Red Wing sentinel. [volume] (Red Wing, M.T. [i.e. Minn.]) 1855-1861, 1859-03-19
Minnesota-it> Real Advantages, No. 3.

Minnesota-it> Real Advantages, No. 3.
The development Of the Railroad system
OF Minnesota has been, from the beginning.
sadly INSTRUCTED, and the labor Of years in
great degree nul'itied by the dog -in-the.
Manager action Of disappointed and jealous
faction, which, Of itself, has always been in
capable of carrying single measure either
through Congress or through the Legis-
lature or before the people-a faction in fact
which has never proposed measure or had
any policy whatever, except by grumb!ing and
fault finding and misrepresentation, to retard
and defeat whatever our best and wiscst
citizens, without regard to party, have united
to carry out. ........
In the case Of the Minnesota and North
western Railway this course was ruinous.-
AS we S ated in the commencement of these
articles-thc early settlement Of Minnesota,
was in part the rosul: of the supposed finan-
cial prosperity Of the country, and Of the
wild dreams Of sudden wealth. which af-
fected every class Of the people. Participat-
ing in this excitement far seeing men coald
not but judge favorably Of Minnesota. Her
geographical position, her agricultural and
commercial advantages-which we partially
set forth in our last number--were apparent.
The great Northern route to the Pacific, was
even then talked Of and its superiority over
al! others. was beginning to be understood
1t was not strange then, that her first set
tiers should, in imagination, behold growth
more rapid than had ever occurred in any
other country. Should See Towns and
Cities spriaging up in every direction, her
lands all settled and cultivated; her rsour-
cos developed to surprising degree, steam.
ers and Raj! cars bearing her produce and
manufactures, together with the wealtl, Of
the Indies to and from her various marts.
Naturally the first and most important
project was the construction Of a Railroad
which should traverse the heart of her aor;
cultural and numbering country, connecting
it through Lake Superior with the East.
A land grant for that purpose was voted by
Congress as early as the spring Of 1861
The Charter was in the hands of company
of New York Capitalists, able with their own
resources to construct the road. Abundance
Of capital was seeking investment. The re.
cent and unparalleled success of the Iii.
nois Central had created much confidence !,
Land Grant roads. And everything was
favorable to its opening throughout with
in three or four years. 1t would nave
been built and within that time, and nov
have been in active operation, and with it.
influence ensuring the construction Of thu
Northern Pacific road--a portion Of the MAR
line Of which it would have been--when the
unfortunate propensity of this otherwis,
Insignificant faction, for making trouble, II
enc moment destroyed the best chance ,ha
minnesota ever had for The speedy dcvelvv.
Ement other resources.
The adoption Of our present constitution
secured another and still more splendid
grant amounting in all TO seven millions
OF acres Of the choicest Of the Public lands
and providing for more perfec: system OF
roads, than is possessed by any other STATE.
roads which, like our rivers. will traverse
our State in every direction, and furnish an
outlet to every portion of it.
No new provision was made for connec-
ton with Lake Superior our own
ooundar'es-but the prospect of such con-
nectio" is still good-as the country between
that Lake and St. Paul is still unsettled
and the Minnesota anil Northwestern Grant
as valuable as ever as regards those points.
There being no doubt that the repeal Of that
grant will be decided invalid whenever
the suit now pending-in which that cues
ton is involvcd-is finally determined.
The first Of these roads is the "rransit."
connecting Winona with the Sioux and Mis-
souri, Rivers via the South Bend Of the Mn
nesota, with branch from Rochester down
Root River to Lacrosse; next is the Mime.
sofa Valley, and the Cedar Valley and Min
neopo!is, both Terminating ct St. Paul, and
connecting with the Iowa, Kansaz and Ne
hraska Roads, and lastly and most impor.
tant is the North Pacific, running one branch
from the head waters of the Red River. and
the other from Pembina. at the point where
that River crosses our northern line. both
uniting at St. Cloud terminating at st.
Paul, had with the MINI sofa Valley and the
Cedar Valley Roads, uniting in the Grand
Trunk, which is t" he continued on the old
Minnesota & Northwestern Line,
The construction Of these roads has also
ice" delayed for some length Of time, by ,hs
mischief making policy Of this faction, which
in this last manifestation Of ito ue,ines>. hos
INFLICTED serious injury upon the credit md
reputation OF the State-the conseouencc Of
which, though severely, arc, as Yet, hut par