The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-03-18
Railroad News
That N. D. May Get
New Road To Head Of Lakes

Mandan, N, D., March 18.-Thomas
Owens, superintendent Of the Duluth
& Iron Range railroad, came into
Mandan last week in his private car
and spent considerable time looking
about the city and interviewing some
of the prominent business men. He
was accompanied by other of the Of
ficials of the same road, and while he
would not state the exact nature of
his visit his conversation would seem
to indicate that the Duluth e. Iron
Range road wa contemplating extern
sions into the great wheat and stock
growing sections of western North
Dakota and Montana.
The Duluth & Iron Range road was
built primarily to carry the ore and
timber from the range country to
Duluth, with little thought of the de-
velopment of the country. According
to Mr., Owens the traffic which the line
has secured from the farming and
mercantile interests has exceeded the
widest expectations Of the builders of
the road and it is entirely within the
range of possibilities that the owners
of theroad encouraged by the good re-
suits from development work may
build west into North Dakota and
Montana. The company owns valua-
BILE terminal properties in Duluth at
the head Of the lakes and the trans
portation Of grain, stock and produce
to that port would ensure a most
profitable traffic.
Although this may seem visionary
lI- -EaA@,ank 10 10
money necessary to build what would
eventually be mother transcontinental
line, it must be remembered that the
owners of the Duluth & Iron Range
road, the United States Steel Co., and
the Rockefeller interests wouldn't be
hard pressed to raise anywhere from
&c., 00, 600 to $~50,0O0,000. The steel
trust recently lost a big order placed
by the Hill roads for steel rails and 1t
would not be out Of place for the
steel trust to retaliate by invading the
Hill territory.
Rumors are flying thick and fast of
projected railroad lines in western
North Dakota. Surveyors of the 500,
Northern Pacific and Great Northern
are making the map of western North
Dakota look like a sieve with the lines
drawn across ii. The recent break
between the Great Northern and
Northern Pacific has made probable
the extension of Great Northern lines
south from the main line, a thing that
has heretofore been studiously avoid
ed in North Dakota. There is consid-
cradle speculation as to what viii be-
come Of the proposed water grade
from Williston to Omaha OF which the
| Missori river line from Stanton to
Fort Yates was supposed to be the
first link. This was built by the
| Northern Pacific when that road was
controlled by Hill. and the understand
ing has been that the river line would
ultimately become a part of the Greai
Northern. In view of the break be-
tween the two companies and he pass
ing of the Northern Pacific into the
| hands OF the Vanderbilts it will be in
teresting to note whether the original
programme will be carried out.
Another matter that seriously in
| terests Mandan is the building of the
500 line into the west slope country
1t has been hoped that when this time
! should arrive the 500 people would see
lit to their advantage to cross the river
I at Mandan and tap the fertile terri.
| tory to the northwest of this city or
| the way to the coast. 1t is known thai
soundings Of the river have been TAX
en- at several points north. and also
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