The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1857-09-12

The Beat Speculation Of the Day.
We present to the public one Of the greatest combina-
tive projects of the day, and we solicit their attention tn
, the particulars. \ plain statement of facts will be its
best recommendation.
The undersigned are the principal proprietors of the
Town of Louisville, on the south side Of the Mime
sofa River about fifty miles from its mouth. The town
has been laid out about two years, and already contains 81
considerable population, two stores, q steam grist mill, two
steam saw mills, lime.kilns, &c. The undersigned have
within the past two months, ut y large expenditure
of money, bought out the town ate. together with
some of the adjoining property which they have also laid
out as parts of the original town. The site Of the town
is one Of the finest on the Minnesota River. 1t possesses
an excellent landing, and the land on which the town is
built rises gradually and beautifully from the river, gen
tie undulations Of the prairie overlooking each other as
they recede, forming one of the handsomest scenes one
can find in the whole valley Of the Minnesota. 1t ia al
ready the centre Of "a considerable trade, and would in
the ordinary course Of events, and without the assist
auce of the enterprise detailed below, have gone on
, steadily to success.
The undersigned have. however, bought it for another
object besides securing it for it's intrinsic merits. They
are interested in the City of Nininger on the MISSISSIPPI
pi River. They are interested in seeing the Nininger
and St. Peter Western Railroad built, and they are will
ing to hold out uncxampled inducements to the public
to subscribe to the Stock of that Road Hence at a
heavy outlay they have secured the town site OF Louis
vile, and now make the following proposal, a proposal
they believe to be unprecedented in liberality, and in
benefits to those who may take advantage Of 1t.
7Hev offer to sell lots in the Torn Of Louisville for
ten dollars each, to such parties as shall subscribe TO,
.NtocS IN the Nininyer and 81. Peter Western Railroad
Company.
The lots will be selected by the purchasers in the or
der in which they subscribe for Stock, those first sub
scribipc having the first choice. TO prevent, however,,
those subscribing last from having nothing left but re-
fuse lots, the amount of Railroad Stock to be subscribed
for each lot will be apportioned according to its location
the most valuable will require two or even three shares
of Stock to the lot while on the other hand, of the or
binary lots two or three lots may be sold for ten dollars
each, as the accompaniment of one share OF Stock. In
! this way it will average over the whole town one share
of Railroad Stock to one lot, those taking average lots,
neither extremely valuable or extremely inferior, will
get them at a share per lot, those running into extremes
must, however, pay more or less accordingly. 1t may,
however, be said ia a general sense. that a share Tor a
lot will be the terms upon which the lots will be sold.
The shares of Railroad Stock will cost One Hundred
Dollars each. As the payment of this amount on a
number of shares might be a serious obstacle to
many parties joining the Company, we have for the
benefit OF all, and particularly Of the poor man, ar.
ranged the Stock so that the One Hundred Dollars is
paid in small monthly instalments of Five Dollars every
month for the period of twenty months, at the expiration
of which time the One Hundred Dollars will have been
paid in full. Thus the subscription for Stock will fall
lyuClt WI Il uOSt W. . NuO VIII AOSm wv w
mert to the purchase of lots even to the poorest. There
is no man who cannot buy one or two lots at ten dollars
each, and pay from his earnings, however limited, five
dollars per month.
Let US inquire next as to the Railroad Company in
which the Stock is to be subscribed. The Nininger and
st. Peter Western Railroad Company was chartered at
the last Session Of the Territorial Legislature, and APP
proved March 4th, 1857. Copies of the Charter will he
given. together with an Account Book for their pay.
ments, to the subscribers for Stock. The road proposed
to be built will extend in its first section from Nininger
to Louisville, 4 distance of thirty five miles. 1t will
run through an extremely fertile and rich agricultural
country, already in a great degree brought under cultiva-
ton. We can say without hesitation that this section
| of country contains some of the finest farms in the Ter
ritry. What next? This road will terminate it's first
section at Louisville at the foot of the rapids Of the
Minnesota River. 1t will thus tap the trade Of the great
Minnesota Valley, the greatest artery of the wealth Of
this Territory. Who can doubt that this road cncc
built, the whole trade OF that great valley now tributary
to St. Paul would defect eastward to the Mississippi
River at Nininger City. Why? Because by ~thirty-hve
miles of Railroad travel accomplished in a few minutes
more than one hour, it could save itself a whole day
boating, or more than seventy miles along a shallow aud
uncertain river, and IA tedious tra~nshipmenta at st. Panl.
Any person CHANGING at the map will see that the rivers
Mississippi and Minnesota form together a peninsula
Loating at present is around it's whole length ; our Rail
road on the contrary passes at the base OF 1t, cutting OFT
thus one half or more of the distance, besides suh>titn-
ting the iron horse for the slow steamboat.
Will this road pay ? Its present section as we have
shown is through a fertile farming country, its first termi.
nus taps the richest current of trade in Minnesota
What is beyond Take the map. To the south west
lies the winding length of the Minnesota River with all
its numerous and rising towns. Can We doubt what the
future will call forth from such a region =? Up beyond
the great bend, away into an almost untrodden country
it continues the same outlet to present or future agrisul-
tural wealth. Then again directly west of Louisville, a
magnificent country, (the Counties of Carver, Mcleod
md tI~o o1;ooout \ StrofchaS mt alro.1v vounh Invol.D
ed, and containing Il most energetic and intelligent popu-
lation. A branch road is already in contemplation
to Glencoe, and our Charter will to this end be amended
at the next session of the Legislature. This region once
opened up, once offered an outlet for its productions, and
it will food it's wealth outward to the Mississippi. And
then, looking to the farther future, if the Niningcr and
St. Peter Railroad Company are, as we think they will
be, able to construct the FIRST RAILROAD IN MIME
sofa what is to prevent their keeping the same advanced
position, and sweeping westward on the great line Of the
worlds advance.
With all this who can doubt that the Stock of the
Company will be a safe and paying investment? Who
can doubt that it will yield a handsome return on its
principal in semi-annual dividends Who will doubt
that it will be a current and tangible evidence Of so much
money-negotiable as bank notes.
But more than all this, in asking the public to sub
scribe for stock in the Nininger and St. Peter Railroad
Company, we are Offering them lots in the Town Of
Louisville which will by their certain rise, upon the
building of the road, net them double, treble, guodrupt
the ,chole cost Of their Stock, and that too before they
have half paid for it. OF this fact there can be no
doubt. Lots have already, before there was any pros
pcct of a Railroad, been sold in the Town of Louisville
for Two Hundred Dollars each. We are Offering equally
good lots for ten dollars each What we ask in return
Is, that the purchaser MaN pay his pro rata part to~a,"s
building a road that wiW UNNECESSARILY add to The rnh"e
of his ocm property. What could be fairer: He is
putting money in no mans pocket but his own. He is
building his own Railroad in which he is as deeply ill.,
terested as any other man. and in whose actions he will.
as a shareholder, have a voice.
Let us reduce this matter to details, first to demon
str.te its feasibility, and secondly to show its results a.
to the individual purchaser.
The Road from Ninnger to Louisville will cost it has
been estimated at the rate Of 800, 900 per mile, making