The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-04-05
TUESDAY MoRING, APRIL l, 1856


Lildt tulS Rodu, WHICH Is GeSCncQ TO pIac
st. Paul in the shortest communication witt
Chicago, was rapidly progressing in thi
direction. No Company connected Will
Western Railroads is composed of more abb
and enterprising men, and none thai W,
know of has greater share of the conf
dence of capitalists. This Road is spokel
of by all the Eastern journals in thei
"money articles" as one of the sure money
making enterp iscs of the day. A glance a
the map is sufficient to convince any one
that the route is one Of the most practicable
and feasible ever suggested, and that the
road from the start will be paying road
1t will be to St. Paul as an east and qpest roaO
what the Minnesota and North Western
must be as north and south road !; and the
prospects are daily growing more flattering
that both of them will be completed in q
very few years.
1t was highly proper that Minnesota, at
the late session of ber Legislature, should
legislate with view of encouraging this
great enterprise which is approaching us
through Wisconsin from Chicago. This duty
was not overlooked. A very liberal Charter
was granted to VIM. B. Og,len, Nelson H.
Wheeler, Joel H. johnson, John j. r.
Pease, John Bradley, Alex. Ramsey, Jesse
NJ. Stone. Franklin Steele and John r. Irvine,
for Railroad from G Gsome convenient point
on the st. Croix Lake or River" to St. Paul,
thence to St. Anthony, thence to the western
bounds of Minnesota, with power to build a
branch to Red River at such point as may
be deemed advisable. The road is to be
styled the Northern Pacific Railroad. The
capital stock of the Company is S., 100000.
The Company are empowered to consolidate
their capital stock with that of the Chicago,
St. Paul and Fond du Lac Company. The
Company are also empowered to consolidate
their capital stock with the road of any other
Company liberal provision is made to Sc
cure the Company in lands that may be
subsequently granted for Railroad purposes
by Congress an exemption from taxation
for fifteen years from the completion of the
road, and the Company are required to pay
into the Territorial Treasury annually two
per cent. of the nett profits of the road.
The work is to be commenced within two
years from the passage of the Act of Incor-
poration, and must be completed from the
St. Croix River to St. Paul within four
years.
There will be no difficulty about tie stock
of the road being taken as fast as the avails
of the same will he needed. We learn from
gentlemen connected with the enterprise
that some of the Eastern corporators will be
here to look over matters Immediately upon
the opening of navigation.
The following interesting facts in connec-
ton with this subject, we find in the Chicago
Democratic Press of March 2lst: '.i .'
CHICAGO, ST. PAUL g. FoND DU LAC, RAIL
RoAD.-On the first page will be found a
proposition of the above Railroad Company
to sell $5O0O0O of their thirty years. seven
per cent. first mortgage convertible bonds
This road, with its prospective connections
is without doubt one of the most important
of the whole Chicago system, and we pre-
sumo the Company will find no difficulty in
disposing of their bonds at very satisfac-
tory figure. In addition to it's occupying
the heart of the agricultural districts OF
Wisconsin, it must at an early day be placed
in connection with the iron and copper dis
tricts of Lake Superior, with the fourishing
cities and communities of Minnesota, with
the promising valley of the Red River of the
North, and ultimately form a link in the
great Northern Pacific Railroad. Whoever
will examine the routes of this road and ol
its prospective connections, with a map OF
the country before him, cannot but arrive at
the conclusion that it is destined to prove
one of the best-paying roads of the country,
and that its influence in building up our city
can only be appreciated after it shall have
been realized Considered only with refer
ence to its chartered limits, it travcrses a
country of unsurpassed fertility, from which
it must ever derive an immense business. II
was only few days ago that well-known
President of Western road, man of great
experience and of remarkably sound judg.
ment, expressed the opinion in Wall street.
That the line of this Railroad, from Chica-
90 to GAINESVILLE, was the best one hundred
miles of road out of Chicago, and that he
did not know where there was another line
of equal length to compare with it." This
opinion will be universally conceded in by
those familiar with the ground traversed
and it might with great propriety have been
extended so as to embrace the whole Of the
line to Fond du Lac, through the far-falned
valley of the Rock River, section of coun-
try whose productive capacity is unparal,
leled.
But there is another and more exact
point of view from which to look at this
line of road, and that is with reference to its
connections in Wisconsin, in the upper pen
insula of Michigan, and in Minnesota. The
unlimited mineral resources of the Lake
Superior country, now in process OF rapo
development, will speedily create an exten
sive commerce there, all Of which during the
winter months, and no small part Of it il
summer, must give its business to this road
Whoever has read the article on the "Unde
veloped Northern sportion of the American
Continent" recently published in this paper
will be prepared to appreciate the import
ance of this roads connections in Minnesota
along the fertile valleys of the st. Peter
and the Red River of the North, as i
stretches onward over the plains towards it
final terminus on Puget's Sound. There i
yet an undeveloped empire there, capable Q
forming half score of States, each equal t,
Illinois, possessed of wealth of soil and Q
minerals almost fabulous, and which man,
who read this article will live to see organ
lied into Independent sovereignties, and oc
'cupied by energetic and thrifty communities