The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-16
MILWAUKEE TO
BUILD TO COAST
INFORMATION COMES
FROM TWO SOURCES.
Work on Construction of Transcontinen-
tai Line Will Begin at Both Ends as
Soon as the Weather Conditions Will
Permit - The Route and Territory to
Be Opened.

Authentic information concerning the
plans of the Milwaukee road for build
ing to the Pacific coast has come from
two sources, one from the far east
ana an the other from the extreme west.
The Milwaukee will begin construction
of the transcontinental line, at both
ends, as soon as spring opens. At least
goo miles Of the road will be built west
from Chamberlain, s. D., in 1905.
One confirmation of the rumor comes
thru personal letter from a former
South Dakota business man. now in the
east, and the other thru E. w. McKen-
ma, assistant to President A. J. Earring.
Terminals will be at Seattle, Tacoma,
Portland and Bellingham. Property
at Bellingham has been secured in the
last thirty days. Arrangements have
been made for the building of round
houses, freight depots and passenger sta
tons, except in Seattle, where the union
station will be used. Rockefeller in
terests did not want to take this step
for obvious reasons. Ultimate freight
concessions from J. J. Hill were hoped
ern Securities fight. Fates favored the
Great Northern president SO that moth
ing is left for the Milwaukee to do but
to build its own thru line.
The Western Terminal.
Recent heavy movement in tide lands
at Seattle and Tacoma was taken to
mean that the Milwaukee was to make
terminals in those cities. Since the
visit of Mr.. McKenna, railroad men
have gotten it into their heads that Bel
lingham is to be the freight terminal.
He spent three days there. He said
that he would carry back to Chicago a
report very deeply tinged with Belling-
ham color.
Altho the transcontinental line was
determined upon before the last cleo
ton, the fear that the affected Pacific
coast roads would have been led to di-
vert freight to competing lines and the
fact that there was q "president' 3
confirmation of the various rumors.
To get around the "gentlemen'
agreement the Milwaukee will build in
the guise of straw company, eastern
authorities say, or the White River Val
| ley railroad. The new line will start
northwest from Chamberlain, following
points of least resistance, thru sun
dance pass, probably touching. Belle
Fourche and Spearfsh. 1t is the ,pur-
pose to drop line by way of Maitland
into Deadwood and Lead.
Into Black Hills.
Work on the Rapid City & Mystic
line will be pushed so as to open it Aug.
l. 1t is more than likely that some
work will be done on the western South
Dakota right of way of the Milwaukee
line this season. The entrance into
the Black Hills can be made easily from
Belle Fourche up False Bottom, thru
the Maitland mining district, and
thence to Blacktail gulch and into Dead
wood, by way of Deadwood gulch. The
grade would be easy, and would not be
| as expensive construction as the White
wood road Of the North Western. The
road thru Maitland district would open
up valuable mineral resources, also
large timber tracts on Lower False
Bottom.
This would mean that the cattle bust:
ness of Belle Fourche would be divided
between the North-W Western and the
Milwaukee companies. Last year
about $500 carloads of cattle were
shipped from Belle Fourche, making
about $4,000 head. The proposed road
will cut across several of the irrigating
districts which are now proposed by the
government near Belle Fourche.
The Black Hills people would have
preferred the Evarts route for the cross
ing of the reservation instead of the
Chamberlain way. 1t would have made
better connection with Pierre. Starting
at Chamberlain, however, the road will
give better connection for southeastern
points in the state.