Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1902-07-17
DOUBLE TRACK.
From Chicago to the Missouri River.

A double track block system line of trans
continental railway now reaches out to the
westward as far as Omaha. This will be In the
way of a distinct revelation to the man who
made the trip across the plains twenty-five
years ago in a prairie schooner, or on the
emigrant train OF the seventies.
The rapid development of our great agri-
cultural states has been lost sight OF TO a
certain degree in the discussion that has
arisen lately concerning the commercial
invasion OF China and the far East, our occu-
patton of the Philippines Islands, the annex
alton of Hawaii, and the whole general
movement by which We have suddenly be-
come a world power. But while we have
periodically discussed these questions, COM
merce has moved ahead positively and
TelentleSsly in the direction of the Pacific
Coast, raising up new towns, building up old
ones, making factories and farms where
wild prairie had been.
The result is shown, in part, In the neces
sity on the part of the Chicago & North
Western for this double track line, where
great trains of live stock and grain move in
long lines eastward to feed not only the
eastern states, but TO afford an outlet for the
products of what is now, more than ever
before, the granary of the world.
To the westward there is also a continuous
stream of travel The North Western Line
operates three daily passenger trains from
Chicago TO the Pacific Coast. one of these,
known as the overland limited, is probably
the most luxurious and beautiful train in
the world. Through Pullman service TO
Omaha, Denver. Portland and San Francisco
leaves Chicago daily heavily loaded with
trafnc to those points. AS to freight move
ments the great double track system across
the plains Is busy carrying manufactures
forAsiatic Russia, cotton cloths for theChinese,
various articles required by the pioneers
who have crossed the Pacific TO Manila and
gone north TO the gold fields OF Alaska; as
well as the tremendous traffic for the Dako-
L tas, Colorado, wyoming Utah and the Pacific
Northwest comprising the product OF every
known branch of the country's commercial
activity.
Union, having been completed from Chicago
| to the Des PLANES River, distance of ten
miles, the first train over the line opened the
traffic TO Chicago by stopping on Its way east
| TO take on farmers load OF wheat, the first
grain shipment by rail to Chicago from the
west. II may be imagined that this wheat
was hardly destined for export and that the
travellers on this junket Of early days little
| thought to what proportion this nucleus OF
| a great railway system would grow.
But the road grew ana in 1870 the line to
Council Bluffs was complete and the Paw
nees on the Platte and the Sioux on the Miss
ouri began to feel the crowding OF the white
| mans outposts. In 1880 Iowa, minnesota and
Wisconsin had become well settled, while
along the Platte the indians still remained
| The Northwestern had however, built line
across Southern Minnesota and into Dakota
as far as WATERFOWL, with feeders to various
points, while in Wisconsin and Northern
Michigan lines had been extended north into
the Lake Superior district through Escan-
This seems very recent, but since that
time the system has grown until II pene-
lines of freight trains and its palatial passen-
ger service reach all important points from
Chicago to Milwaukee, Madison, St. Paul and
Minneapolis, Duluth and Superior, Omaha,
the black Hills, Colorado and the Pacific
coaGt.
With all this development in various di-
rections the rth-Western has never fort
moment lost sight of the great fact that the
tTanscontinental business OF this nation Is
for many years TO come to be to furnish
great volume OF tratic. The Chicago &
North Western is the pioneer transcontinen-
tai line. Its little ten miles torerunner OF
as, reaching brayely out to the great west,
has always Kept just little ahead Of the fast
pace set for progress by the young man, who
taking Greeley's famous advice, has gone
west until the west and the far east are
ready to join hands as one.
The North Western mas played an impor-
tant part in the growth of the western coun-
try. Double track trunk lines, heavy loco
motives and palaCe-like passenger trains
have all come to the west largely as a result
of the work of this pioneer line. Elevated
tracks in Chicago, electric block signals,
daily overland trains and the steady reduct-
ion In time, for overland passenger sched-
ules have all been furthered to very great
degree by the North Western.
The completion of the double track to
Omaha, the first double track between Chi
cago and the Missouri river, puts the road
not only at the front as compared with the
other western roads, but in advance of many
of the eastern lines that traverse country
where the population is much more dense.
The double track TO Omaha is part of the
general plan ON the:part OF the North West
ern, the Union Pacific and the Southern Pa
cihc to make the facilities for trausporta-
ton between Chicago and the Pacific Coast
as ample as possible, plan that will doubt
less result In the continued Improvement of
transcontinental service.