The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1914-01-15
STATE BOARD TO
CONTINUE CASE,
WILL HAVE STATE ENGINEER
MAKE SURVEY AND ESTIMATE
PROPOSED CITY'S "Y."

Surveys and estimate of the cost
OF the proposed "Y" in Mitchell will
be made by State Engineer II. M.
Derr before the state railroad COM
mission makes its decision in the
matter, it was announced last evening
at the close of the hearing before
that body. Il
Considerable opposition to the pc
tition of the Mitchell Commercial
club for the connection between the
Milwaukee and Omaha railroads was
evidenced in the testimony brought
forth, by the two companies in the
closing hour of-the hearing before the
state commission, held in the CITY hall
auditorium.
w. X. Powers, engineer for the
northern district of the Milwaukee
system, submitted an estimate that
the proposed connection with the
omaha road would cost a total of
Sll,722, of which $1,S56 would be
expended in the purchase of the right
OF way and s9,S52 for construction.
T.. w. Dougherty. assistant attorney
general, probed the ngures submitted
by Mr.. Derr. especially upon the esti-
mate of 80 cents a cubic yeard for
excavation.
The engineer declared that the fig
ures covered the work of construction
Tor the most feasible site of the pro-
posed connection. He further testi-
ned that the "Y' would be located
aboot 5000 feet north of the Mil
WauEc yard limits and the uplieep
would be about $1,000 yearly.
Ihat the proposed connection of
ihe roads would mean "a greatly
1nfTanGnI Inap1 r,ta
OF w. r. Cody, of Mason City, divi-
SION freight and passenger agent of
the Milwaukee road. Mr.. Cody de-
CARED That the application of the lat
est local South Dakota freight tariff
would mean a charge of $50 per cent
or so per cent of the local rate
from each of the connecting stations
j.. w. Shelby. agent for the Mil
waukee system in Mitchell. testified
that since 1905, only four carloads
OF freight had been received in the
city for transfer from one system TO
the other. All of these transfers he
declared, were caused by improper
billing on the part of shipping agents
Ihat h cost of the "Y'' would he
at least $40, 600, was testified by A.
w. Trenholm. of Minneapolis. gener-
al mana ger of the Omaha road. Mr..
trenholm declared that this estimate
was exclusive of the purchase price
OF the right of way, which had been
taken from the railroad by a congress
slonal act of 1907. and that not
ehough business wonld develope to
warrant the constructions.
n. j. Hardison, buyer of hogs,
Tor a Seattle firm. vas introduced as
a witness for the defendant. COM
pahles and stated on the stand that
was gradually dropping off
IN shipments of hogs to the Pacific
coast n that the construction of the
~ would not improve conditions.
This was largely due, he declared. to
the influx of hogs from Canada and
the fact that more hogs are being
raised in = le west.
j. Fl. FUfer. of Minneapolis. s,Iper-
.lntendent of the northern district Of
the Milwaukee, was the last witness.
stated that the company was on
posed to the proposed connection he
cause of the expense and the belief
that not enough new business would
r.. l.. Grantham, counsel in the
hearing for the Milwaukee, stated
the two railroad companies
you'd prepare a map showing the
of the two roads in
South Dakota, for the purpose of
proving that further connections were /,
unnecessary.
Strong evidence in behalf of the
petition for the connection was ciyer |
earlier in the afternoon by some of
me heavy shippers in Mitchell and
me surrounding territory. A. A. Truax,