St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1863-03-26
be prosperous agricultural" country with
.;i.assa n,,4lnf To Lake Sunnri0r

out rallTOdQ OUtHi " AS"SS"o0PV'A~A
When completed. that road, in connection
with the chain Of lakes, will be the great
emigrant route TO the west because tho
cheapest for travel. Emigration viii then
shower upoa 10, and from here as start
ing point they will seek homes for them
selves and their families. At the present
time the emigration that settles here is
filtered through thousands ofSlni'es Of
cheap farming country, Offering, perhaps,
better Inducements tor settlement than
ours, and when they reach here the5 are
impoverished By the expense, labor. and
time spent in travel. The result is, but
few como here; and such will be the case
uutil the evil is'rcnedicd
Look at the care an another point Of
view. We are an agricultural community
We must live and thrive BY farming, i
at all. We depend upon the price re &c;
for our produce for our capital. Can *e
ever hope TO compete with the South-wcs,
with so much of distance and cost Of trans
portation against US? Never! We must
seek another and shorter outlet. 1t looks
to me just as if Providence had interposel
the building Of the Superior Road be-
tween US and the complete development.
Of Northern Minnesota. So much for the
benefits Of the road.
But, Mr.. President, although we have
gained triumph for our locality in this,
that our section has obtained an honora-
BILE recognition at the hands Of the Legit-
.lature, still much depends upon tl.e course
We pursue in relation to it. Tho subject
has been knotty one, but split has been
made and wedge introduced, and we
must never allow it to close in again upon
US. Our triumph must be made to bear
success. We are not yet over with oug
difficulties The same elements which
have opposed US heretofore will oppose US
again. The contest is one of radical diff
ferenccs, involving the fate Of sections and
localities, aud We must be prepared to
meet it when it comes and as it comes
Let us prepare inducements fur the con.
templated road. Let our farmers fence in
their lands, and cultivate their fields, and
store away the net proceeds Of their IL
dustry. Let our mechanics build up towns
and emigration people them. LIT plenty
ill the land and energy protect it, and
the Superior railroad, which Is ours by
righteous because the rvute was traced
BY the finger Of Providcnce-oprs because,
if built at all, it is to be built by virtue Of q
Congressional Grant Of lands diverted from
us-will surely aud speedily be ours by
its South western Termination alao.
10. The St. Paul and Pacific R.ilraad With lie
Branches-The pioneer Railroad Of Minneso-
ta-May it follow, and that right speedily, IL
the pathway OF tho ''sta' Of Empire
4. b. Curr" E<q in responding said;.
Mr.. PREs1DENr-1 can hardly 6ni
words to express my surprise on being ca,,;;~
ed to respond to the toast just read a:.d
while l heartily endorse the sentimen:
therein expressed, l must confess thai
am no "Railroad man. Whatever othe:
sins l may have to answer for, think
that in that respect will stand acquitted
| say this, too, with due Difference 20 sill
present, or who hsve been invited to pss~
ticipatc 10 tile festivities Of the occasion,
for those who have ever been interested IL.
any manner in Railroad matters. kaow
that to succeed we'll and proftatIy, the9
must seemingly endeavor to please every
body and make an apparent effort, so tsc
as is practable, to suit every locality hence.
they must be possessed OF great deal Of
christian frankness, mingled with much
more cunning than is generally accredited
to citizens in tue mere private walks ci
life. ! .:
g That the Pacific Railroad Company -
entitled to all the praise and eneominns
that &n energetic aud thorough going Com
pany could merit, or greatly benefited
aud grateful people can bestow, no one
will deny. Thwarted time and again b;
1egislation-laws enacted in good faith po
doubt-discouraged BY greedy capitalists
in the beginning burthened by requisi.
tons unbeard Of in tho history Of Rail.
road projects, the Company has struggled
against every obstacle that could b. chanee
or intention be thrown in their way, and
Notwithstanding all this, they finally sue
eeeded in being the first Company to start
cars from our capital, and are now making
daily trips between that place aud the twin
cities, thus meriting the aattering title Of
the PIONEER ROAD OF MINNESOTA. ses@
1t may not be out Of place for me to TO-
fer to the proposed location or line Of this
road: As I understand, it is thus: Be-
ginning at Saltwater, on the St. Croix,
passing through st. Paul, St. Anthony,
Minneapolis, from thence through the
counties Of Wright, Meeker, Monongalis,
kandiyohi, Pierce and Andy johnson, to
the Red Riverof the North; With branch
from Saint Anthony uin Anoka, St. Cloud
aud Little Falls to Grow: Wing, with 40.
other branch from this last, leading from
some point at or above St. Cloud, to Lake
Superior. . ) r@.> sss.. =, ~s.5* -
Now, it does seem to me that if thi,
Company could prevail on the Legislature
to consult their. interests and tkat 81 q
majority Of those who expect to DO benoft.
ed by this road and ito branches, the loca.
ton would be changed in manv reanects: