Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1902-07-19
DOUBLE
TRACK
FROM CHICAGO TO THE MIS-
SOURI, R!VE.i
The Latest TranscOntinental Railway
News.
THE CHICAGO & NORTHWESTERN
The First Road to Double Track Its Line
the Entire Distance
FROM CHICAGO TO OMAHA.
Distinctly Forward Step. Made Neces-
sary by the Increased Travel Re-
sultine From the Phenome-
nal Growth of the Pa
cific States.
The Latest TranscOntinental Railway
News.
HE CEIICAGO& NORTHWESTERN

a double track, block system line Of
out to the westward DIS far as Omaha.
This will be in the way Of 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
agricultural states has been lost sight
of to certain degree in the discussion
that has arisen lately concerning the
commercial invasion of China and the
far East, our occupation of the Philip
pine Islands, the annexation of Hawaii,
and the whole general movement by
which we have suddenly become
world power, But while we have pat
rioticslly discussed these questions,
commerce has moved ahead positively,
and relentlessly 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
necessity 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 grauary of the world.
To the westward there is also con-
tinuous 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 traffic to those points. AS
to freight movements, the great double
track system across the plains is busy
carrying manufactures for Asiatic Rus
sia, cotton cloths for the Chinese, vari-
Gus articles required by the pioneers
who have crossed the Pacific to Ma
Mia and gone north to the gold mines
Of Alaska as well as the tremendous
traffic for the Dakotas. Colorado, Wy
oming, Utah and the Pacific Northwest
comprising the product of every known
branch of the country's commercial
activity.
1t YVES in 1848 that the Chicago &
Galena Union. having been completed
from Chicago to the Des PLANES river
G. distance of ten miles, the first train
over the line opened the traffic to Chi
cago by stopping on it's way East to
take on farmers load of wheat, the
first grain shipment by rail to Chicago
from the West. 1t 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 great
railroad system would grow.
But the road grew and in 1879 the
line to Council Bluffs was complete,
and the Pawnees on the Platte and the
Sioux on the Missouri 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 North Western had,
however, built a line across Southern
Minnesota and into Dakota as far as
Watertown, with feeders to various
points, while in Wisconsin and North
ern Michigan lines had been extended
north into the Lake Superior district
through Escanaba to Ishpeming.
This all seems very recent, but since
that time the system has grown until it