Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-02-07
THE INTERUR

The following is taken from the Mil
waukee Daily News, and is dispatch
from Merrill:
ut begins to look as if an interurban
electric railroad between Wausau and
Merrill is an assured fact. 1t is known
that right of way between Wausau and
Merrill is secured. This right of way
has been secured on the east side of the
Wisconsin river The distance is about
twenty miles. Neal Brown of Wausau
is one of the projectors of the enter
prise.''
In reference to the above MIR. Brown
had the following to say this morning:
We have had the project of this in
terurban street railway under consid-
Grafton for two years. We thong
that we were near the goal two years
ago when we secured franchise from
the city of Wausau, but there were
adverse circumstances that made it
impossible to carry it through.
Our company, including Messrs g.
ID. Jones, Carl Mathie, G. S. Gilbert
and myself have water power on the
Wisconsin rive" to furnish power for
this railway. Some time last summer
we entered into negotiations with
parties in Philadelphia TO take il up and
they came here and looked the ground
over and we had a survey made on both
sides Of the isconsin river, not being
able at that time to determine just
which would be the most feasible. We
have the assurance of these people that
if we can get the right of way and
franchises they will build the road.
1--WE have been securing options on
the right of way in order that the cost
could be determined, as it must be be-
fore any financial aid can be furnished.
We have met with a very generous re-
Spouse from most of the land owners,
including settlers and business men
who have in most cases been very will
ing to donate the right of way for this
purpose. The cost of construction is so
great that if we have to pay any con-
siderable amount for the right of way,
the project will fall through. In only
two or three instances have we en-
countered land owners who have tried
to hold us up to a high price for right
of way that was of very little value to
them. We hope to overcome their OBJ
jectiOns and that reflection will con-
vince them of the great benefit of this
enterprise to them.
The whole matter is yet unsettled
and indefinite and we are in no position
to give definite assurance that the road
will be built We are simply trying to
do the best we can. If we fail it will
not be because we have not put good
deal of time and money into the enter
prise. The only thing that makes the
project feasible at all is cheap power.
The population along the line of road
is too small to warrant building such a
road and operating il with steam
power. There are so many difficulties
in the way that we may find ourselves
unable to surmount them, but we are
clearing them up one after the other
and hope to get them all out of the way
by early spring"
Like everything which is new to
people of the rural districts, difficulties
are met with. 1t is hoped that the day
is not far distant when Wausau and
Merrill and in fact every city and
town in the Wisconsin valley will be
connected by an interurban line. We
have assurances that a franchise will
not be asked of this city unless things
have so shaped themselves that the
promoters are in fair way to build.