The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-10-21
RAILROADS OF
NORTH DAKOTA
Nearly Six Hundred Miles
of New Lines Construct
ed This Year.

There is probably no other indus.
try which indicates the progress and
growth Of a state. as does railroad
building.
In 1912 North Dakota has an in.
creased railroad mileage Of over 1911
Of 5s7 miles. In 1906 it had an in.
rease over 1905 Of 612 miles, the
greatest year Of railroad building in
the history of this state, and the
1908 increase over 1907 was no less
than 81 miles. SO, in 1912 the state
OF North Dakota IS "beribboned" with
no less than 1924 miles OF main and
branch lines and sidetracks.
This mileage in 1912 is assessed foI
a total sum OF s~42,s92.699 and il
II l-2 per cent, or ~one-seventh Of the
total assessed value Of ali property
in the state.
The new mileage in 1912 is distri.
buted to the separate companies as
follows:
Great Northern, sos miles.
500. $50 miles.
Northern Pacific, 121 miles.
Midland Continental, % miles.
The Great Northern has completed
what is known as the Fargo-Surrey
cutoff. This line is q direct line from
Fargo to Minot, with sidetracks 10.
Gated in theco unties Of Cass. Barnes
Griggs. Foster. Eddy. Wells. Pierce
--icHenry and Ward. It opens a rict
sity OF taking the old and longer rout.
in the transportation Of freight, mai
n passengers.
The other Great Northern branch
built this year is the Stanley-North.
west branch. from Stanley to Wild.
rose. a distance Of some ffty-one
miles. not including sidings. Thi:
branch opens territory in the extreme
northwestern corner Of the state, IL
the counties Of Mouatrail, Burke. Di.
vide and Williams.
The 500 has built 1870 miles known
as the Drake-Fordville branch, run
ming from Drake on the main line o!
the 500. through the counties Of Nc.
Henry. Pierce. Benson. Ramsey. Mel
son. Grand Forks and Walsh. Thi.
line was started in the summer anc
is now hauling freight. This terri
tory IL some Of the best and had mo-
up to this time been equipped witt
adequate transportation facilities.
The Northern Pacific has completed
its Missouri river branch. runnine
from Mandan, along the river through
the counties Of Morton. Oliver anl
Mercer. to Stanton. all very fine ter.
ritory. This line is about ffty-twc
miles IN length. some Of which wa.
So..PASsS0 aHu AZ opeFdIlOu last year
The Northern Pacific has also com
pleted about n%inety-two miles Of linz
known as the Pingree-W Wilton branch
This is a line operating from Wilton
where the large coal mines are, Il
P1ngree. which is but a short distance
from jamestown on the main line
This line operates through the coun'
ties Of Burleigh. Kidder and Stuts
man and will furnish a fine cutie
for the coal mined at Wilton.
This year we have in operation
about twenty-eight miles Of the ''nortf
and south" railway. known as tn.
Midland Continental. the mileage be
ing located in the counties Of Suits
man and LaMoure. This is the rail
way that intends to have for it's ter
minal the city Of Pembina. in tn,
extreme northeastern corner Of Mort,
Dakota. and which will run in /;
southerly direction to the gulf.
great deal has been heard Of this rail
way for the past five years but n,
showing Of mileage has been mad,
until this year. when the completion
Of twenty-eight miles seems to indi
cate that It is yet likely that Nortl
Dakota will have within its boundaries
a railway whose main line course 4
other transcontinental line runninj
through it.
When n considers tho treraend
Gus outlay Of money that has bee,
necessary to build and equip this nev
mileage. and the large territory open
ed up by it. together with the thou
sands OF people directly benefited, h
may possibly be able to grasp som
idea Of the tremendous progress Nortl
Dakota 10 making.
Following is given a statennen
showing the total miles OF railroa,
for each ear since 1897. This mile
age is to cover all railway, such a
main and branch lines. double tracl
and sidings:
Year NH11>s