The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-03-15
ON TOFARMINGTO
Milwaukee Road to Extend the
Wells Branch.
This Road and the Chicago Great West.
ern Make Reciprocal Arrange
ments of Mutual Benefit

One of the enterprises that seems al,
most certain to be carried through the
present year is the extension of theMil.
waukee' s Wells branch road from this
city to Pennington, through LIE Sueur
Center The road has had this in view
position to proceed with it. AS pre-
liminary step, the road some little
time ago purchased of the Chicago &
Northwestern road eight lots along the
Minnesota river front just west of the
G. q N. w. stock yards and including
some of the ground now occupied by
these yards. The lots extend into the
river and the sale conveys riparian
rights There is room enough above
the bank for double track. The Chi
cago q Northwestern road will NOV e
its stock yards further east.
If it has not done so already, the
Milwaukee road will purchase from
private parties enough land to extend
its right of way to the Chicago Great
Western road, and it will go out of the
city and out of the Minnesota Valley
upon the Great Western tracks. Once
on the upper country, it will strike
off for LIE Sueur Center and thence for
Pennington, opening up a new route
from Mankato to the twin cities. This
is not definitely known yet SO far as
the public is concerned, but among
railroad men it is acknowledged to be
the undOubted outcome of the recent
move of the Milwaukee road.
Another advantage to Mankato will
be the fact that the Great Western
trains will run into the center Of the
city over the Milwaukee tracks. This
is reciprocal arrangement, so it is
said, and it is also rumored that these
two roads will unite in the construc-
ton of a new depot or the enlargement
of the present Milwaukee depot.
The local agents of the various roads
interested have known of the plans on
foot for some time, but have not been
at liberty to divulge them. Surveying
parties of both roads have recently
been in the city. The chief engineer
of the G. g. W. road was in Mankato
this week, accompanied by assistants,
and spent an entire afternoon. While
the two roads have been working on
the quiet, other parties in the city
have known of what was proposed, and
the Free Press was recently given an
inkling. but it was thought best to say
nothing until something definite had
developed. The sale of the lots to the
Milwaukee road is confirmed by Col.
Johnson, of the G. & N. W.
= Surveys were made Friday for the
location of the transfer house to be
erected by Messrs Hickey, Sohre and
Graf. 1t is to be located on land
owned by the Omaha road, just to the
right of the extension of jackson
street. Some filling will be necessary.
The transfer company leases the land
from the railroad and the latter will
construct side track to the building,
running east Of the union depot and
Omaha freight depot.
There are one or two other moves
proposed in the vicinity of Mankato
by roads that enter this city, but they
have not yet advanced to point where
definite information can be given out.
If carried out, they will result to the
advantage of one or more of the roads,
and incidentally to Mankato.
The year 1901 promises to witness a
renewal of activity in railway con-
struction in Southern Minnesota, and
Mankato will get her share of the
benefits
DFATH Of WRS. ROVER.