The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-07
q & r s + .
RAILROADS.
TO HAUL MORE COAL
Rock Island System Preparing to
Break Into Northwestern
Coal Traffic.
1t Will Shorten Route From Illinois
- Fields to the Twin
Cities.
Special to The journal

New York, Oct. Further details
are obtained of the plan whereby the
ROCK Island company intends to make
a bld for the coal traffic of the north
west. Vice President and General
manager Winchell is to become a traf-
nc official of the Rock Island and
practically have entire charge of the
tran1c of that system east Of Kansas
CITY. About 100 miles of new line are
TO be built in Illinois to divert traffic
routed from the lines of Eastern Illi-
nols to the northwest away from Chi
SSago. Coal agencies are to be estab-
Asned at eight or nine of the principal
points In Iowa, Minnesota and Wis
consin. Orders have been placed and
are now in process Of execution for the
building OF 1,400 coal cars largely de-
signed for this trade n
The tonnage that the system hopes
10 acquire by this new departure is
expected to aggregate 100000 within
the next two years. f., - s. r.
The election of Mr.. Winchell to the
executive board of the Rock Island
will probably be announced at once.
lie and Vice President Warren Of the
Rock Island tin New York the past
week In consultation. These consult
atoms were preliminary to the INSTALL
alton Of Mr.. Winchell in the Rock
Island. Rock Island officials speak
m1rat1on Of WinchelPs ability as a
railroad man. He is young, energetic
and aggressive.
Mr.. Warren will have entire charge
OF the accounting and financial work
on the combined systems, while Mr.
W1nchell will be paramount in the
actual operations Of the road. War
accounting department; Winchell in
the operating.
These are the men who will do the
work. At the present moment they
nave agents in the northwest looking
Tor business. They have worked very
quietly so far. The next important
step will be the building of a cutoff
from some point on the Illinois branch
or the Chicago & Eastern Illinois in
lroquois county to a point on the Rock
Island In Bureau county, Illinois. This
cutoff will make the route from
frisco coal fields to the twin cities by
the Rock Island 100 miles shorter
tnan via Chicago. The traffic will
travel over one side of an equilateral
triangle, one hundred miles on each
side, instead Of travelling around the
other two sides. The territory thru
which the new line will be built is
nat, and will permit Of the construc-
tion OF an extremely low grade line,
the only kind of a railroad over which
nomically. The cutoff will cross at
right angles the Wabash. Illinois Cen
tral, Alton, Atchison, and will lie thru
a country productive of the richest
kind Of local traffic.
It is not certain which of the three
railroads concerned will do the financ-
Ing of this bit of railroad. 1t is conjec-
tured, however, that the Eastern Till
no1s will build the line and issue for
its construction it's general CONSOLE
dated and first mortgage per cent
bonds to the extent of about $780,
900.
The total coal tonnage Of the Frisco
and Rock Island combined before the
purchase of the Eastern Illinois was a
little over 100000 tons per annum.
About 40 per cent Of the total tonnage
Of the Frisco during the past year
was soft coal. Including the Eastern
Illinois tonnage the system at present
carries about 100000 tons Of coal
each year. The increase thru the in
vasion of the northwest is expected
to run as high as 100000 tons per
annum, or about 100000 tons more