Source: The Mining Journal
Marquette, Mi.
August 25, 1888 Saturday

Carry the News to the Soo

Yesterday the private cars of the officials of three great
railroads met in Marquette. W. C. Van Horne, president of the
CPR and vice president of The DSS&A, the ablest railroad man
in the world, arrived in his private car "Metapedia" accompanied
George C. Olds, general traffic manager of the CPR and others.
President James McMillan of the DSS&A came in his magnificient
car "Marquette" accompanies by General Samuel Thomas and George I.
Seney, directors of the road. W. A. C. Ewen, treasurer, of New
York, Hugh McMillan of Detroit, Ernest Grosbeck of the Wall st.,
firm of Harriet and Grosbeck, and H. G. Hopkins, also of Wall st.
These two parties had slipped through Marquette on the M&W the day
before and returned during the night after visiting the copper
country. At noon the officers car of the M&N arrived with J. C.
Spencer, vice president on board. His business was to confer with
the officers of the South Shore and the result was the announcement
in the evening that the O&BR., would be extended immediately from
Rockland to a junction with The DSS&A,

The DSS&A parties passed the day in looking over the terminal
facilities of the road here and examining into its business. The
rapidity with which Mr. Van Horne mastered every detail of the bus-
iness of the road was a marvel to all who were in a position to
witness it. In the evening the "Metapedia" and "Marquette" were
put on a siding about where the old Northwestern hotel stood, to
give the occupants a glimpse of the lake and keep them out of the
noise and dust of the ore traffice in the upper yards. There they
were visited by Mayor Clark and a delegation of prominent citizens
and soon after the Marquette city band appeared and gave them a
very fine serenade, though at the time,ignorant of the fact that
president McMillan had given the organization $100. A more
pleasant party of gentlemen could not be met anywhere than the dis-
tinguished railroaders, and the Marquette visitors enjoyed the
evening greatly. To a representative of the Mining Journal in
answere to the inguiry, "What does this visit presage for Mar-
quette?" Mr. McMillan replied: "We have been looking around today
for a site for a fine depot and office building. You may say that
it has been determined to locate the headquarters of the South
Shore at Marquette permanently and steps will be taken at once to
provide the necessary office accommodations and shops. ‘The shops
will be consolidated, the MH&O being retained because with larger
and more permanent buildings. Instructions will be issued at once
for the enlargement of the shops to fit them for the greatly in-
creased traffic of a through line. You need have no fears, Mar-
quette will all ways remain the most important place on the line,
and the recent changes mean more business for Marquette than she
ever dreamed of. The South Shore is to be operated as a through
P. 2 3/25/1888

trunk line, entirely independent of all others. The Vanderbilt

and Pennsylvania system at St. Ignace will receive the same treat-
ment as in the past and the only connection with the road will have
with the Soo Line will be the fact that by an arrangement just con-
eluded the Sco people will use our terminal facilities at 5S. S.
Marie. Ours are plenty big enough for both and they will lease from
us as they cannot buy for themselves."

President McMillan's declaration that the headquarters of the
road were to be located here permanently delighted the citizens
present so that the could hardly keep from cheering, and the word
went around "carry the new to the Sault - murmur it gently to Du-
luth!" Mr. McMillan stated further that the road was after bus-
iness and that the ore traffic must come this way. He said that
they had just expended $1,500,000 for new equipment and would not
rest until the line had everything that it needed to control the
business of the upper peninsula and handle an enormous through
traffic. Mr. Hopkins of New York said, "You people don't know
Van Horne. He's the most wonderful man in the world and a whole
steam engine in regard to energy. You'llsee business here at Mar-
quette until you can't rest. When Van Horne puts his foot down
things have to come, and the ore and coal traffic of the peninsula
must be by way of Marquette and the South Shore.

The party left in their cars at 5 o'clock this morning for a
trip over the extension to Iron River Junction and from there to
Duluth by the NP. All expressed themselves as greatly pleased with
the city and its people. Mr. McMillan was especially happy in his
reference to past visits which he had made to Marquette, and seemed
to take pleasure in the fact that he brought news this time which
will be warmly appreciated by every resident of the "Queen City."