The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-04-09
OUR CHICAGO LETTER.

CHICAGO, April 4, 1868.
EDS TRIBUNE
The squabble over the extension of the
Rock Island road being now at an end al
least for the present The idea occurs
to me that it may not be quite as inter
esting either to you or your readers to
have glimpse behind the curtains, to see
how the West enchred the East in this
little matter. Such glimpse l am en-
abled to give you, thanks to a ccmmuni-
cative Rock Island Director, and, by the
way, this will be the first glimpse the
public has had into the arcana of these
mysteries. To made the thing intellig-
ible. let me begin at the beginning. Pre-
paratory to the 1867 election Of the Di-
rectors of the Northwestern Railw ny,
Tracy, President of the r. l. r. r. and
the Directors of that road and Keen,
Drew friend and hacker, ,and his friends,
formed pool to buy Northwestern stock
with the purpose of getting control Of the
Northwestern and consolidating with it
the r. [. Road, effecting function
some 80 Or 40 miles this side of Des
Moines. But the Ogden dynasty rose in
its might and the crafty plotters. did Mt
win Il point in the game. Late last fall
the Tracy and Keep parties went jointly
into another pool for the same objects,
hoping TO win at the June election of
1868 and managed to buy up some thir-
teen millions of the n w. r. r. stock.
Here the joke began. Tracy and his side
OF the pool quietly, unostentatou " and
unsupported, sold out all the n. w. stock
they held to the Keep party and got
clear of the entansl ling alliance. Their
next move was the issue of 49, 900 shares
Of stock, in February last, by Tray anl
David Dow, of New York. At this time
L. !. stock WAS selling for 9s but as soon
as the new issue appeared on the street,
ready sold at 973, it became pauicky and
declined eight to ten per cent. Then, for
the first time, Keep found that he was
sold. He at once issued instructions to
his brokers, Rufus Hatch, at their head
to get out lnjunctlons in New York
against Tracy, the three Durants. David
Dows and one Sturges restraining them
from making use of the proceeds Of the
sale OF the 1900 new shares Tor the ex
tension of the road from Des Moines to
Council Bluffs, the very purpose for
which the Issue was made. Application
for an injunction was also made mere
While both suits were pending the R. T. betook the
selves unto the Iowa eSature sitting i'll Des Mone5
and had two bills passed, Iesalizins their issue
and its purpose authorizing them to extend their road
az lar aud as faStaS they pleased anu cro1nng
piece of strategy pcstpcnin% the anua election of d
recors for year from next Inne 10 prevent tie
heep-ites buying in and onstns the Board. In the
shortest KIND of short metre these acts pleased
and got Governor 81 nature. Then ths directors held
meeting. vacancy caused by the resignation of
one member OF the Board may be filled by the
ing members appointing somebody else. SO, by
zone, ten fifteen mnres apart all The
be7s, against whom nunctions has been served resign
ed, and one by one their places filled with
western men, constituting new Bead. Ey ;i,is ls1
Board-which by the aid ofa Tightening express
ira j;laon1 the Chicago Quickly thnt M ,1,;unc-
pns could be scrvei theni-thenoliey raised from
Ge $4,000 shares brought on, contracts for the
nu Id ng OF the extension from DeS Mones TO Omaha
we're made and we-> at set to work grading and
LAYING tTak. There will le farther delay it is be-
iicved il. the work and Keep stu holds his pur
pose OF ye- :ng possession OF the Northwestern we
eila shortly have lively competition between rival
from here TO TIE Union Pacific road instead of what
at first PROB 'srd, one huge monopoly. OF
this pioases the eplc of Chicago for quite indepcn
dent OF u little fancy for seeing the sharp of
the E,st cuchred By own smart men are heart
lily IN favor of all roads which open up for us, the ter
ritory and resources of the rich Northwest, making
them tributary Chicago and giving enlarged facil
ties for the growth Of our Commercial greatness.
Messers Fora and Comfy nave just completed the
o. re re-modelling sns and decoration of their
sple,, establishment for the ssle of Wheeler
wills .~machne at No. LOG Lake street and it
is now one o, most magnificent palatia indeed
pIacos of bususs> the west, well worthy of visit
from any Stranger 10 city evidence of how
far at my he made to au. the walks OF commerce
Gorgeously illuminated windo rlch irescoihg, ocau
tful pictures, soft piled carpets arriving s,auary
pianos all combined make it faultess - who!e a'
its parts perfect in detail 1t is plea nj 10 h2te
this Indication of prosperity but need not be su
ing when know that it is built up the pop ula-
ity of the Wheeler Wilson sewing machines ~
which the sale of 900 machines attests the f
rnr in 1ICh h.lG h1f
the family sewing machine. By the way the laicst
triumph of inventive genius in improvement the
sewing machine, is the attachment made TO the
Nheeler& Nisonfor making battton holes Almost i'm
possible as this it is nevertheless that it
makes beautiful and strong button holes, twenty
time. as fast they can be made by hand There is
nothing which needle can be expected to per-
form which this machine viii not do, from plain
ing to embroidery and button holes Don.