Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1904-07-08
WILL BUILD 10 THE COAST.

Probabilities are Strong for the
Milwaukee Pushing Through
To The Coast.
Tacoma. Wash, June 25 -Indica
tions increase that the Chicago, Mil.
waukes and 81, Paul railroad is pre-
pairing to build from South Dakota
70 Puget Sound within two years
Agents have purchased 400 acres Of
terminal grounds in Tacoma tide
lands. Smaller purchases Of tide
lands have been made - Seattle and
Portland. President Cookinghsm Of
the Tacoma Eastern. would not deny
yesterday that an option on his line
had been given to the milwaukee,
road. In March, President Earling,
Of the st, Paul road spent two days
in conference with John Bagley,
manager and builder Of the Tacoma
Eastern. Northwest lumbermen
have been urging President Earling
and Chairman Miller to extend their
road to the coast, pointing ont that
they would secure, to star: with.
lumber traffic Of at least 10000 car
loads annually.
- II is 6siigvod that ths {. S sas sui
will reach Portland over the Hatri-
man line from the Snake river ter.
ritory and will build line from
Columbia river to Puget sound.
which may be jointly used by the
Milwaukee and Hartman system.
The foregoing looks more like bust.
ness than anything that has yet ap.
peared. II is we'll to know by those
close to the officials Of the company
that the 9. NJ & st. Paul has definite
ly decided to cross the Missouri at
Chamberlain, possibly at Evarts also;
and President Earling's frequent visits
ont to the Pacific coast Of late, coupled
with the news from Tocoma, gives
much color to the report thst the Mil
wsukee will not stop ct the Black Hills
when once it starts west.
There are those who immseine that
the Milwaukee will make some kind
Of . grand.stand play Of this kind to
catch votes for Mitchell. Much a. tho
company would probably appreciate .
vote Of public confidence by placing
the capital at Mitchell and allowing II
to share what capital business there is
with the North. w esterm, the extension
Of its line to the Pacific coast. or even
to the Black Hills. is TOO vast an under
taking TO warrant the Milwaukee in
starting the work prematurely. But
that the extension Is sure to 60 within
two years is as certain = anything we'll
can be. vi
The LEADER will violate no conf
dence In stating that the Milwaukee
has it's plans completed to build 70 the
coast The line will be extended from
Chamberlain to form . juncture with
the Evarts extension somewhere in the
northern Black Hills, and then push
west to Z connection with some Pacific
line OF run . through line Of its own.
There is plenty Of room between Port
land and San Fransisco for another
great city, but the plans Of the COM
pany are secret % to western connec-
tion or terminus.
The vast lnterests Of the Milwaukee
system can not be sealed up on the east
ern bank Of the Missouri river, and
every man who knows anything about
railroad business knows this statement
Is true
When the Milwaukee pushes west
through southern Wyoming, ono Of the
richest sections In the west will be
opened up. and 1t must be opened up,
because therei Is business enough now
awaiting . through east and west line
to pay big interest on the money nee.
essary for the work. The Milwaukee
Il going west. capital or no capital, and
the conditions which have stayed
the Milwaukee on the Missouri 90 long
are at last removed. Twenty capitals
at Mitchell would be Of no use to the
great Milwaukee system unless an out
let to the coast could be secured. and
thus build up vast traffic equal to
that carried by any Of the transconti.
mental roads. The Milwaukee has all
the money it needs and can get millions
for the asking, and no man will doubt
that it will 90 west and soon. The
junction in the Black Hills will offord
the Milwaukee 3 direct route to Chica-
60 through Canton, and TO the north
east through Evarts and to the south
east th1ough Mitchell.