The Minneapolis journal., 1902-06-28
NORTHWESTERN BUSINESS GOSSIP
Northwestern Towns Calling Minneapolis for Money
Land Investments Feature of the Demand Poor
Il Showing in Railway Construction-The New Match
Company-Good Results in Northwestern City Real
Real Estate.

stpolicy Of expansion. He wants to do
larger business, build a new store, or buy
more land. His farmer customer also de-
sires to branch out. He could pay If nee
| essary, but believes he can employ the
money to better advantage in another di-
rection, and pay the store account when
the crop is marketed in the fall. This
goes down the line to the wholesaler who
practically furnishes the capital, and he
Is calling for larger bank credits than he
usually needs in July.
N. w. Railway Building.
Railway building in the northwest for
the first six months of this year makes
poor showing compared with the con-
structlon In the southwest. The north
western states, according to figures just
published by the Railway Age, has 100
miles Of new rails to it's credit. In the
southwest nearly 1000 miles of new track
have been laid. OF the northwestern
states Washington leads with 80 miles.
Montana has So, North Dakota 81, Min
nesota ", and South Dakota 8. In the
southwest Texas, with 236 miles, shows
the best record of any state of territory
IN the union for the first six months. The
Indian Territory and Oklahoma each have
"a miles of new track New Mexico has
100 miles. t,sst -
OF the 5000 miles Of new road which
will be built in the United States this
year the northwest will evidently secure
put small percentage as compared with
the southwest. Several of the big sys-
TENS, which have been surveying and
grading for the first six months, and
which will soon begin to lay rails, have
been doing their most aggressive work
in the southwest. The Rock Island is
one Of these. The southwest is just be-
ginning to develop, <and there has been
race for the best sections of Oklahoma,
Indian Territory and Texas among the
larger railway interests. Railway con-
struction In the northwest is to large
degree in the hands of the merger roads
Their friends say that adverse public
sentiment has interfered with construc-
tlon, and the action of the government
against the merger is specially criticized
by them. On the other hand it is repre-
sented that the elimination of competi-
tion between the two big systems has
been to blame. The Great Northern and
Northern Pacific have done very little
building, and 1t is said will do little un-
til the legal status of the Northern Sc
curlties company has been established.
Several new agreements have been
| made between various lines this year,
| which have cut out lines projected early
in the season Two of these agreements
| have deprived northern South Dakota of
two valuable roads. In view of the activ-
ity now displayed by the Milwaukee in
South Dakota there is much speculation
as to how long the agreement between
the Great Northern and Milwaukee af-
fecting North Dakota will hold good. The
Milwaukee is indulging in lively threats
Veyors are covering the Missouri river
country in South Dakota thoroughly and
getting dangerously near the choice ter
ritory of the merger roads. The Mil
waukee is credited with an intention to
| build northwestward from the Missouri
| river in South Dakota. 1t may do it, and
| it. may be content to sit quietly back and
make new deal on traffic as it's price
| for keeping out of merger territory. With
four lines now in southern North Dakota
the Milwaukee is in a position to make
more choice territory tributary to it's
| lines. If 1T decides to take it on, some
| of the fighting lines of the Great North
ern in South Dakota will probably be ex-
tended and that state will be materially
| benefited.
To Be Supplied From Chicago.
Although twin city commercial organ
izations have persistently endeavored to
get one of the cities included in the plans
of the new s10,000,000 Consolidated Match
company, the best advices so far obtain
/ able indicate that the entire northwest
!
from Chicago. The Consolidated company
promises to make known it's plans in a
circular soon to be issued. 1t is under
stood that plants will be established in
Boston and New Orleans to supply the ex-
port trade; in Pittsburg to meet the mid
| die eastern business; In Cincinnati for
the territory between there and New Or
| leans; in Denver to supply the trade west
| of the Rocky Mountains. Chicago will
take care Of this section Of the country
and the central west. The plant at Chi
cago will be probably the largest erected
by the new company. The
| There is much interest among north
| western jobbers and business men in this
venture. Although the Diamond Mattel
company has generally had "cinch'' or
the trade in these states the relations OF
the dealer and the trust have been quite
satisfactory. The Diamond has been will
ing to allow a'reasonable margin of prof
to both jobber and retailer, at the same
time making price to which the con-
! sumer could offer little objection. But the
company has materially raised the price
over the figures ruling Ave years ago