The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-11-26
DEVELOPMENT OF
A GREAT SYSTEM
Continued from First Page.

luth, Superior, Ashland and other ports
great docks have been built, where
incoming freight Is stored during the
shipping season, for distribution as
wanted, and where east-bound freight
may be stored during the winter for
forwarding in the spring.
The Building OF Four Roads.
During the twenty-five years under
consideration four roads connecting
Minneapolis with the south and east
have been built. Three of these were
constructed by. systems which desired
an entrance into the rich northwest
and share of the business originating
at Minneapolis. In 1878 the Mime
apolis & ST. Louis was operating thru
the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & North
ern and other lines to st. Louis, but
in the following year opened route
to Chicago, connecting with the Chi
cago & Northwestern at Cedar Rap
ids. Not long after however, the Rock
Island system thru to Chicago was
adopted, and that great company thus
obtained a Minneapolis connection.
For nearly ten years this route and
the Milwaukee" and 1.-THE North
Western" were the only ones to Chi
cago. But in the latter eighties the
Chicago Great Western, the Wisconsin
Central and the Burlington" built
their lines. The Great Western was
Minnesota company, but its officers
were outsiders coming after the i'm
mense northwestern business.
More than ten years again passed
| away and then the Rock Island de-
termined to have an independent line
into the twin cities and built from
Albert Lea the new line thru Owatonna
and Faribault which was opened last
year. At the same time the Mime
apolis & st. Louis transferred its busi-
ness to the Illinois Central-a cor
poration which had long been credited
with a desire to enter the northwest
and opened much shorter line to
| Chicago than it had before operated.
| Thus, In 1908, instead of two lines
| to Chicago, Minneapolis has a choice
of seven. And there is abundant COM
petition to st. Louis, Kansas City,
Omaha and the southwest. | -.
Whether or not the railroad map
of the northwest Is practically COM
pleted by the recent changes is a mat
ter of difference Of opinion, and one
for interesting speculation. AS 1t
stands now every important railroad
system operating west from Chicago
and north of central Iowa has an en-
trance into Minneapolis and St. Paul.
| The growing Importance of the gulf
export route suggests that more south
erly roads may at some time find it
profitable to enter the northwest.
Development of Terminals.
/ Nothing has been more striking in
the railroad development Of the quar-
I ter century, as far as local conditions
in Minneapolis are concerned, than the
wonderful change in the terminal IA
| cilitfes of the roads. Reference has
already been made to the condition OF
the passenger terminals In 1873. One
Of ho frcf 81 ~
agement Of the st. Paul, Minneapolis
& Manitoba (now the Great North
ern) was for better entrance into
Minneapolis and suitable passenger
station facilities. Early in the eighties
II the four-track short line to st. Pau
was built, and the stone arch bridge
over the Mississippi, directly below the
bridge and the Union passenger sta
ton were completed in 1884. On the
whole, the transition from a village
wooden station to q. metropolitan
union station was rather abrupt.
i At the same time great changes ir
terminal facilities for handling freight
were going on. During the eighties
the Northern Pacific built mode
freighthouses and yards and construct.
ed it's own line between the cities. Pro.
longed litigation between the city ant
the Minneapolis & st. Louis and Grea
Northern companies ended in an ad
justment, which led to the lowering
} of the tracks of these companies alons
, Fourth avenue N, the construction o.
highway bridges and the building O.
: adequate freighthouses. The Grea
. Northern has also expended large
sums in charging its general yart
t terminals and the building Of ele
vators. w..
= When the 500 line was built it es
tablished extensive shops, but not unit
recently did it secure its own freigh
J, terminals. Within g. few years mil
! lions have been spent by the Wiscon
t sin Central, the Great Western, tn
s Rock Island, the 500 and the North
Western in improving and enlargin
= their terminal facilities.
0 In 1898 the Milwaukee built a ney
= passenger station, which Is a model o
q its kind. This road has also increase,
r it's freight handling facilities at larg
d expense. Both the Milwaukee and tn
n Minneapolis & st. Louis, like the So
9 line, have developed extensive shop
Z In Minneapolis.
:. The general offices of the Mime
: apolis & st. Louis and of the 500 lin
9 are in Minneapolis, and this Is genera
= division headquarters for all lines G
t. the Milwaukee system west Of the Mis-
= sissippi in Minnesota and the Dakotas
r AS large part of the freight carrie
2. east and south originates here, tn
o city Is the headquarters for most Q
= the contracting or northwestern freigh
: agents operating in this territory.
+ Modern Train Service.
# Some years ago a Minneapolis mar
n about to leave New York for Boston
d was asked If he was not confused
| Et|VNDTNkT! 4,