Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1916-05-03
OFF FOR WEST Grant
Contracting Co.'S. Officials Take
Run Over Proposed Line.
SAY COUNTRY LOOKS FINE
Plans Being Perfected For Early Start
On Work and Operation by Nov. 1.

Leaving Chicago last Friday even
ing a committee from the board of di-
rectors of the Railway Contracting
& Equipment Co., arrived in Lancas-
ter, via Potosi, Saturday morning, and.
after breakfast at the Wright House,
boarded automobiles and sped west
ward over the proposed right-ofway
of the Wisconsin & Illinois railroad
company. The party consisted OF Q.
L. Hinkle, president of the Railway
Contracting and Equipment company,
and General Manager of the Glover
Leaf system with headquarters at
Frankfort, Indiana; Elmer Wetzel OF
Indianapolis, director and general
counsel: H. II. Thompson of Indian
apolis, director; G. r. Burkdoll, sec
rotary: and A. r. Burkdoll vice pres
ident and general manager; j. j. Will
Iiams of the Wisconsin & Illinois r.
r. Co.; Victor Windett, chief engin-
eer of the Nash-Dowdle Co., the con-
Germ to have actual charge of the con-
struction work on the proposed line,
and Wilbur Dodge, chairman Of the
The object of the trip was to famil-
iarize the officials with the condi-
tions on the ground and to make any
suggestions they deemed advisable
from an engineering standpoint, or the
method of construction and the lay OF
the road.
The first stop was made at Porter's
bridge crossing Grant river where the
present survey winds down from Dark
Hollow debouching at the George At
kinsOn farm, and running along the
bluff down stream to Porter's bridge
where the plans called for crossing
to the bluffse on the other side.
After thoroughly going over the
matter on the ground and later in the
company's office, it was decided to fall
hack on the original survey which
called for a drop from the table land
through Barth's hollow (this hollow is
the first water course up stream from
the regular Beetown road hollow
where the original survey ran lead
ing to Porter's bridget crossing
thence in front of the new George At
kinson farm house and after running
ND stream to Dark Hollow to where
the most recent survey came down,
to Jump across Grant river to Hack
ett's branch. A point of land there
will be tunnelled through for 600 or
more feet and the regular survey
reached again a little further up the
valley.
With a few minor stops Blooming
Of
after a visit in 1.-The biggest little
town in Wisconsin" the party went up
the valley toward Patch Grove. At the
latter place another change was sug-
gested OF do away with double
crossing of the stream just below the
village and to place the track above
high water. abe" Patch and Alex
Robertson of Patch Grove took the
marty in charge and from their fam
iliarity with local conditions, made
some very valuable suggestions. From
Patch Grove the run was made to Mt.
Hope along the proposed right-ot-
way. and a few minutes stop was
made in latter village.
People all along the route were cor
dial and betrayed a keen interest in
the purpose of the expedition. The
West Grant folks want the road and
are willing to do anything in their
mower to help a legitimate PROPOSE
ton. They have said this many times
and keep right on proving what they
saw. Lancaster was reached via Mt.
Ida with a run of fifty minutes to
avoid the approaching rainstorm.
The visitors remained here until
sunday noon when they took the
North Western for Chicago. They,
one and all, spoke highly of the coun-
try and the opportunities ahead if
the plans for expansion were proper
" carried out.
The total distance to be covered is
about twenty-eight miles. The work
will start from the Lancaster end and
the plans call for operation over the
entire route by November 1. Much
preliminary work of an engineering
nature has been going on and some of
# remains to be done before the Of
ticials in charge feel that all the prob
Ions of this nature have been met and
solved. 1t is rightly considered as
highly important that the road should
no constructed with an idea of econ
omicaI maintenance and low mile
haul costs, and the plans for this end
must be made before any track is laid.
But watch for the 'choo-choo' in
November.