The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1921-10-06
County to Join in Fight
Against Abandoning N. P.
SPECIAL MEETING OF co.
BOARD CALLED
Every Section of Bayfield, Coun-
ty is Interested in Putting
Up Fight to Maintain Battle
Axe Road.

Bayfield, county people stand as a
unit in opposition to the efforts of
the Northern Pacific Railway Com
pany to abandon that part of their
system connecting the cities Of Iron
River and Washburn.
AS the result Of a meeting held
at Iron River on Friday of last week
which was attended by representa-
tives of the towns Of Iron River,
Trip, Port Wing, Oulu, Hughes,
Clover, City of Washburn and ether
places land which was perhaps one
of the most important meetings ever
held in the county, it was decided to
ask that special meeting of the
county board be called for Tuesday
of next week at which the matter
will be taken up and discussed and the
county will start the ball rolling to-
ward case which will have for it's
object the denial of the petition of
the railway company.
Not only were the town chairmen
of the various towns present at the
Iron River meeting, but representa-
tives of Commercial Clubs and other
civic organizations, as well as in
dividuals were there to voice their
protests and to offer whatever aid
they could in the battle tc prevent
the removal of the road.
Petitions asking that the special
meeting of the county board be
called were started after it was
learned that it would be impossible to
await the annual meeting of the
county board to take up the PROPOSE
ton, and after a conference of coun-
ty officials it was decided to call the
special meeting at this time, the
main object of the meeting being ac-
ton against the Northern Pacific but
at which meeting other county bust
ness can be taken up.
1t was brought out at the meeting
held at Iron River that the railroad
which the Northern Pacific people
seek to abandon cost the taxpayers
of the county approximately $780,
100000. The original bonds were
issued in the amount of $240, 900, and
this with interest for nearly thirty
years has brought the amount up to
close to half million dollars, and
now because the Northern Pacific
people find that the revenue derived
from this part of their SYSTEM is not
paying them to operate the road, they
seek to have the Interstate Commerce
Commission give them a permit to
abandon the road, thus throwing to
the winds the half million dollars of
the taxpayers money which was used
to construct the road.
In order to save the Northern Pa
cifc railroad to Bayfield, county is
going to entail a fight that will call
for the united efforts of all of our
people.
There is not section of the coun-
ty that should not feel interested in
this fight, for the removal of this
road would deminish land values in
every section ,and would retard the
growth of the central and north per-
tions of the county more than could
be estimated.
1t would leave the great section of
bayfield, county, starting at "a point
in the southern part of the county
and running through the center and
east part O fthe county, embracing
thousands upon thousands of fertile
farm lands, without railroad.
The hope of some, that if this road
is abandoned that another road might
be build along the northern part of
the county, is too visionary for any,
one to conceive of, and the people of
Port Wing and Clover, who would
be most benefited by such road, are
not being fooled into lending their
support to such proposition because
they know that if once the solid
front of opposition is broken that
the cause will be lost and for this
reason they will oppose to man the
attempt of the railroad to abandon
the property.