The Minneapolis journal., 1901-04-13
SHORT LINES NEEDED
Better Communication With South
Dakota Points Necessary.
TRADE OF THE BLACK HILLS LOST
Chicago Lines Are Extending i'm
Such "a Manner as to Help
Windy City.

commercial travellers They are enter
prlslng, observing, and enthusiastic par
tlzans OF the city. Among them are some
OF the veterans of the road in the west.
| Inc Iact that the Commercial Club has
begun the fight for better railway facili
ties for minneapolis has interested them.
Those who make South Dakota note
tnat recent railway extensions in the
southern part of that state serve to in
crease Chicago's prestige in many lines
OF trade in that territory to the detriment
OF Minneapolis. P. M. Thompson of w.
w, johnson & Co., sold sash and doors
along the Missouri river in the days when
the steamboat and trail were the only
means OF transportation. He has OBJ
served the work of railroad construction
and extension in South Dakota as it's af-
fects Minneapolis, in detail. He says:
In contesting for trade with Chicago
In South Dakota Minneapolis business men
must turn all of the tricks possible for this
| city in the next few years. Every year
sees Chicago encroaching more and more
on territory ha by all he natural laws Of
| trade should belong to Minneapolis. OF
the South Dakota lines we have but one
| (besides the Minneapolis st. Louis
which ends at Watertown), that we can
call direct. That is the Hastings & Da-
kota, and when extensions are made to
the Black Hills Minneapolis should en-
deavor to secure the extension Of the
Hastings Dakota. To reach the Woon-
socket and Madison line of the Milwaukee,
minneapolis goods must first go to Austin
and South Dakota merchants coming to
this city over that line must come by that
roundabout way. If the Milwaukee could
pc persuaded to build from Glencoe to
Flandreau or Pipestone 1t would give
Minneapolis a direct line into that section
or South Dakota and do wonders for us in
soIcltlng trade At the present time the
burlington is building a ffty-mile piece
or road from Sioux Falls to Madison which
gives Chicago still better chance at the
trade IN that country and the territory
north OF there. Other extensions of the
same 0<ure are promised and 1t looks
to me a. 1t behooves the shippers Of
Minneapolis to begin to move in this mat
ter OF railway building in South Dakota
L realize that shippers cannot build rail-
roads just when they want to, but pro-
gressive city like Minneapolis should not
allow the iron ways of trade to be built
through territory so close by without max
Ing an enort to protect herself
Mr.. BIenkhorn's Views.
T. Blenkhorn, who has covered both
Dakotas for the Moline Plow company
says:
Minneapolis as a jobbing center is
bound to develop rapidly from now on.
be the leader by big margin in the dis
trlbution of farm implements. Minnesota
and North Dakota are easy territory for
lnls city. The same can be said of the
northern section of South Dakota. In the
rest Of South Dakota we need the right
Kind OF railway extension to increase the
business done by Minneapolis in that
state. This does not only apply to Black
| HIS extensions but to our method of
| getting on to the lines east of the river
with heavy goods. These are few cross
country lines that can be built which
! would obvlate much Of the trouble in the
way OF quick shipment and serve to block
the efforts of Chicago and Missouri river
| points to divide the southern South Da-
kota bushes between them. Minneapolis
Shippers show a disposition to fight for
their rights. They can find a big oppor-
tun1ty for fight or persuasiveness by
careful study of the map Of South Dakota.
In the next ten years South Dakota trade
Will develop wonderfully. 1t is an item
worth fighting for. 1t lies close to our
doors, and at the present time the Chi
cago lines are making short extensions
| which serve to increase the hold of Chi
cago on the southern half of the state.
Minneapolis may or may not be able to
! correct 1t, but the average commercial
traveller out Of this city thinks she ought
! to try
Black Hills Trade Lost.
E. D. Mansfield of the North Star Shoe
company was making the Black Hills
country back in the seventies. He saws:
In the early days Minneapolis had the
entire trade of the Black Hills We sold
them practically all they used in lines
carried by use. Now we sell them some
shoes and some dry goods but that is all.
| In the seventies the goods were shipped
frnT
! the stage trail to Deadwood. Competition
between stage routes at times forced the
rate from Minneapolis to Deadwood down
| to $1.SO per hundred. l believe it costs
more than that now to Deadwood by rail.
| In 1881, following the completion of the
North Western road to Pierre, all stage
| routes were changed from Bismarck to
Pierre We continued to hold trade but
the completion Of the Fremont G. Elkton
into the Hills carried all Of our traffic
toward Chicago, st. Louis, Kansas City
| and Omaha.
Good Reservation Country.
I South Dakota people and Minneapolis
shippers will find much to contend with
before railway extension to the Hills is
assured. The North Western Is already in
the Hills country and finds little incentive
towards building the new extension. The
reservation west of the river proves
serious obstacle. Before any Of the roads
! build extensions beyond the river thew un-
! doubtedly would like to see something be-
tween the river and the Hills that would
support a railroad. That means that tbe
reservation must be thrown open to set
tlement. South Of the Cheyenne river is
tne country. 1t has soil like Iowa and
Illinois and superior to Nebraska 1t will
some day be the greatest corn country in
the west l am confident that when one
of the Missouri river lines extends to the
Hills that all of them will follow. OF
course Minneapolis wants as near to an
air line as she can get. Her shippers
should keep in close touch with South Da-
kota and make close study of railroad
plans in that state for the next few
years"
The Coffin Trade.
Ed Gets OF the Northwestern Casket
company has distributed coffins all over
the northwest. He says:
In our line we have killed Chicago on
the rate alone. Minneapolis can chase
Chicago out Of any part of South Dakota
east Of the Missouri where the rate is as
high as it is on collins. That is cheerful
intelligence cheerfully given from a man
who sells cheerful line. But it is the
man who sells the heavy goods which peo-
pie are in the habit of buying from the
nearest point of supply and which the
dealer Is in the habit of expecting on the
| next train after he orders, who finds
| trouble In southern South Dakota Tray
| cling men are the best railroad builders
and schedule makers that the world has
produced. The Hastings & Dakota line of
the Milwaukee is a good one for Mime
apolls. Ii this town had some short cut