Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-02-25
COAL LAND BOUGHT
Milwaukee Lines Are 10 be Sup
piled From Locality of
Spring Valley.
NEW SPURS TO BE BUILT
Rock Island Planning an Extension
Through Dakota to the
Northwest.

| The Chicago. Milwaukee & st. Paul
road has recently bought a large ter
| Titory of coal land III the vicinity of
i Spring Valley, H., and will depend
chiefly upon this source for a supply
to operate its lines. As the coal field
is not on the ST. Paul lines, a spur
will have to be built TO reach that
neighboThood. The new spur will
start at Steward, the first station
south Of Rochelle. and will take the
most direct route to Spring Valley
| The work will be commenced in the
spring and the line will be in opera
tiCn as soon as possible.
\ new line will not be built from
Steward to Rockford, as an agree
| ment has been made to use the 50
line through the latter city. The new
line Will deliver coal for the Kansas
City. the Omaha and southern Mime
sofa lines of the system at Davis
Junction. The coal for central Wis
consin and the greater part of Mime
sofa will pass via BeIoit and Rock
ford.
y number of surveyors have been
working ON the Burlington road be-
tween Rochelle and Davis Junction
for the past week setting stakes and
grading the road bed. The company
will relay the track between these
two points. but from the latter place
to Rockford viii use the old road.
May xtend Northern Branch.
y well defined rumor has gained cur
rency in railroad circles to the effect
that the Rock Island is negotiating
with the intention of extending the
northern branch, known as the t.. {.
Il. d ", from the present terminus at
WatertOwn, s. d.. to a point in Mon
tana by which Il through route to the
Pacific coast will be gained with &
shortening of about 200 miles under
that of the present route by the way
of st. Paul. 1t j. the intention to con-
meet with the Northern Pacific at the
point in Montana, the Northern Pacific
having through freight and passenger
service To the coast with steamship
connections with all points i'm the Pa
cific. \ freight service will be estab-
lished whereby the Rock Island will
practically cover the entire west with
its lines owned and leased
The present route by the way of St
Paul il deemed an exceedingly fatig-
uing one for the passenger traffic
which is headed over the northern
routes as well as n slow one for for
the immense freight traffic. Under the
arrangement there Will he special pas
senger and freight services estab-
lished which will give the most direct
connections with Oregon, Washington
and Northern California of any road
now running to those points. 1t will
not be the intention to detract from
the present southern route. which will
be operated on its prenScnt large
scale. Freight business in Iowa, Hi
nuiS. Missouri, Nebraska and all the
central western states will be almost
forced over the new route because of
shortness of the haul as well as the re-
Guction of rates which will naturally
follow change from the old route
through St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Connecting with the steamship lines
as the northern ports of the Pacific
states a large part of the shipping
which now goes east will be attracted
10 this road.
Record Months Run.
Conductor James T.. Smith. of In
dianapolis. Ind, who is said to be he
oldest conductor in the employ of the
Big Four, last month broke his own
record. and. 50 far as known, the rec
ord of any railroad man for distance
covered in one month while i'm actual
service. Conductor Smith rode 1906
miles in January. In % years of serv-
ice. running a passenger train, the
best record of Conductor Smith pre-
vious TO his January run was $500
miles. and this itself was regarded by
railroad men as a record breaker.
Mr.. Smith i IS years of age. and
began service with the Illinois Cen