St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1865-01-12

o's'a"ce VI t"entSoHVe miles. Assu
rancrs are also gwen. that no effort will
be Spared to reach Belle PLANE, with
out unavoidable delay, and that there
sitter. this important link of our rail-
road system will be continued v ith vig-
or. until it shall have reached the
southern boundary of the State, and
formed connection through the Iowa
lines, with the great Pacific route.
In this connection your attention is
invited to the seventh section OF an Act
! Of Congress, entitled "An act for a
grant of lands to the State of Iowa in
''aIternate sections, to aid 10 the con-
''struction of a railroad in said State,
approved May 18th, 1864" which
makes further grant of four addition
al alternate sec'ions Of land per mile,
tor the purpose OF aiding in the con-
struction If a railroad from St. Paul
and ST. Anthony Via Minneapolis to a
c""ve"Icnt point Of junction vest of
the s'uh hem boundery of the State in
the direct on Of the mouth of the Biz
Sioux River.
/ respectfully suggest the acceptance
of this grant, and recommend that it
be immediately appropriated to the
company engaged in the construction
Of the Minnesota Valley Railroad.
The main line Of tie St. Paul and
Pacific Railr. ad, by which communi-
cation will eventually be opened with
the ,ich mineral regions east of the
Rocky Mountains, is partly under con-
tract, and fourteen miles Of the route,
connecting Minneapolis with Lake
Minne,onka, will doubtless be in sue
ccsSiul operation during the present
year.
The company have received from the
State a valuable grant Of swamp lands,
to aid in building branch along the
Mis<i *sippi river from St. Paul to Wi
mona, and reasonably look. for such =
combination of capital by the stock
holders ot oti,c: lines interested in its
early construction, as will enable them
TO fulfill thur engagements.
The cars are now :unping upon the
St. Paul and Pacific branch road to
Elk river, distance of forty miles, and
the officers give assurance of the ex-
tension OF The road to St. Cloud or Wa
t.b, as early as transportation upon the
Mississippi will permit the importation
If iron.
The track is graded and the ties are
prepar. between the ncicated points.
Ihe franchises OF this 18Th road
have b en forfeited to the Stdee in con-
sequence ,fa non compliance with the
provision Of the charter which oblisa-
ted company to build the road to St.
CI,ud by the first day of the present
month. In view of the many difficult
ties cncou"tc' ed by the corporatcrs, I
recommend that a asonsble extension
Of time be granted for the completion
Of the railway to st. Cloud.
Negotiations are pending with Eng
lisi' capitalists: which it is hoped will
result III the prompt construction of
the branch roads of this company from
Lake Superior via St. Cloud to Pembi-
na and the conterminous possessions of
her Britanic Majesty.
By an act Of Con sress approved Ju-
ly ID. 1864, a grant OF twenty alter
nate sections per mile upon either side
Of the route. was made tor the construc-
ton of the Northern Pacific Railroad,
commencing on Lake Superior, and
running on line north of the forty
fifth degree Of latitude to Puget's
) ,und On the Pacific coast.
This muni6ccnt donation of lands
has secured the attention of eastern
capitalists, and company is already or
ganized to build this great thorough
fare between the two Oceans.
The Lake Superior and Mississippi
Railroad Company, to which the State
has donated over seven hundred thous-
aud 'rc> of swamp-lands upon liberal
conditions, and to which bonus of
$3.50, Geo has been Piled ged by the city
"i. Saint Paul, uIon the completion Of
the road within FIVE years, has surveyed
aud commenced the grading. Of the
road
by an act approved May 5th, 1864,
Congress granted to the State Of Min
nesota, fur the purpose of aiding in the
construction Of railroad in said State,
from the city of St. Paul, to the head
of Lake Superior, every alternate Sec
tion of public land of the United
States, not mineral, designated by odd
numbers to the amount of FIVE altern-
ate sections per mile on each side Of
the said railroad on the line thereof,
within the State Of Minnesota aud I
recommend that you formally accept the
donatiun. --. :-- -.... .-s.-s-~-
1t VII ecome your duty to make
such a disposition of this valuable grant
as will secure the earliest practicable
railroad communication between the
points indicated by the act Of Congress.
The consummation Of this project, is of
such vital importance to more tban one.
half Of our agricultural interest, and is.
So Intimately blended with our whole
system IT intcrc ,mmunication, thst Sc
riuus delay would be calamitous to the
State. About forty thousand opera
tives are engaged in numbering and mi
ming i" the upper Lake region, who
consume staple agricultural products to
the amount Of between $3,000,000 and