The Baraboo news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1884-1911, 1907-10-23
ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO HAVE
MAIN ELECTRIC CURREN GO
THROUGH BARABOO
PROJECT OF GREAT IMPORTANCE
Will Eventually Connect Central W;s-
consin with Chicago by Means of
Electric Railway

That the main electric current line
from the Kilbourn and Prairie du Sas
dams will go through Baraboo there is
little doubt. There has been an
argument as to which way the route
should run. The original promise was
that the main current should leave
kilbourn, go via DeItOn and Baraboo
to the Devils lake region, then across
the prairie to Sauk and Prairie du Sac,
and from there to Madison. Since then
people to the east, and living along
the old original St. Paul railway line
and it is said, the company, as we'll,
have asked that they be given the
main current and it was practically
promised them according to report,
Wednesday evening of the past week
a meeting was held at Madison and
the Baraboo contingent, composed of
Mayor Marri- tt, City Attorney Kel-
ley, Aldermen Thuerer, 1st ward, Pow
er, End ward, and Effinger of the 3rd
ward, declared itself. They stated
that unless the main current followed
the first planned line the second dam
would be stopped by federal interfer-
ence, so that now it looks as though
the line will run as first planned, by
Devils lake and Baraboo. In fact the
officers of the Southern Wisconsin
Power company, Magnusl Swenson
and Phillip Spooner, declared that they
had never had any other intention
tnan to follow the route as first out
lined and assured the Baraboo COM
mittee that they would certainly go
through the Gem City, provided the
right of way as promised can be Sc
cured.
This committee, which has paid its
own expenses, has been active for two
years or so with slight change or two
in the personnel, and it is largely
through the efforts of it's members
that the tide was turned in the last
Legislature in favor of the dam at
Prairie du Sac.
So Baraboo can reasonably expect a
return of the favor that has made the
project possibility.
Idea of Great Proportions.
This undertaking will doubtless
mean an interurban railway, along the
main current line, which if carried out
to it's fullest possibilities will eventu-
ally reach Chicago, at least this has
been in the minds of the promoters for
six years or more. The line would be
one Of the greatest additions to the pre-
sent electric system that could be imag-
ined. 1t would make possible an ex-
cursion or outing trip from Chicago
that could not be beaten. From Chi
cago the excursionists would be able
to stop at any Of the intermediate
points between there and Rockford.
From Janesville, when a road is built,
the trip would be up through the Wis
cOnSiD lake district at Madison, ana
from there through the lower Wiscon-
sin river district, taking in Lodi, Sauk
City and Prairie du Sac, and then to
Devils Lake and Baraboo. From there
the trip would be continued to the
Dells, and thence to Portage, thus
bringing the pleasure-seeker close to
the trout streams of Wisconsin and
also some of the lakes where the small
mouth black bass and other game hsk
are plentiful.
Ample Capital.
The proposed line has ample eapi-
tai behind it and the fact that already
almost 100000 has been expended in
the work on the dam means that it is
to be pushed to completion.