Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1906-09-05
ELECTRIC LINE FOR DEBORAH.
Proposed Trolley Line From Minneapolis
to Chicago. via DEBORAH and Dubuque
Looks Good to us.

Just keep on with this electric
railroad talk for northeaste n Iowa,
and something will come of it some
day. The latest is a proposed line
from Minneapolis to G hicago via De-
corah and Dubuque, and th ere is con-
siderable merit in the proposition
The men said TO be behind it are ca
pable of making go of what they
undertake, and we will agree to take
thirty cents worth of stock ourselves
in such company The following
from Mondays Minneapolis Journal
describes the project:
Trolley connection between Mime
apolis and Chicago is believed to be
assured by the formation of con-
struction company, whose papers will
be filed with the secretary Of state
this week, to build the line from Min
neapolis to Dubuque, there to connect
with the Westinghouse line, building
from Chicago TO Dubuque
William Peyton Mason, who was
president of the San Francisco, Idaho
& Montana road and one of its prin.
cipal organizers, is a promoter of the
trolley company Work will be
done under the charter. filed three
years ago in Iowa and Minnesota, of
the Minnesota, Preston, DEBORAH and
Iowa road, with $685. 600 capital.
Survey work is already under way.
Mr.. Mason returned Saturday from
a trip over the right of way of the
new line. and finds that the road can
be built practically without bonds
The cities along the route are so
favorably disposed to the new company
that they are Offering financial as
sistance.
Examination of the map will show
why the new trolley line will be a
great benefit to the twin cities as well
as to the farmers along the route
The prevailing direction of the rail
roads in the district traversed is east
and west, thus giving every advantage
to the Chicago market The new line
will cross these roads, taking almost
bee line for Minneapolis and will
give several of the counties the first
access they have ever had to the north.
ern metropolis.
Inasmuch as the new line is to
carry freight as well as passengers
the strong tendency of the steam lines
W ulSCI iulludtc III IdNOT VI CIliCdSO
will be overcome. The equ ipment of
the line will be standard, and with the
third-rail system and electric engines
the efficiency is expected to be up to
that of the steam lines. Power will
be furnished at the lower end, it is
said. by the falls of the Turkey river,
in Clayton county: another power
plant will be built on the Iowa river,
and at the upper end the electricity
will be secured from one of the com.
panies which is now Harvesting the
big water powers in Minnesota
adjacent to Minneapolis.
Survey work on the new line will
be completed this year. and construc-
ton will begin early in 1907 The
work will be done by the Dubuque,
Rochester & Minnesota Construction
company, with headquarters in
Rochester and Preston The route
will be from Fort Smelling, at the
terminus of the Twin CITY Rapid
Transit line, TO Hastings, theme in a
straight line to Rochester and through
Preston on the Milwaukee road. The
netx large station will be DEBORAH,
Iowa, at the junction of the Milwau.
kee and Rock Island roads, and ter
minal of both. Eastward the route
will go to Waukon, through Monona.
Elkader. Export, Colesburg and Holy
Cross. thence TO Dubuque. an entire
distance of 20S miles
The Dubu que Chicago line, which is
under direction of John f. Stevens of
Panama canal fame. is understood to
be independent If the Minneapolis
line, which is said to be we'll backed.