Source: The Mining Journal
Marquette, Mi.
August 11, 1888 Saturday

Through to Superior

Mre Je Ae tcha, chief engineer and superintendent of con-
struction of The DSS&A, has just received instructions from Cal-
vin 5. Brice, vice president, of New York, to go ahead and build
the road into Duluth, or rather West Superior, as quickly as
possible. ‘The road is all ready completed and in running order
to Iron River, Wi., where it makes a junction with the NP. It
has been the intention to use the track of the latter from that
juaction to Duluth, 43 miles, but since the recent changes in
the DSS&A ownership, it has been rather evident that the NP
people were not disposed to put themselves out in any endeavor to
accommodate the South Shore. The determination to build at once
and to be entirely independent of any other company, is undoubt-
edly caused by the facts stated above.

A very careful preliminary survey was made some months ago
from Iron River to West Superior, a line being found which is
shorter than the NP, easier to build and easier to maintain. Nr.
Latcha has telegraphed Mr. J. F. Stevens, the chief assistant en-
gineer and three or four parties will be put at work on the loc-
ating survey immediately. The line will not start from the junc-
tion all ready made with the NP, but at a point several miles this
side, whence a more direct line can be run with a saving of about
three miles in the distance between Marquette and West Superior,
as compared with the route riva the South Shore and the NP. From
Iron River to the Brule it is sand country, easily built over.

At the Brule the South Shore will again reach the NP tracks, pro-~
bably running within 600 feet of each other there. From the Brule
west the line runs through a clay country and the construction
will not be easy, Between the 15% and 20% of this mongh Mr. Lat-
cha expects to have the contracts for the construction of the whole
40 miles let to some responsible party and active work commenced.
There will then be about 90 days before the snow flies and every
effort will be put forth to have the iron laid and the track bal-
lasted by that time.

The decision of the company to build its own line into Duluth
will undoubtedly result in a postponement of the new line west
from Nestoria, at least so far as train service is concerned. As
there are many homesteaders along the line and a certain amount
of local business to be done the company will probably put on ac-
commodation trains for the time being between Nestoria and Iron
River. junction. The immediate construction of the line into West
Superior will please everyone interested in the road. Marquette
has a little selfish interest in it because it will prolong the
residence here of Mr. latcha, Mitchell, Hurlburt and others con-
nected with the construction headquarters, besides bringing a
great deal of additional business into the city this fall.