates that the tor
ture methods of punishments are go
ing by the boards in advanced pencil
ogy, a substitution being s~elf-acting
penalties. BY the solitary confine-
ment plan, bread and water, with work
at hand, the convict Furnishes himself,
and he has 1t in his power to return to
the ways of industry and good order
when he pleases. Desperation is an
attitude of mind that violence and pas
sion only increases. In dealing with 500
men whose crimes are of the state
prison class, sentimentalism is out of
place. but there are some basal prin-
ciples OF human nature which abide,
and one of them is the futility of fur
Their embittering an already desperate
man. The physical torture plan may
be recognized in practical peuology
but it is a remnant of inquisition tao
tics and must so.
A Famous Railroad Family.
The late Mrs. w. w. Collins of Ocon-
mowoc was the mother of seven liv-
ing children. OF the five sons two are
boys at home. Sumner j.. of Chicago,
is general superintendent of the Wis
consin Central railroad; Wallace c.,
Is general manager of the Chicago,
Milwaukee and st. Paul railway; Will
lam w, is superintendent of the -four
divisions of the Chicago, Milwaukee
and st. Paul railway. The father is
the present "St. Paul agent at Ocono-
mowoc. though practically retired. and
at this station as helpers these three
distinguished railroad sons began the
business. A daughter, Kate. is Mrs.
Percy c. Eldridge of Wausau, whose
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