Source: Sault Ste. Marie Democrat
Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa County, Mi.
December 29, 1887
Thursday
The New Minneapolis
All Rail Eastern Outlet
While the chloroforming of the B&O RR. Co., has quieted the last important disturber of transportation rates among the American trunk lines, "new" forces which are not likely to promote peace are coming into existence in the north west. It need not excite surprise of the completion of the MSSM&A in connection with the CPR, transfers the "troublesome belt" from Chicago to St. Paul and Minneapolis. The granger roads have fought with each other for the traffic between Dakota and Minnesota and Chicago. East of Chicago the struggle for the control of the same business has been continued between the trunk lines and their western connections. The MSSM&A, running around the north end of Lakes Michigan and Huron will be, next spring, an active competitor of the southern routes for freight and passenger traffic in each direction between the Northwest and the Atlantic seaborad. It will have many advantages on its side. The subsequent completion of the DSS&A, with the same connections at the St. Mary's river, and a connection also with the MC at St. Ignace, will bring still another factor into the field. Harmony among the northwestern roads and the trunk lines can hardly be of much value, so far as rates on business to and from points beyond Chicago are concerned, unless the northern companies are peaceably disposed also. The CPR vexes the other transcontinental line to some extent but has never yet been the power in the railroad situation that it bids to become after it begins to compete for the enormous volume of freight which pours into Minneapolis and Duluth. The Grand Trunk co., will also have a line to Sault Ste. Marie sooner or later with the additional strength which that implies.
