The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-05-31
ON TO WILLMAR.
Great Western Extension May
Go There.
James j. Hill Thought TO Be at the Bot.
tom of Plan TO Benefit His
System.

A dispatch from Fort Dodge, Iowa,
dated May 22d, says:
president A B. Stickney, Gen
eral Manager S. G. Stickney and
Secretary R. G. Bright of the Chicago
Great Western road arrived in the city
last night to attend the annual meet
| ing of the stockholders of the Mason
City & Fort Dodge road this morn
ing, and also to inspect profiles sub
mittedsby surveyors along the new
Omaha line. President Stickney de-
clines to make a statement as yet, BUT
the expectation is that definite set
Element of the plans will be made dur
ing the visit. Among the directors
elected was James ]. Hill, showing
that that magnate still has an interest
in the Chicago Great Western.
The above has given rise to good
deal of speculation in this city. 1t is
held by some that Mr.. Hills conrec-
tion with the road is the cause of the
proposed extension of the line west
ward from this city. Mr.. Hill has
been at swords points with the North
Western system for some time and has
felt that it has been cutting in on his
territory with it's extensions. He may
propose now to retaliate by doing
little cutting in himself, and at the
same time open up more direct route
to Chicago for good deal of his own
territory.
1t is said that the Great Western ex-
tension is to parallel the Northwest
ern to Tracy and to continue on to
Marshall, where it will intersect Mr.
Hills Sioux Falls & Duluth road In
order to reach Chicago, everything on
this road now has to go by way of the
twin cities With the Great Western
extended from Mankato to Marshall,
a shorter line to Chicago is establish
ed, and some of the North Westerns
territory is tapped.
a-Another report is to the effect that
the Great Western intends to strike |
west from New Ulm and go to Will
mar, where it will connect with Mr.. |
Hills road. This would be more |
direct route than that to Marshall |
and it seems more reasonable that this |
should be the proposed objective.
1t is claimed that some who are in |
authority, or at least in position to
know, have limited that the extension
was to be made to Willmar.
The Chicago Great Western survey
ors were expected to move their camp
into New Ulm Friday. They have
passed CORTLAND, along the river bot
tom, through Dotys picnic grounds.
Following the surveyors is a corps of
photographers, who are taking views
of every inch of the ground selected
by the surveyors. This will afford
the chief engineer and other officials
very complete and accurate knowledge
of the ground to be traversed and the
obstacles to be overcome.
The presence of the Chicago &
North Western surveyors at Judson,
to by the Free Press several
days ago, may be due to the Great
Western move. The North Western
may have suspected that the Great
Western intended to cross the river
there and go into New Ulm on the
south side. 1t now seems certain that
the Great Western is going into New
Ulm on the north side, which corro
borates the Tracy Marshall theory.
1t has also been suggested that the
North Western intends to run a line
from Judson to Fargo, N. D., to Sc
cure more direct route to Chicago
and to cut into Mr.. Hills system
Another force of five G. G.. W. sur
veyors under Mr.. Spaulding arrived
from st. Paul and went to
work in this city in the afternoon, be-
ginning near the c. G. W. depot and
south. Today they were at
work in West Mankato, taking meas
urements close to the river and from
there to the Omaha track.
A West Mankato man who made in
quiries of the first corps of surveyors
was informed that the entire fats in
West Mankato, west of the Omaha
track, was to be used for railroad
yards and machine shops within
year. This man was making some i'm
provements on his house, and was adj
vised not to go to any more expense.
He also contemplated buying more
land, and was given hint not to do
3d.
Geo. Atchison has accepted an offer
to give up his lease of the Lee estate
barn for the building and 800 cash,
provided the road takes the property.
1t is. understood that an option has
been secured from J. H. Ray. Con-
demnation proceedings to obtain some
of the land needed are expected to be
soon