Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-07-05
ELECTRIC LINE NOT DEAD.

The proposed plan of building an
electric railway, to traverse the Wis
consin river valley, has been slumber-
ing for many months, but now it appears
is about to be awakened from its long
sleep At one time parties living in
this section secured franchises to build
such road, covering route from
Stevens Point to Merrill, but there mat
ters were allowed to rest. Now comes
the Rhinelander Herald with the follow
ing:
Yesterday Mayor Stapleton received
word from the Boston people who had
been considering proposition of build
ing an electric railway from Eagle River
to Merrill, there to connect with one to
be built north from Stevens Point, that
they would visit Rhinelander and the
other places interested some time next
week for the purpose of looking over
the ground and meeting the people.
at is a settled fact that line will be
built by Wausau capital south of that
city to mosinee and north to Merrill
within two years, and Stevens Point
parties are figuring on line for their
CITY UflaJ VIII connect.
That valley electric line of stand
ard gauge, and equipped to handle both
freight and passenger business would
pay, there can be no doubt, and it is
bound to come sooner or later. 1t is
hoped that the Boston people can see
their way clear to commence work i'm
mediately.
The statement that ''it is settled fact
that line will be built by Wausau
capital' is accepted with few grains
of doubt. To build such line would
entail the expenditure of vast sum of
money-more perhaps than our capita
lists would care to put into it--but
should Eastern money be brought into
the field 1t is very likely that our bust
ness men would do their share towards
building the line. We do not mean to
infer that our business men are pessimis-
tic or are of hesitating nature. On the
contrary they are alert to every scheme
that will develop this section, but most
of them require large portion of their
capital to carry on business that is
bringing them larger and safer returns.
Speaking of the same contemplated
enterprise the Merrill Advocate says:
'In pleasant chat with w /. r. Smith,
temporarily of Rhinelander. general
manager of the International Architec-
tural and Engineering Co., who was in
the city Monday the subject of an in
terurban road through the Wisconsin
valley was under discussion. This road
it seems was talked of in Merrill some
two years ago but finally dropped, bat
according to Mr.. Smith, is being re-
vived in tentative way by outside
capitalists. Time and space forbid
lengthy discussion of the matter in this
issue but lengthy article with refer
ence to it is in course of preparation
and will be presented to our readers at
u future time. 1t would seem, and was
so stated in fact by Mr.. Smith, that so
far as his observations went, the popu
lation of the country hereabout, through
the Wisconsin valley, is large enough to
warrant the pushing through of an en-
terprise of this kline" "
That such a road would pay from the
start there is little doubt, for interurban
lines have proved money makers to
their owners, in countries with no more
population than is in this section. For
convenience to the public they are as
handy as the revolver pocket in Ken
tuckian's trousers. Should the party of
Eastern capitalists visit Wausau, we
hope they will be given all the en-
couragement possible. Such an enter
prise should not have cold water thrown
on it.