Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1900-01-11
RAILROAD RUMORS.
The Program of the 500 as Out.
lined in q Montreal
Dispatch.

i ohbbSO lu - Iv1VnS1 Vol
Dispatch.
Following the announcement Of
the reported building Of the North
ern Pacific extensions few days ago
comes the reply OF the Soc. The
battle Of the big railroad system in
North Dakota for territory is of
great interest TO the people OF the
state, and may mean much, in the
more rapid development of this
region than has been believed. 1t is
said that prominent railway eng-
neer recently stated that he expected
to see North Dakota or the greater
part Of it, gridironed by railroads
every ten miles. The latest newspa.
per information of the intentions Of
the 500 is in the following dispatch
to the Minneapolis Journal purpor,.
ing TO come from Montreal and
dated an. I:
while nothing definite was de-
cided at the recent meeting Of 500
line officials in this city as To exten.
si"n building during 1900 il is
learned that the company will very
certainly protect itself in its territory
northwest OF Minneapolis. The re
cent announcements OF extensions by
the Northern Pacific south Of the
main line of the road from Fargo TO
Bismarck, are direct menaces of &C.
cupation of 500 territory. The 500
has partly built line from Hankin-
son, on the main line to Bismarck.
II passes through Cakes, Kuhn,
Napoleon and terminates a short dis
lance west of Braddock. This is a
rapidly growing region and the 500
has always regarded it as a territory
which it could claim as its own. 1t
is certain that if the Northern Pa
cine builds the line suggested to
Winona, on the Missouri, through the
southern counties of North Dakota.
the 500 will retaliate by building,
perhaps first, into the same territory,
and also perhaps, by building to Far
go.
"This Fargo line, would according
to rumor, leave the present main line
at Elbow Lake. From that place
the 500 could build into Fargo and
have shorter line than the Northern
Pacific anil as short line as the
best line of the Great Northern; that
is about 235 miles from Minneapolis.
But this would not be the end of it.
If the Fargo line is built i. is the
logical conclusion that the 500
would require western extension to
feed it and that it could hit tine
Northern Pacific a hard blow by
building right on northwest into the
region now being occupied by the
! Northern Pacific around Coopers-
town and the towns on the Leeds
branch By selecting the route for
such line with care, the 500 people
could strike rich country with plen-
ty Of lively towns, and at the same
time reach their old main line again,
say at Harvey, on exactly the same
terms as they do now-4oo miles or
little more from Minneapolis.
This line would also get into some
good Great Northern territory.
cit would undoubtedly become
the main line Of the 500 as it would
be quite as short as the present line
l-possibly little shcrter-and
would command a better local bust
ness"
The dispatch also refers to the
completion of the twenty miles OF
track to Bismarck, the absorption Of
the Washburn line but says nothing
Of the reports of the extension to
jamestown from Forman, which are
rife in the country along the proposed
line where meetings are said to have
been held by farmers who are greatly
in need of transportation facilities.
Strayed.