Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-11-12
SHOULD BE HEEDED
Petition to Prevent Removal of Rail-
road In Marathon County,
Wisconsin

Whether or not that portion of the
branch railroad of the c., M. & St
Paul r. R. extending south from Clan
don, this county, shall be torn up and
discontinued is a matter that is en-
crossing the attention of the residents
of the south part of the towns of Hew-
lit and the north part OF the town OF
Easton, and if they can prevent it they
do not intend to have the rails torn
up and the railroad discontinued.
Some time ago, and since the Fed
eral government has taken over the
railroads of the country, it appears
that an order has been issued to dis
continue this railroad from Glandon
south, and the rails have been torn up
and removed from a short distance
south of Kalinke station to the old
| logging camps of the Wright Lumber
company, it being understood that
from this point nCrth the rails would
not be disturbed until next spring, in
order to afford an opportunity for
getting out timber products during the
coming winter.
AS the Kalinke station is becoming
quite an important shipping point, the
farmers in that vicinity are very anx-
ious to have the railroad maintained
as far south as Kalinke and for 25
| rods south of that station, and are
now circulating petition to present
to Director General of Railroads W.
G. McAdoo, requesting him to have
the matter of discontinuance set aside
and the railroad maintained.
Among other things, the petition be-
ing circulated recites that this rail-
road was built some fifteen or twen-
ty years ago for logging purposes, and
that when the timber had been cut
and removed, the lands were sold to
settlers who moved upon them and be-
gan to develop the agricultural re-
sources of the country, making homes
and farms for themselves. Had the
| railroad not been there, and had not
the Railway Commission of Wiscon-
sin ruled that this branch line had
been in operation so long as to require
its perpetual maintenance, it is
question if those who bought lands
and began the making of farms would
have done so.
On most of these partially developed
farms there is still quite a large
amount of timber, which at the time
the lands were logged off was of no
commercial value, but which has since
acquired market value. Some Of this
is logs, very much pulp timber, and
a great deal of firewood. With the
railroad where it is now, it is profita-
BILE to these farmers and settlers to
cut and sell these timber products,
loading them on cars at the switch
known as the Kalinke station, imme-
diately north of the boundary line be-
tween the towns of Hewitt and Easton
in Marathon county.
"The switch at this point has been
an important loading point Tor these
products, and as the country has de-
veloped offers the nucleus for a thriv-
ing village. If given assurance that
this railroad will remain where it is,
we have assurances from individuals
that they will open and operate the
following commercial industries here:
A warehouse for the purchase of po-
tatoes, hay and grain, and a stock
yards for the purchase of cattle. There
is a strong likelihood that we can al
so get a general store.
Our chief reliance, however, is on
a shipping point for our logs, pulp
Woou, liHe VI Work lolloWeu ny new
settlers here in the winter months.
The country between Giaudon, at
which point will be the terminal, if
the tracks south of there are torn up,
is low and fiat and the roads of such
character that it will be impossible
to get out there timber products, and
we will be put to great inconvenience
in getting in necessary supplies and
in shipping out our farm products.
The value of our farms and farm
lands will depreciate and on the whole
a grave injustice will be done u.s."