Evening Times Republican

ROCK ISLAND SURVEY.

A Change in the Route to Spirit Lake.

Des Moines, Sept. 15. The Rock Island road has a party of engineers in the field surveying the proposed line into Spirit Lake, which it has been decided to construct next season. Contrary to general expectations the first survey is being made from Ruthven, the terminus of the leased line known as the Des Moines & Fort Dodge, instead of from Royal, the nearest station to its own line extending from Gowrie to Sibley.

The line beyond Ruthven as it is being surveyed passes between Ruthven and Trumbull lakes and crosses the Minneapolis & St. Louis north of Langdon and is being continued in the direction of Milford, a station on the Milwaukee road a few miles from Arnold Park. It is intended to run around the south end of Okoboji lake and up the west shore and, contrary to general expectations, is not to run into Spirit Lake. Instead it will connect with the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern division of the Rock Island road at or near Montgomery, the first station on that road west of Spirit Lake.

The fact that a survey of this line is being made is taken to indicate an expectation at least on the part of the Rock Island management that it will not lose the control of the Des Moines & Fort Dodge upon the expiration of its present lease. In this connection the statement is made authoritatively that the Rock Island will have ascertained what is to be the future of the Des Moines & Fort Dodge road by the time the 1903 building season opens and that in the meantime a survey will also be made from a point at or near Royal up to the west shore of Okoboji to Montgomery. No secret is made of the fact that the Rock Island prefers to extend the Ruthven line if it shall develop that it is to remain in control of it. There are two reasons for this. First, that it will be a shorter road and a cheaper one to build and, second, that it will be a more economical road to operate as a continuation of the Ruthven line, while the Royal line would have to be operated as a branch of the Sibley division.

The intention is to complete both surveys so that as soon as the future of the Des Moines & Fort Dodge is settled work can be commenced at once. It is the expectation that with favorable weather next spring this line can be constructed in sixty days and put in operation by the time the lake season opens in June.

It is stated on good authority but unofficially that as soon as the surveys in the north part of the state are completed the Rock Island will commence preliminary surveys on a line from Gowrie into Des Moines. These will be for the purpose of providing a route over which to build in the event the Rock Island is not to continue in control of the Des Moines & Fort Dodge road. It is understood one survey will utilize the Marshalltown, Dakota & Northwestern road from Gowrie to Frazier and that a new line will be surveyed from that point into Boone and down the east side of the river to Des Moines. The other line will extend southwest from Gowrie to Des Moines on the west side of the river and along the divide between the Des Moines & Fort Dodge road and the river.