PRR + MILW rumors

 "PENNSY" MEN ARE HERE

OFFICIALS OF BIG EAILROAD SYSTEM STOP ON THEIR SIGNIFICANT INSPECTION TOUR OF MILWAUKEE SYSTEM.
Pennsylvania railroad officials, as guests of the Milwaukee road, are inspecting Minneapolis today. They arrived at 6:30 p.m. yesterday and at 10:30 tonight will leave for Duluth. St. Paul will entertain them after 6:35 p.m. Wednesday. This is part of a general tour of the northwest which be gan Monday morning at Chicago. Sioux City, Omaha, St. Louis and other cities are to be visited. 

E. W. McKenna, assistant to the president F. A. Miller, general passenger agent E. S. Keeley, general freight agent, represent the Milwaukee road. The Pennsylvania officials in the party are: John B. Thayer, with vice president George D. Dixon, freight traffic manager James B. Wood, passenger traffic manager. Officers of the Pennsylvania lines: Joseph Wood, second vice president D. T. McCabe, freight traffic manager E. A. Dawson, manager Union Line. Chicago.  Officers of the Erie and Western Transportation company: E. T. Evans, vice president, Buffalo John E. Payne, vice president, Philadelphia.

Taken in connection with rumors in the railroad world as to the future relationship of the Pennsylvania-Milwaukee line to the transcontinental situation, the trip of the Pennsylvania men is believed to have considerable depth of meaning. The inspection trip will take in all parts -of the Milwaukee system, particularly that which would be involved in a thru line from Atlantic to Pacific.

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Minneapolis Journal - May 2, 1905

The Pacific Short Line

Chicago - August 26

The Pacific Short Line will be offered for sale at public auction next Tuesday under foreclosure proceedings by order of the United States Circuit Court.  It is expected that there will be a sharp contest for the possession of the property, as several companies are known to have had a covetous eye on it for some time and will make the most of this opportunity to secure it.  Among the bidders, it is understood, will be the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, Chicago & North Western, and the Illinois Central Company, besides syndicates of the original bond holders.

In railroad circles much interest has been manifested in the Pacific Short Line project from the first.  It was originally an Illinois Central scheme, but was abandoned by that company and afterward taken up by the Wyoming Improvement Company.  The intention was to build a line from Sioux City to Ogden, paralleling the Union Pacific and shortening the distance by several hundred miles from the Missouri River to the Pacific coast.  Sioux City men added $1,000,000 to the amount that was put into the enterprise be Eastern capitalists.  The whole line was surveyed and laid out, three different companies were incorporated, and 130 miles of the road, between Sioux City and O'Neill, Neb, were constructed and put into operation.

The enterprise looked promising enough, until the financial panic of last Fall, after which the outlook was changed.  Jay Gould had gobbled the Union Pacific and was understood to be hand in glove with Huntington, who controls the Central Pacific.  The latter road, which is the only outlet from Ogden to the Pacific coast, was in hostile hands and the Pacific Short Line people decided that it would be folly to complete their line under such circumstances.  The property was allowed to go into the hands of a receiver and is now to be sold by order of the court.  The Illinois Central is said to be anxious to get possession of the road and thereby gain access to the Black Hills territory.

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NY Times 8/27/1891

Illinois Central - stance on the C&NW-MILW merger

Stockholders of the Illinois Central were also contacted by their management yesterday.  In an eight-page pamphlet, the carrier outlined its objection to a planned merger of the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroads.

The Illinois Central said it would not oppose the merger if it was given the opportunity to purchase a 70-mile portion of the Milwaukee's tracks and right-of-way, "or alternatively to use" the line, which stretches from Lyle to Northfield, Minn.  This trackage would create a new primary rail route between Chicago and Minneapolis-St. Paul.

The Illinois Central, since 1960, has reached the Twin Cities from Chicago via the so-called Albert Lea route, whereby Illinois Central trains operate directly to Albert Lea, Minn., and jointly with the Chicago & North Western from Albert lea to the Twin Cities.

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NY Times 12/6/1966

Illinois Central Plans - Green Bay extension

Right of way over St. Paul tracks in Wisconsin Secured

Madison, Wis., Dec. 9 - The Illinois Central has secured a contract for the right of way over the St. Paul railroad tracks from west Madison to the Watertown Junction, and will run trains through Madison, connecting Sun Prairie, Columbus, Beaver Dam, Fond du Lac, Oshkosh, and Green Bay on the north with the system south by an agreement with the Northwestern Road.

The Illinois Central will begin the construction of the Green Bay line early next spring, the line already surveyed and known as the Madison & Northwestern.  An additional traffic arrangement will allow the trains to run to the state line on the north.

NY Times Dec 10, 1903

Opposes Competitive Road - IC into Milwaukee

St . Paul Line endeavors to keep Illinois Central out of Milwaukee.

Milwaukee, WI. Sept 8 - the Chicago, Milwaukee, & St. Paul Railroad will make every possible effort to keep the Illinois Central out of Milwaukee.  This was today when the Milwaukee Southern Railroad, the line by which the Illinois Central Road hopes to get access to this city, tried to secure condemnation in a court of a right of way through the southern part of the city.

The Illinois Central plans to build a line into Northern WIsconsin, and is understood to be reaching out for a share of the northern Michigan ore traffic.  In such an event its lines would reach from the Gulf of Mexico to Lake Superior, but the roads which already have terminals in MIlwaukee will fight the project.

When a tract near a city park was asked to be condemned for a right of way, two local officials of the St Paul appeared in court to protest and asked the court to refuse to permit the building of the road, saying that is construction would impair the beauty of the city park.  The court took the application under advisement.

New York Times  Sept 9 1903.

IC buys the WC? 1887

Bought by the Illinois Central

Chicago, March 11. - A Milwaukee dispatch says that it was learned today that the Illinois Central is planning to buy the WIsconsin Central line from Ashland to Chicago and from Abbottsford to St. Paul, with all the rights and titles of the various companies owning the line, its lands, shops, machinery, and rolling stock.  The Wisconsin Central line is operated by a company under the direction of the Trustees Stewart and Abbot, and is composed of the Wisconsin Central, Chicago, Wisconsin and Minnesota, Milwaukee & Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin & Minnesota, St. Croix & Wisconsin, and the Chicago and Schleisingerville Construction Company.  There is no doubt that the men controlling the majority of the stock of the united companies are anxious to accept the proposal of the Illinois Central Company, and it is quite likely that the sale will be consumated.

With the Wisconsin Central as a basis it is the intention of the Illinois Central, as understood in Milwaukee, to construction the most extensive railway system in Wisconsin, and afterward to enter into competition with the Milwaukee & St. Paul and Northwestern Roads, and secure also the lumber haul to points in the South and Southwest.

New York Times - March 12, 1887

Milwaukee, Peoria & St. Louis Ry

From The Railway Age  March 23, 1906

Milwaukee Peoria & St Louis McNabb to Peoria 50 miles

Railway Age Gazette Vol 51

Milwaukee Peoria & St Louis
An officer writes that the prospects of building are good but contracts are not yet let for a line from a point opposite the city of Peoria 111 on the east bank of the Illinois river north crossing the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe thence via Lacon and Hennepin to Rockford about 120 miles Connection is to be made with the Chicago Milwaukee & St Paul at the Chicago Indiana & Southern bridge at Depue Maximum grades will be 5 of 1 per cent maximum curvature 3 degrees The right of way has been secured from Peoria to Depue and about one half of the line has been located The company expects to develop a traffic in coal from the fields located at the southern end of the line FW Cherry Princeton is back of the project B Schreiner chief engineer

Engineering & Contracting, Vol 37

The Milwaukee Peoria & St Louis RR Co projecting a line from Peoria to Rock ford has secured a large part of its right of way Construction work at the southern end of the line may be started some time in May As outlined this line starts on the east side of the river at Peoria runs along the east bank of Marshall Hennepin county seat of Putnam which town now has no railroad connection crosses the river at Depue using the trackage of the New York Central lines for the bridge and into Seatonville thence to Rockford Frank B Reid Chicago 111 is President Robert D Clarke Peoria 111 is Vice president and George E Stocking of Rochelle is Treasurer

Moodys Manual of investments - 1919

CHICAGO AND NORTH WESTERN RAILWAY COMPANY NOTE This analysis is based on official documents of the company including its annual reports of the past ten years For Definitions and Key to Ratings see pages 19 26 Origin Incorporated under Illinois laws June 7 1859 as successor to Chicago St Paul & Fond du Lac RR operating from Chicago to Fond du Lac Wis about 177 miles Extensions were made from time to time and construction of further lines added to the length of the system The Sioux City & Pacific RR was acquired in 1901 and the Fremont Elkhorn & Missouri Valley was formally absorbed in 1903 In 1909 the company purchased the Manitowoc Green Bay & Northwestern and the Milwaukee & State Line Ry In 1910 11 the Sioux City Dakota & Northwestern and the Lee County Ry were acquired These and other lines were built in the interest of the main company Among the lines recently organized are the Belle Fourche Valley Ry the James River Valley & Northwestern Ry Milwaukee Peoria & St Louis RR the Milwaukee Sparta & Northwestern Ry and the St Louis Peoria & Northwestern Ry