Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-05-28
DULUTH newspapers
TELL Of N. D. ROADS

Duluth, Mimi, May 27.-Farmers
and land owners in the central, north
ern and western parts OF North Da-
kota are pleased at the prospects OF
having better railroad connections
with Duluth's wheat market, by rea-
son of the new railway lines planned
by the 500, and particularly because
of it's new cutoff from Drake.
Papers have been filed in the office
of the secretary Of state at Bismarck
designating the course OF the new
cutoff, which will pass through part
of McHenry county, thence clear
across Pierce, Benson and Ramsey
counties, and part of Nelson and
Walsh counties, distance OF about
$50 miles. The contract has been let
for grading parts of the line, and
graders are at work all along the first
"a miles east of Drake, while others
are at work from the Medford end.
The surveyors are not yet through
with their work, but are still busy in
Benson county, headed for Devils
Lake. which will be station on the
new line. Surveys were run from both
Drake and Medford ends, the Med
ford crews having already reached
Devils Lake. The fact that the grade.
ers are thus following so closely on
the heels Of the surveyors evidences
the haste with which the construction
is being carried on, and it is conf
IDENTIFY expected that the line will be
ready in time to haul this years crops.
Sixty miles Of grading are said to
have been already contracted for at
the Medford end.
The line through Benson county
passes just north Of Cranberry lake,
about miles north of Esmond, and
will run between the Great Northern
main line and the Esmond-Oberon
branch of the Northern Pacific, cross
ing the Jamestown & Northern near
Brinsmade.
Rivalry Over Construction.
In Towner county this new 500 |
line crosses the new Fargo and New !
Rockford and Minot cutoff of the
Great Northern, which is now under
not far from Drake ana
there is considerable rivalry between
the construction crews and right of
way and townsite agents of the two
roads.
The 500 is also said to be plann-
ing an extension of it's Drake-Plaza
line, to Williston on the eastward and
also a line to Elbowoods, to the
southwest on the Missouri river ana
this new Drake-Medford cutoff will
haul all the grain from all the Soo's
lines west of Drake, and with the
}@e To11 1ff IN
and this new cutoff in
North Dakota. the Duluth markets
will be brought many miles nearer,
and the saving in mileage and freight
will be of great benefit to the North
Dakota farmer. At present it is nee
essary, in sending car of grain from
Drake to Duluth, to first send it away
northwest to Kenmare, to get it into
The Wheat Line" as the Kenmare-
Trief River Falls line is called. With +
these new cut-offs there will be al.
most a straight line from Drake to
Duluth.
Duluth grain dealers have already
lad representatives in that vicinity
ooking up the prospects for business
and opportunities for building grain
elevators. The territory traversed by
he new line is one in which the 500
las heretofore been a stranger, and
It's advent is welcomed by all, except,
If course, the rival roads. 1t is rich
country, and besides the
through traffic from Drake there will
oe considerable local freight, especi-
lilly grain. Drake has hopes of being
made division point.