The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1914-04-23
LUCE LINE IS
MAKING PROGRESS
COL. LUCE SENDS OUT iNFoRMA.
TON OF INTEREST TO
STOCKHOLDERS
WORST PART OF LINE NEARLY DONE
Track Nearly Completed Through
Rough Country West Of Minneap-
oIis-Interestins Road Facts

Bookings stockholders of the Elec.
trio Short Line Company received
some interesting information relative
to the progress of the road from Col.
Luce this week. Some of this informa.
ton is of interest to the general public
and we quote as follows from the
Colonies letter:
at is our earnest desire that our
stockholders shall be kept fully in
formed regarding the Electric Short
Line. You doubtless have read from
time to time in your local and the
Minneapolis papers of our substantial
progress; however, today l am writing
you and every other stakeholder to
tell you at first hand Of our accom-
plishments to date and our future pros.
poets.
1.-THE Electric Short Line Railway
made it's first official trip on January
18th, 1914. 1t is very gratifying to us
and l believe it will be to you to know
that the earnings of the Electric Short
Line since it's first official trip, have
been over twice that which our en-
gineers had estimated.
"We are at the present time running
to the Long Lake bridge and in a very
short time will be operating consider
ably past Stubs Bay, Our steel, bal.
lasting, timber, grubbing and bridge
crews have been working full time
and Mr.. Henry F. Balach, our general
contractor, is planning to put his steam
shovels and grading crews at work
just as soon as the frost is out of the
ground.
From an engineering standpoint
the territory through which we are
now building entails the most difficult
and expensive construction Of any on
our line; however, we are nearly
through the worst of this and have our
organization so perfected that from
now on we can build several miles of
grade in the same time that it has
taken us to build one mile in the past.
Our finances are in splendid shape
we have no Indebtedness of any ma
ture and have something over one
third of a million dollars in cash and
good notes in the bank to complete
contracts already let and pay for a
substantial amount of equipment. We
have purchased something over $685.
100000 worth of equipment to be de-
livered from time to time from now to
July LIST; also large quantities of steel
rail, bridge material, about a quarter
of a million ties and a large amount
of other necessary construction mater.
ials. All these were bought on a spot
cash basis enabling us to get rock
bottom prices. We are also glad to
say that labor conditions are such that
we have no difficulty in getting men at
a fair wage.
my judgment Is that every $780, 90
invested in the Electric Short Line at
this time will be worth at least 5000. 90
three years from today. I believe this
for the following aso
First: Because we are going
through a well developed territory
which is in need of transportation.
Second: Because we have splendid
terminals in the heart of the business
district of Minneapolis for the econ.
omical handling Of freight and passen.
gers.
Third: Because the cost of con.
struction will be low.
Fourth: Because we are building
on a spot cash basis.
Fifth: Because there is no promo.
ton stock and we will have about one.
fourth the amount of stock and bonds
out per mile Of the average railroad in
the United States.
Sixth: Because the cost of opera.
ton Will De low.
Seventh and probably the most i'm,
portant of all. because we have over
} 1000 business men and farmers along
our Line financially interested with us
which will mean his business for our
Line and which will give US sentiment
the value of which can scarcely be
over estimated.
"In the lear future, the territory
through which we expect to build in
the next two years. will be fully map
ped out. After that there will be
none of our treasury stock for sale. OF