Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-11
OPENS FERTILE TERRITORY
Completion Of Elkhsrn's Extension Into the
Rosebud Country.
HOMES FOR THOUSANDS OF |SETTLERS
New Railroad Places Omaha in Post
tion to Reap vast Benefit
from the of
the settlement.

The Hiobrara extension OF the Fremont,
Elkhorn g. Missouri Valley railroad into the
Rosebud country, the completion Of which
Saturday was announced in The Bee sun
day, gives the Chicago & Northwestern
railway system the only line into that i'm
iportant section. Bonesteel. the terminus
of the new line, is located on the border OF
the Indian reservation, 416, 1000 acres of
which are to be thrown open for settlement
In the spring. This land lies in Boyd
county, Nebraska, and Gregory county,
South Dakota, and is rich and fertile. The
reservation is bordered by the White river
on the north and the Missouri on the east.
It is expected that when these lands are
opened a tremendous rush will be made by
prospective settlers and this will afford
rich returns for the Elkhorn's exclusive
branch. Getting into that country just a
little in advance Of the population it be-
comes the pioneer railroad, and no doubt
will fulfill all the most sanguine hopes OF
Its projectors. It is the purpose Of the
Northwestern people to assume the most
aggressive and progressive policy, aiding
in the development Of this territory so
pregnant with natural resources and at
fractions. The area Of lane to be thrown
open for settlement is large enough to ad-
NIT OF a good sized population and It lie be-
lieved that some excellent towns will be
established and built up along the new
road.
Begins work June II.
Work on this new extension was started
June IA. The line is only 67,23 miles in
length, and IL would seem that an unsu-
ally long period was consumed in it's
construction, but when Il is considered
that General Manager Bidwell and mis- as
Fsociates had to encounter a series OF OBJ
F~6tacles, natural and unnatural. It will be
found that some fast work was done.
In the first place, the weather was
against rapid progress for some time; then
It was a most difficult task to get enough
men to keep the work going regularly, and
last. but one Of the greatest drawbacks,
was the failure to get bridge material.
The road is in operation as far as Anoka
and 1t is the plan to begin running trains
to the end of the line by the last Of the
week. No changes in the passenger schnd-
ules at Omaha are anticipated at present
by reason Of the completion of this new
branch. The same trains that now leave
Omaha Will proceed to Bonesteel, the ter
minus. In the spring, when the rush for
land begins, the train service will, of
course, be made commensurate with the
needs of the road.
This extension leaves the main line at
Norfolk and crosses the river at Niobrara.
This line furnishes Omaha with another
valuable outlet. II taps a country that,
while yet undeveloped, abounds in wonder
ful possibilities and improves facilities for
reaching other rich tributary sections.
Omaha naturally is the metropolis of this
country and it's advantages are at once APP
parent.
Expect Advance In Wages.
The decided bearish tendency of the stock
Of about a dozen leading western railroads
in the New York markets Saturday has
been interpreted by local railroad men who
keep a close watch on the movement Of
stocks as indication of the growing appre-
hension Of the general increase in the
wages paid railroad employees throughout
the country. Some OF the declines we're as
PERCEPTIONS as 4 points, while others hung
at 2 and 3 below.
Railroad earnings have been going up
by leaps and bounds and the general cost
of living has kept pace with them" said q
railroad man, land a corresponding in
crease in the wages of railway employees, l
believe, Is inevitable. 1t is nothing more
than right that the men who are the pro-
ducers Of wealth for the great railroads
should share their rapidly increasing reve-
nues and II is also just that the working
man should get enough money for his work
to enable him to cope with the increase
in prices OF staple articles. The great
army Of men which runs the trains is
mighier in one way than those compare
lively few magnates who hire them to run
the trains, and whenever they take a
definite and positive stand they will bring
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