The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1913-01-30
Says Backus- Brooks Interests, N. &
I. and Great Northern Have
Many Plans.
SH0Ws FAITH BY PURCHASES
Has Bought Share Of Big Farm and
Has also Invested in Mercan-
tile lines Optimistic.

Bemidji as the distributing cen
ter of Northern Minnesota is what is
seen by one of the most prominent
lumber men Of the state who was
in this city recently. He further
believes that Bemidji will be the
trade center of a dairying and farm
ing community which will extend for
miles from this city in every direc-
ton. To prove that he has this con-
fidence and is willing to back his
opinion with his pocketbook, he has
bought half interest in a large
farm within fifteen miles of Bemidji
and has made other investments in
the mercantile line. Z. ...,- IA
The gentleman in question, who
does not care to have his name men
toned but who may be called Mr..
Jones, was in the city looking after
some of his interests. Taking map
of Northern Minnesota, he traced out
railroad movements which are being
planned by the heads of the interest
ed systems and showed that Bemtdji
will be the natural center for the
net work of lines. s -
Among the changes which he IN
dicated were: -
i. The Backus-Brooks interests
have bought the Minneapolis and
Rainy River line, which runs north
from International Falls to connect
with the present line at Fife. This
will give railroad through a coun-
try which has had some timber cut
and foated down the Big Fork but
of which a large part is virgin. -
The country lies in Itasca and
Koochiching counties and contains
thousands of cords of pulp wood
which the Backus-Brooks people
need for their paper mill at Inter-
national Falls. The saw timber will
be put in the rivers and foated to
the Rainy where it will be made into
lumber in mills owned by the same
people. -.
2. The Backus-Brooksp people will
extend the Minnesota, Dakota and
| Western into Beltrami county and
run it north into Baudette. This
line now uses the M. & I. for about
/ {rr1% N,rf IF q a
Falls. --'..-
The extension will go through vir-
gin country and will also furnish
an outlet. for the settlers who have
already taken homesteads there. The
company plans to haul pulp wood to
| international Falls and to haul saw
logs on trains running west to put
into rivers emptying into the Rainy.
These will also be cut at the mills
owned by the same interests:
8. Either the M. & I. will build
north from Kelliher or the Backus-
Brooks people will build south from
Baudette and to connect Bemidjt
with the north end of the county.
This line. will furnish an outlet for
the people living in the Battle River,
Saum, Domaas and Shotley country
and will open up the center of the
county for settlement.
| 4. The Great Northern is looking
toward a line around the west end
of the Red Lakes to run north and
connect with the Great Northern at
Roseau or Warroad. To this end,
the Great Northern has an Interest
| in the Wilton and Northern line. It
is said, however, that the Red Lake
line is under consideration. e
Should the Red Lake extension go
Through, it is probable that Bemidji
will be made a Great Northern d.
vision point with the Sank Center,
Red Lake, Grand Forks and Swan
River divisions centering here. Mr..
1 Jones pointed to the fact that the
Great Northern had put $4,000 into
a depot here and had plenty OF room
!. for yards. He said that the Great
Northern was not a road to spend
money unless returns were in sight.
Mr.. Jones. pointed to the fact Be
midi is practically on two main
lines, the 500 and the Great Northern
Ito eastern markets and that the NJ.
e Northern Pacific line furnish
led a third indirect route. He be
i lieves that as this country is best
4 lCondnnsa g lAst Je6o).