The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-24
FOR CANADIAN TRAFFIC.
Dominion Roads Fear Diversion to
Gulf

Chicago, Sept. 24.-This fall and win
ter will witness the beginning of an in
ternational railroad race between the
United States and Canada with the
commercial dominance over Manitoba,
Saskatchewan and Alberta as the
prize.
Canadian railroads, alarmed at the
possibility of the great wheat crop of
the Western provinces being diverted
by American lines through the United
States to the Gulf ports. have deter
mined to provide at any cost facili-
crop eastward through Ontario and the
st. Lawrence river. The completion of
the Canadian Northern's new line from
Toronto to Sudbury. Ontario. it ap-
pears, is only the first step in COM
prehensive plan which may call for
counter action on the part of our big
western roads
Reports that the wheat crop of the
western provinces will be 125,0O0.00
bushels, and the largest in their his
tory, helped to precipitate matters.
This determination by the Canadian
railways explains why the Canadian
Pacific is rushing the double tracking
of Its line from Winnipeg to Fort Will
liam-which is the meek of the bottle
through which nearly all the grain
must pass.
Plans and estimates have been made
by which the three largest Canadian
roads are to push construction work in
a dozen different directions. The Grand
Trunk Pacific is pushing it's lines past
Saskatoon toward Edmonton with its
eyes fixed on the new harbor of Prince
Rupert as the ultimate terminus. The
Canadian Pacific is building a sec
ondary line; has already double track
ed large part of the way between
Winnipeg and Fort William and will
add new branches and feeders all the
from Canada m Van
cOuver. The Canadian Northern will
complete it's link between Toronto and
Port Arthur. Recently it has built
large bridges over the Rainy river at
Fort Frances, and over the North Sas
katchewan at Prince Albert, where a
short line is to extend to Battleford
Meanwhile railroad men in the
United States are awakening to the
fact that every day is linking the east
ern and western parts of Canada more
closely together, and only an excep-
tional display of activity on their part
will enable them to divert the enorm-
Gus wheat crop of western Canada
through the United States to the Gulf
and wean Manitoba. Saskatchewan
and Alberta away from their CONNER
cial allegiance to Montreal and the
east.
The town of Sudbury, which is now
an important factor in the Canadian
plan has established a singular record
in railroad building, as only twenty
days before the last spike was driven
by the Canadian Northern, the Cana
dian Pacific railroad opened a new line
from Sudbury to Toronto, giving the
town it's second direct railroad com
munication with the manufacturing
metropolis of Canada within a month.
The new line of the Canadian North
ern opens a rich mineral region,
Astounding in iron and nickel. and with
a capacity for handling 5000 tons of
ore a day will bring Cleveland and 9TH
er iron manufacturing cities 500 miles
nearer to mines than they were when
they had to depend upon supplies via
Duluth The town at the Moose Noun
tain mines has been called Sellwood,
after the vice president of the Moose
Mountain Iron company, of which
John w. Gates of New York and Chi
cago is president Shipment will begin
as soon as the docks are completed,
which II is exnected will be soon.