LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL OFFICE OF THE RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS, To Honorable E. Y. Sarles, Governor of the State of North Dakota: SIR: We have the honor to herewith submit to you the sixteenth annual report of the Commissioners of Railroads of North Dakota, for the year ending November 1, 1905, together with the annual reports for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1905, of the following railway companies operating in the state, viz: Northern Pacific railway; Great Northern railway; St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba railway; Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie railway; Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railway, and Chicago & Northwestern railway. Respectfully submitted, President, JOHN CHRISTIANSEN, C. C. HAMMOND, Secretary SIXTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT The Honorable E. Y. Sarles, Governor of North Dakota: SIR: The commission herewith submits its sixteenth annual report for the fiscal year ending November 1, 1905, in which is briefly outlined its work for the preceding twelve months. We do not give the correspondence of the office, as it is too voluminous to embody in the report, but simply inform you as to what has been done. The reports of the several railways for the year ending June 30, 1905, are in complete form as reported to the commission. There are six systems of railways operating in this state, namely: The Great Northern; the Northern Pacific; the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie; the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul; the Chicago & Northwestern, and the Farmers' Grain & Shipping Co.-a short line running about fifty-four miles in a northwesterly direction from Devils Lake City through Ramsey and Towner counties, and operating as a feeder to the Great Northern system. There were over 500 miles of railway built in the state in 1905 by the Soo, Great Northern, Northern Pacific and Farmers' Grain & Shipping Co. The Soo built 251 miles from the Red River to Kenmare, known as the Thief River Falls extension, or the "Wheat Line." This extension runs through a very productive region, devoted principally to grain raising. Its Edgeland branch was extended about ten miles and its Underwood branch about twenty miles. The Great Northern extended its Edmore, Bottineau and Granville branches, and built branches from York and Towner on its main line, all in a northwesterly direction, and making a total of about 112 miles in the northern part of the state; and extended its Ellendale branch about sixteen miles in a southwesterly direction in the southern part of the state. The Northern Pacific added to its Edgeley extension about forty miles in the south part, and thirty miles to its Sykeston branch in the northern part of the state. The Farmers' Grain & Shipping Co. extended its line about thirty miles northwest from Starkweather into northern Towner county. This record is a remarkable one in the history of railway construction in the United States. The building boom promises to |