Important Extension of the Racine & Mississippi Road

Wm. E. Cramer, Esq., of the Milwaukee Daily Wisconsin, who is spending a few weeks in New York City, writes from that place as follows concerning the Racine Road: "We learn from G.A. Thompson, Gen Manager of the Racine & Mississippi Railroad, that the road will be extended from Savannah to Rock Island by the first of October - thus bringing the valuable coal fields of Illinois into direct communication with southern Wisconsin.  The distance is 52 miles, 26 miles of which are completed.  When the Milwaukee finishes its line to Burlington, we shall have a direct road of 200 miles to the valuable coal fields of Illinois.

Cheap Coal would be of immense value to the future growth of Milwaukee.  In view of the extension of the Racine Road to Rock Island, the completion of the short line to Burlington assumes an importance in every interest in our City - not inferior to that of any other line ever projected from Milwaukee.  We further lean that there is no probability of the Racine Road being sold to the Chicago & Northwester.  The latter, has as large a load as it can carry.

The decline of the price of iron will enable the Racine road to complete its extension of 26 miles at a cost not exceeding $18,000 per mile.

Burlington Standard Press 5/24/1865