The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-12-08
Work Will Commence Next Sea.
son On the Contract.
Will Cut One Hundred Miles
to the Pacific.
Great Railroad Struggle in
West in Progress.

Chicago, Dec. 1.-The determination of
the st. Paul road to build to the Pacific
coast at Seattle emphasizes the fact that
| there is now in progress in the west the
greatest railroad struggle in history.
The contest is not necessarily bitter
war between contending interests, which
are the most powerful in the country,
but the slightest change in conditions
may make it of such proportions.
The contention is between the great
railway interests of the country, back
ed by various factions of Wall street,
for the lions share of the enormous ton
mage which will be developed, eventual
! ly, in the country west of the Missouri
river. As matter of fact the st. Paul
is about the last road to take steps to
prevent being bottled up east of the
river The move it has made has been
admitted to be inevitable for the last
three years.
st. Paul officials, however, insist that
their project need not disturb the pres
ent railroad situation. They assert that
within the three years it will take them
to complete their line from Evarts to
Seattle sufficient traffic will have been
developed to make it unnecessary for
| 70 try TO ~ ho h,,Si
ness now enjoyed by existing roads.
Not until last summer did the St.
Paul venture even to cross its for
mer deadline, the Missouri river. July
it authorized an extension west from
Chamberlain, and having taken this
plunge, decided to 90 on to the coast.
In doing so it shared the belief of Mr..
Hill that the future trade with the Or
lent would surpass all expectations and
that Seattle, being the logical gate
way, would become the greatest port on
the Pacific.
1t seems to be pretty well decided that
the extension will be from Evarts, S.
D., instead of from Chamberlain. If
from the latter point, the route would
be through Milwaukee and would leave
st. Paul and Minneapolis off the trans
continental line. Either route would
be about 1900 miles from Chicago, more
than 100 miles shorter than the Hill
roads.
The western end is to be built by the
Pacific Railway company, which will, it
is said, be capitalized for $75,OOO,OOO.
and the stock will 60 into the st. Paul's
treasury. In return for the shares the
st. Paul will guarantee the interest on
an issue of first mortgage bonds for the
new company aggregating an equal
amount. The first issue probably will
not be more than $25,00O,000, and the
rest will be put out from time to time
as needed. 1t is estimated that the
entire cost of the extension will not eX-
coed $6O,0OO,OOO, including terminal ia
cilities and partial equipment of the
property.
1t is expected to have trains running
through to the coast within three years
time. Construction will be prosecuted
from Seattle eastward, from Evarts
westward and in the mountain divisions
concurrently.
Unlike some transcontental lines, the
st. Paul will not cross a desert, and
! every foot of the road will be or will
become productive of tonnage. In Ia
; coma the company already has acquired
22O acres of tidewater flats upon which
will be constructed ample freight and
passenger facilities. In Seattle the COM
pany owns seventeen acres of fine ter
| minal property on First avenue. To
! reach this district the Hill lines have
been compelled to build a two-mile
tunnel under the city. The company
also owns twenty acres of water front.
Butte is the only important point
where terminal facilities have not been
acquired, and it is not expected any
difficulty will be experienced in gaining
entry into this richest mineral store
house in the world.