The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-10-30

merly called Medford. IA Walsh county.
on the Soo's wheat line," which runs
from Kenmare BY way OF Thief River
Falls, Mimi, to Duluth. The total
length Of the new cutoff ia about $50
miles. II crosses the Fargo New Rock
ford Minot cutoff Of tho Great North
ern at a point IN McHenry county a
| few miles northeast OF Drake, crosses
the Jamestown Leeds branch Of the
Northern Pacific in Benson county be-
tween Minnewaulran and Brinsmade.
passes through the city Of Devils Lake
where 1t crosses the present main line
of the Northern. and the Devils Lake.
Hansboro farmers line" Virtually q
branch OF the Great Northern) and
finally, near Lakota, in Nelson county,
CROSSES the Lakota-6aries branch OF
the Great Northern. Through Benson
county It passes about midway between
the present main line OF the Great
Northern, on the north, and the Ober-
-Esmond branch Of the Northern
Pacific. on the south. paralleling both.
It viii thus be seen that It's course
is wholly In territory heretofore trib-
utary only TO the Great Northern and
the Northern Pacific, principally the
former. Some grading was done 10
1910, from both ends OF the new line
and the grade is now completed from
Drake across Pierce county and some
distance into the western side OF Ben
son county. All the right of-way has
been bought, including land In the
city OF Devils Lake. for yards and
switches. Owing to the unusual con-
ditions last year, work was Temporal
riIy suspended, but the buying OF the
right -of-way and other preliminary
work has gone steadily forward. and It
is expected the line will be completed
In time to haul the crops Of 1919.
Grain Line to Lskes.
At the outset the new line will be
principally a freight line. 1t is i'm
portant to other states besides North
Dakota, because 1t connects the CEN
trial point OF the Soo's main line In
this state with the eastern end Of the
Soo's wheat line" and thus brings
the grain fields of central and west
ern North Dakota into more direct
touch with the grain markets Of Du-
luth and Superior, and. through them,
with Chicago.
II is aided in this respect by the cut
OFF opened to traffic last year. by the
500. in Minnesota, from Plummer to
Moose Lake Prior to last fall car
load of grain from Drake to some point
on the 500 further west, billed to the
head Of the lakes, had to run north
west to Kenmare, to get on the wheat
line" then east to Thief River Falls,
Mimi. then southeast to Brooten,
Mimi, then northeast to Superior, or
else 1t had to run from Drake south
east to Brooten, then northeast to
Superior.
When this new cutoff is completed
carload Of grain from Drake, or any
point on the 500 west OF there, will
run In an almost straight line by way
Of Devils Lake, Fordville, Thief River
Falls, Plummer and Moose Lake to
Superior and Duluth. Drake expects
to be made a division point. From
Drake a branch Of the 500 runs
straight west to Max, then forks. send
ing one line on west to Plaza, and the
other south to Bismarck. It Is said
the 500 has surveyed extensions of this
Drake-Plaza branch, one from Plaza
westward TO Williston, on the Missouri
river, and one from Plaza southwest
to Elbowoods. on the Missouri river, In
the Fort Berthold reservation. and all
the grain from that new territory will
be tributary to and can be hauled over
the new cutofHs to Duluth. The saw
ing in mileage and freight and the
increased competition between the
rival roads viii be OF inestimable val
ue TO the North Dakota homesteaders,
farmers and land owners in the coun-
try traversed by the Soo's new lines.
Pierce County IN Luck.
Southern Pierce county is particu-
larly fortunate In being crossed by
both the Fargo Minot cutoff of the
Great Northern and the Drake-F Ford
vile cutoff Of the 500, being the only
county so favored. though both new
lines are In McEenry county, only one
Of them. however, entirely crossing
that county. Pierce county will thus
have two new rival railroads at an
average distance of about twelve miles
apart, where there was before
stretch Of country over forty miles
wide, between Anamoose, on the 500,
and Rugby on the Great Northern,
without other railroad facilities. There
win probably be three new towns on
the Soo's cutoff. In Pierce county, at
the present postoffice of Filling, Brazil
and Reno.
IT is believed the 500 intends to build
another connecting line between It's
wheat line and It's main line. from
Egeland. in Towner county, straight
south through Devils Lake to Kensal,
In Stutsman county, on the main line,
thus crossing its Devils Lake Fordville
cutoff at right angles. at Devils Lake
and making four lines OF the 500 radi-
ating from that city.
1t lis said an effort was made 60 buy
and use the farmers line" for part
Of the route from the wheat line" to
Devils Lake, but the farmers aine,"
being controlled by the Great Northern,
was not for sale. Surveys have there
fore been made closely paralleling the