Willmar tribune., 1906-02-21
enlargement OF YARDS
Great Northern Begins Preparations and
Buys Property for Extension
of the Railroad Yards.

0'0se NO'euotu oc&sHS Vt0P05dIU003 ana
Buys Property for Extension
Of the Railroad Yards.
The preliminary work for the en-
largement of the Great Northern yards
at this point has been commenced and
workmen are now busy clearing the
way for the additional tracks. Work
trains will soon be running and the
work of filling in the low places will
be pushed. A steam shovel will be
put at work in the gravel pit at New
London and the material for filing
will be hauled from that point. At
least five additional tracks will be
put in on the north side and the yards
will be widened for considerable dis
tance so as to permit of the easy hand
ling of the large freight traffic and
thus avoid the congestion which has
been particularly noticeable during
the fall months. There will be many
improvements in the yards and it is
probable that the work will last all
summer. BY next fall it is expected
that everything will be in excellent
shape to take care of the enormous
business which will be handled here.
j. M. Averill, the Great Northern
right OF way man and tax agent, has
been in the city interviewing owners
of property along the right of way
which it will be necessary to purchase
in order for the company to carry out
it's plans. Thru the Anderson Land
Co. an option was secured on property
located in blocks and 10, all being in
that portion of the city north of the
railway tracks, between Seventh and
Ninth streets. Several Of the property
owners have agreed to dispose of their
property at the terms offered by the
company, while others are holding
back for higher prices. Property
values in that section of the city took
sudden rise when it became known
that there was a great demand for it
and it is most probable that condem-
nation proceedings will be instituted
by the company against that certain
property whose owners will not part
with it unless the company pays the
prices asked. The property involved
amounts to about 5000 and the
following are the owners: Mrs. L.
Gjems, Geo. Irving, Edward Burns,
VIM. Parkins, o. E. Ruble, B. J.
Greenfield, Peter Anderson and E.
Ellingson.
The Anderson Land Co. informs us
today that the following property
has been purchased: O. e. Ruble,
live and half lots and two dwelling
houses, $6, 100; B. J. Greenfield, two
lots and dwelling house, $4,000; VIM.
Parkins, two lots and dwelling house,
$1,000; Peter Anderson, two and a half
lots and two dwelling houses, $3,5O0.
The rest of the property will now be
condemned and steps will be taken at
an early date to vacate all of that
strip Of land necessary for the extra
room for the enlargement of the yards.
Among the most valuable property is
that owned by Geo. Irving, and on
which the Willmar Greenhouse is To-
Gated. Mr.. Irving claims that he
would suffer a great loss at this time
of the year to remove his plant to
other quarters and demands a price
Of S6, 800 for his entire property. The
company offers him 81, 1000. The prop
erty consists of three lots, dwelling
house and greenhouse. The company
has offered $4,000 for the Burns
property, consisting of dwelling house
and two lots; $1,000 for the Gjems
property of four lots, for which $4,000
is asked, and $4,000 for the Ellingson
place two lots with dwelling house
and barn, for which. price of $4,000
is demanded by the owner. At this
writing there is possibility of an
agreement being affected as to the
purchase of the Burns property, as
the price demanded is not much in ex-
cess of that offered by the Great North
ern
General Superintendent Slade was
in the city last Saturday and made an
inspection of the yards
The prospects are very favorable
f,111 a. H. !.