W.F. Fitch scrapbook

Source: W. F. Fitch Scrap Book - p. 21 Superior-South Shore The Story of the Road What Has Been Accomplished by the Building and What Will Result from Its Competition The South Shore road is completed today and its Western Terminus, Superior - celebrates the event. The consumation of the undertaking, which was conceived in the brain of the late General Hammond gives to Superior an outlet to the seaboard that makes her independent of Chicago and her numerous trunk lines. It places the ports of the Atlantic to closer communion with the grain fields of the Northwest and makes it possible for the City of Destiny to compete, during the season when navigation is suspended with the more southern sections of the country that have heretofore controlled the winter traffic. To be sure that 40 miles only were needed to complete the important system but these 40 miles have given to Superior a direct route to the greate cities of the east end generated the business relations of the Lake Superior region. To the South Shore therefore, Superior pays homage. The avenue of communication offered by teh completion of the railway of the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Co., pratically makes of Superior the western terminus of a truck line and offers a means of direct intercourse with the cities of the Atlantic seaboard as well as the rich industrial centers of Lower Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania and the Canadian provinces while the country traversed by the line through the upper Peninsula of Michigan, the northern counties of Wisconsin offers an established field of diversified industries naturally tributory to Superior as the nultropolis and the principal city of this line of railway. The DSS and A Ry., occupies the same relative position to Superior and Duluth as the Chicago lins due to St. Paul and Minneapolis, being the natural connecting link with the importing and exporting centers of the country and even exceeding those lines in the establishing of through train service, freight and passenger beyond this eastern limits, offering the advantage of through rates and quick connections. The history of the DSS and A R'Y foreshadows the policy of the promotors to establish the trunk line, offering the great cities at the head of Lake Superior direct connections with the railway systems of the east and by purchase, consolidations and construction that subject is now attained. The lines being consolidated into the DSS and A system consist of the Mackinaw R. H., successors of the Detroit, Mackinaw and Marquette, which extended from St. Ignace (where connection is made with the railway system of the Michigan Central Co., and the Gr and Rapids and Indiana Co.) to Marquette a distance of 151 miles and was opened for traffic on December 19, 1881, the Marquette, Houghton and Ontonagon and its propriatory line the Marquette and Western, having a total milage of 112 miles and which was opened for traffic from Marquette to Ishpeming in 1887, to Champion in 1865, to L'Anse in 1872, to Houghton and the Marquette and Western from Marquette to Ishpeming in 1884. The balance of the railway now comprised in the line was built by the DSS and A Co. and consists of a connection to S. S. Marie, 43 miles opened in 1887, from Nestoria to Iron River, 165 miles opened opened in 1888, and the last connecting link from Iron River to Superior 45 miles, December 1, 1892. The great International bridge at S. S. Marie was completed on the opening of the line at that point and the first train passed through direct to Canadian territory. The entire railway now consists of 522.33 miles of main line, 76.03 miles of branches and 108.57 miles of sidings, making a total of 706.83 miles of operated railway, equipped with 99 locomotives,