The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-04
ADVANTAGE OF WIS.
Activity in Railway Building
Where No Merger Blights.
GRAND COUNTRY OPENED UP
Central Minnesota Suffers for Need
of Railway Lines; Northwestern
Wisconsin Gets Them.
10 the Editor of The Journal.


the Mile Lacs region of central Minneso-
ia and their prospective development. Let
me now supplement this by one on the
region lying directly east, which, for con-
sentence. l designate northwest Wisconsin.
Central Minnesota may be said to lie
bet ween ranges 81 to AZ and the Missis-
sippi and the St. Croix. Within these
limits Of about sixty miles square there
are practically over three million acres
of land. We here find the seven counties
of Pine, Kanabec, Mile Lacs, Morrison,
Crow Wing. Aitkin and Carlton. Slngu-
1arly, on the east to the Wisconsin Cen
tral railway, there is about an equal area
composing the seven counties Of POLK,
Washburn, Burnett, Sawyer, Douglas,
Ashland and Bayfield,. Both areas are or
much the same general character, that IS
they were once covered with pine and
hardwoods, and were deemed to have no
other value. The topography in each may
be described as gently rolling, and one
may travel for days and never meet hill
higher than an ordinary house. Barring
the sand or gravel ridges, easily to be
avoided by inspection Of the geological
charts, the soil is a clayey loam with
clay subsoil, and it is now found to be
capable Of producing anything. Certain
1t is that soil which will rear the mighty
pine and the forests Of hardwoods must
have great strength. and so 1t Is that
fruits, grasses, cereals of all kinds, now
grow here as luXurlantly as tney uo III
any portion Of the two states.
Railroad Comparisons.
The most interesting and perhaps i'm
portant feature Of these two areas is
their present railroad conditions. They
furnish food not only for reflection but
for ction, at least on our part as citizens
of Minnesota. In central Minnesota we
have long had the Great Northern and
Northern Pacific running on the three
sides Of the triangle Of which the twin
cities Is the apex. Later came the Little
Falls extension and one or two cut-offs.
But here they stopped. like the fellow
that once used tar soap, and never used
any other since
That is to say that through all these
years of our growth these great railway
organiza tions. deriving immense tolls
from our farmers seem to have de-
voted their best energies to building up
the far west and allowing the internal
development to get on as best it could.
Minnesota, therefore, has practically
been a mere way-station along the line.
Lakes as grand as Mile Lacs, thousands
of acres Of the best lands. have been al
Bowed to lie without any reasonable me-
iium of communication. very few eX-
tensions would fairly revolutionize things
throughout the whole area and give an
impetus to the general growth that would
1t once delight and astound.
Railway Activity in Wisconsin.
Now for look in upon our neighbors.
The Wisconsin Central, on its way to the
twin cities. branched at about the CEN
ter of the state, then ran northeasterly
to Ashland. The Omaha also branched,
running lines from Spooner to both Ash
land and Dulut b. But it was left to the
plucky 500 to awaken the whole interior
of Wisconsin from west to east. Not con-
tent with this, it soon began first ex-
tension northerly which is now we'll
through Polk county. Last year 1t ran a
second from Cameron to Brentwood,
reaching the southeast corner of Wash
burn county This aroused the Omaha
and 1t also ran to Brentwood. This year
1t is ext ending from Brentwood north
easterly we'll into the center Of Sawyer
county. 1t is also running northerly from
Chippewa Falls, probably to connect with
the first extension in Sawyer county. We
thus find there three extensions by riva
companies and, a result, the country
Is beginning to feel the throbbing OF {
new life. These companies seem to have
two-fold purpose. First, to pre-occup.
the territory. and second, to secure al
immense freight traffic in the hardwood
are only the beginnings. The 500 must
sooner or later, continue it's Polk count
branch on to Duluth. The Omaha will
likely continue northerly in Sawyer coun
ty. paralleling its own line and midwa
between it and the Wisconsin Central
The Wisconsin Central, too, must have
more direct connection with Duluth an6
since 1t owns fine body of lands on it
west side too remote to be covered by tn
present line. it will probably also branc
northwesterly through Sawyer county to
wards Duluth. During all this time tn
Chicago & Milwaukee company has bee
making numerous extensions into mort b
east Wisconsin,
Minnesota VS.. Wisconsin.
We thus find the railroad conditions
the two areas. There money is being e.
pended freely, here not dollar. The1
we find competition strong and sever
here We have 'the merger" The on
lines even talked of are one from Minn'
apolis to Aitkin and Grand Rapids al
one or two electric lines out from Lift
Falls. We may as we'll understand I'll
situation, unpleasant though it be. v
must arouse from lethargy, demand tt
needed extensions, or quit in the race fl
supremacy with Wisconsin,
Sawyer County.
From this general view of the situ
tion in northwest Wisconsin it wou
seem that while all the counties so nam
are rapidly developing and have peculi
advantages, Sawyer county is the one mo
likely to take the lead. Its geographic
tensions above outlined, except that
the 500 to Duluth, can go on witho
passing through her borders. In t.
southern part Of the county, where t.
work is now progressing, thousands
acres have lately changed hands and
double, even treble, the prices Of t'
years ago, and settlements are going
! rapidly. The county is veritable Ell
4 pire in extent, having thirty eight tow
ships and about $4,000 acres of go
land. In the northern part there a
said to be copper Indications and it is
rare thing now for a sale to go on wit
out reservng at least half the minerals
The soil, as rule, is Of exceeding ric
ness, and the whole county is W
watered. The Namekagon skirts
northwestern portion, finally reaching
St. Croix. The Chippewa rises in
northeast corner, and running to abe
the center, passes southerly to the M
sissippi. Down it's waters during the ps
quarter of century has passed unit
wealth In the pine logs But the fame
Chippewa valley remains, and still gre'