The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1903-02-20
CHICAGO a NORTHWESTERN RY.
Fist Road to Double Its Track from
Chicago to Omaha.

Fist Road TO Double Its Track rom
( Chicago to Omaha.
! A double track. block system line OF
transcontinental railway now reaches
/ from the Missouri river to Chicago.
I 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
smigrant train of the seventies.
The rapid development OF our great
agricultural states has been lost signc.
Of to a certain degree in the discussion
that has arisen lately concerning tne'
commercial invasion Of China and tne'
far east, our occupation OF the Pnllp-
pine Islands, the annexation OF HaWan
and the whole general movement py
which we have suddenly become a.
world power. But while we have pa
triotically discussed these questions,
commerce has moved ahead positively
and relentlessly in the direction or the
Pacifi ceoast, raising up new towns,
building up old ones, making facto-
ries and farms where wild prairie had
been.
/ The result is shown, in part. In the
necessity on the part of the Chicago e
Northwestern 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 or
what is now, more than ever DeIore'-
the granary of the world.
To the westward there is also con-
tinuous stream of travel. The North
7 ;,,o ifc nAnnnnfinnC
crates three daily passenger trains be-
tween Denver and Chicago and three
from San Francisco to the east. One
Of these, known as the Overland Linn
tied, Is probably the most luxurious
and beautiful train in the world.
Through Pullman service from Den
yer, Ogden, Cheyenne. Portland, San
Francisco and Omaha to Chicago daily
AS to freight movements the greaE
double track system across the plains
Is busy carrying manufactures for Ash
attic Russia, cotton cloths for the Chl'
nese, various articles required by the
pioneers who have crossed the Paclnc
to Manila and gone north to the gold
mines of Alaska; as we'll as the tre-
mendous traffic for Colorado, Wyom-
Ing, Utah and the Pacific northwest.
comprising the product of every known
branch Of the country's commercial
activity.
It was IN 1S4S that the Galena &c
Chicago 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 Chi
cago by stopping on its 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
iunket Of early days little thought to-
what proportions this nucleus of a
great railway system would grow.
But the road grew and in 1867 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 out
posts. In 1880 Iowa, Minnesota and
Wisconsin had become well settled,
while along the Platte the Indians
still remained. The Northwestern 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
into the Lake Superior district through
Escanaba to Negaunee and Ishpeming.
This all seems very recent, but since
that time the system has grown until
1t penetrates nine states of the union,
and it's heavy lines of freight trains
and its palatial passenger service
reach all important points from Chi
cagO to Milwaukee, Madison, ST. Paul
and Minneapolis, Duluth and Superior,
Omaha, the Black Hills and Colorado,
with three fast trains between Den
yer, Salt Lake, Ogden, Cheyenne and
Chicago daily: fast service to and
from the Pacific coast
The completion of the first double
track between Chicago and the Mis-
souri, 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 he population is much
more dense.