The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1854-10-14

mick lG7 ; NJ. Croft, 32 II. \. Swift, &c; F..
E. Collins, ii.
A few Facts and Thoughts Plainly Expressed.
1t is now about two years since number of
the leading men of st. Paul, and those most
ntercste in her prosperity, commenced to
talk seriously, and with some confidence ofsuc-
cess, of forming certain Railroad plans, and
combining certain Railroad influences abroad
by which our young and prosperous City could
become the great Northwestern centre of a
atitudinal and a longitudinal system of roads
The Indian trade which had been great help
to us in former days, was about to leave us al
most entirely farmers were commencing to
settle around us in all directions: the vast
mining, numbering and farming country North
of us and about Lake Superior, would soon NJ e |
railroad outlet and it was even then cvi-
dent to minds not the most expansive, that by
the time our contemplated railroads could be
completed, there would be hundreds of thou
sands ofdolars' worth of produce in Minnesota,
requiring transportation in the winter time to
markets beyond our borders. And then, here
was the business of St. Paul, and of all Of oar
towns, rapidly increasing business men mul-
tiplying by scores and hundreds: the amount
ofcapital increasing proportionately, and five
months in the year the whole of this interest
was cut off from practical intercourse with the
commercial world without. We might so on,
multiplying reasons why we should at that ear
IL ipr for Dropf;cal
lem of railroads. but the above will suffice.
In this movement, it will be remembered by
those who were then here, the Minnesotian be-
came carly identified OH the favorable side
So did the Democrat, then under the control
OF Col D. A. Robertson ; and so would have
the Pioneer, had not its great original Head
been laid low by death about tha: time, and its
control fallen, for the time, into non committal
and timid hands
The plans were originally these: A north
and south road from Lake Superior, by way OF
St. Paul, through the heart of Southern Mime
sofa, Iowa and Missouri. to st. Louis, with a
branch to intersect the Illinois Contra. road at
Dubuque an east and west road, commencing
at some point on the waters of Lake Michigan
not farther north than Green Bay, crossing the
St. Croix at point not farther north than the
falls of that stream, thence to ST. Anthony and
st. Paul and thence westward toward the Pa
cifc. This system was suggested, or at least
alluded to- by Gov. Ramsey in his message to
the Legislature at the session commencing
January, 1858. Charters were passed during
that session. very nearly following this line Of
policy not that any member supported them GER
tain that the companies proposed under these
charters would ever build the roads, but for the
purpose of showing to capitalists and railroad
men throughout Europe and America, thai
Minnesota was willing to give them liberal en-
couragement, if they would come on and build
our roads.
Well the summer and autumn, following
many of our citizens, and several citizens o
Iowa, spent many days and weeks in New lork
and Boston, associating with leading railroad
men of the country, and using their best en-
deavors to induce some Of them to take hold o
our roads. We were generally laughed at, ant
driven from their presence in derision-eren .
,ce should succeed in getting land grants to'
the purpose from Congress. Finally however
a Company of bold mcn-bold because of thci
experience to plan and abilities to consummat
the work-assented to undertake the buildin:
ofthc Minnesota portion of our North and Sout
road, provided a grant of lands could be pro
cured. To hastern matters one year. they las
winter asked for u charter from our Lcglsl
turc. And however loosely drawn and una
ceptable that charter may have been when frs
introduced we contend that as it passed, an
is now a law, it gires to Minnesota much grea'
er advantages than either Illinois or .uissou'
received in ceding their railroad grants I
! Wall street and State street capitalists. W
ask no man to take our word for this. LIE
him examine and compare the three charter
The unfortunate verbal alteration in our bl
granting lands to aid in building this road
which all Minnesotians alike deprecate-an
the undue interference of narrow-minded Fed
raj Office e-holders of Minnesota, aided by vi
n ginia abstractionists, which procured the r
: peal of the grant, are matters too fresh in tt
mind of every citizen. to need reiteration her
So far as We are concerned, the Minnesota
stands just where it did two years ago-in I
vor of this north and south and this east al
S, west road in favor of placing both or eth
of them in the hands of men who are thoroug
" able to build them opposed to having the
., works delayed for many years. and in all pro
'y ability never completed, by foolish'y relyi