The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1909-09-21
DOES BEMlDJI WANT
THE 500?
Thirty Thousand Dollars Must Be Raised With Which to
Purchase Right.ofWay, Before Company Will Devi-
ate from Its Air Line and Build Into
the City of Bemidji. T.

The officials of the 500 Rail
way company will extend their
line into Bemidji, and this city
will be made one Of the most i'm.
portant points of the most import.
ant branch of this railway com.
pany which intersects the United
States-providing this city will
raise the sum of 100000 with
which to purchase the right-of-
way through the city.
This bona fde offer has been
secured from the officials of the
500 through the persistent efforts
of the Bemidji Commercial club,
which was determined to secure
this great independent railway for
this city if it was possible to do so;
and it was only after much per-
suasion that the 500 people agreed
to deviate from their airline sur
vey between Plummer and Moose
lake and come into Bemidji.
Diverting from their plans as
originally contemplated and CON-
ing to this city will be something
of loss to the 500 in the making
of fast time on their road and also
at no little trouble and inconveni-
ence to the 500 people.
It is well-established rule with
the 500 to build all of its railroads
in a direct line, and allowing nothing
to change this rule, preferring to
build up their own towns.
AS an illustration of the fact that
the 500 has a marble heart" in
considering appeals from residents
of fairly important towns, were the
efforts of Fargo and Grand Forks
to secure the 500 when that railway
first struck the northwest, in which
they failed, and later Crookston,
when the "Queen City" made strenu-
Gus efforts to get the 500 to build its
Glenwood-Thief River Falls line
through Crookston.
In neither case did the 500 give
serious consideration to the appeals
of the business men of either of
these three cities.
That concession is made to the
energetic business men of Bemidji is
due wholly to the determined efforts
of the members of the local CON-
mercial club who have assured the
500 officials that the citizens of Be-
midi will provide the desirable
right-of-way through the city and
will alsofurnish richt-of-way whereby
the road may enter and leave the
city limits without cost or incon.
venience to that company.
1t is now up to the citizens of
Bemidji to raise the necessary $780,.
OO0 to purchase the right.of-wav as
stated above. ::~:~
Last evening, the Bemidji city
council passed a resolution vacatine
for the use of the 500 the south
twenty feet of what is known as the
Crookston Lumber company's mill
road,": being the highway extending
from the M. & I. tracks to the limits
OF. the village of Nymore.
This, with t he contemplated
right-of-way south and east of Be-
midi, would give the 500 entrance
to the city from the east.
There has already been a survey
made from south Bemidji toward:
Cass Lake, so that there will be little
trouble in locating a fairly good
line, although, as stated previously
the railway would be compelled tc
diviate considerable from straight
line towards Plummer, in coming into
Bemidji.
There is little doubt but what the
people of Bemidji, with their usua'
generosity andloyality to their home
town will soon raise the requisite
$4,000, Judging from comments o.
people who know of the proposition
advanced by the 500 officials.
There is no doubt but the build.
ing of the 500 into Bemidji will
mean a great deal to this city in
the way of opening up territory
which is being rapidly developed
for agricultural and dairving pur.