The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1870-03-17
Defeat of the Manito-
Charter.
From the Appleton Crescent.

peonle.of Appleton, beng convinced that
/ t. 3. Ward Land Grant Road across
! Michigan to PeTe Marquette would be
| completed at an early day, and assurance
| being given that he would put on a daily
/ line ofiron steamers to Manitowoc and
Sheboygan, felt it important TO get en-
the main line of road which they felt con-
WINGED would be built from Manit0woc
to Duluth. the initial point Of the Norti
Pacific Railway. Accordingly our city
authorities and citizens at once proceed
+ ed, in concert with the united people of
! Manitowoc, to endeavor TO bring about
such changes in the control of the Man
| itowoc q Minnesota Railway Co.. (wh ich
holds an obligation from Jacob Lueps,
| the judgement creditor and the owner
of all the franchises and property Of the
old ..AIanitowoc d Mississippi Nailroad
| Co." to assign such franchises and prop
erty to the frst-named organization on
the payment OF $4,000 IN cash by the
| LIST of July next,)a5 would ensure the
speedy com mencement of the work. 10
he as brief as possible, nothing could be
effected; Geo Reed, the President of the
| stockless corporation, refusing to give
way, and the representative men OF de
nasha openly declaring that they wanted
no road to fIanitowoc at present, and
that when they did, Appleton should
have no share IN 1t.
Under these circumstances, and for the
additional reason that it was well under
stood that the "CentIai Route" so call
ed, was sure to pass into the hands OF
corporators, a majority of whom were
not willing to have the work commence.
on chat line until tbs intervening country,
- !. ~, ! J.
from Milwaukee, should be able to build
it, and the further reason that some Of
those corporat0rs are LARGELY interested
in the milwaukee & St. Paul Railway
| Co., a corporation not inclined to buif7
or extend anv line or road into any sec
ton which it conceives to be already
wholly or in part tributary to their exist
ing roads or TO the G. & NV. Hallway
Co., and being convinced that if the
work was once fairly commenced between
ManitoWoc and Appleton, it would COM
peIi the more speedy building Of the
Central Route due north from Mil
waukee to our city we all (or nearly alb.
with one accord turned our attention to
obtaining charter for road from Man
itowoc to Appleton, and thence north
westwardly to the Minnesota State line.
This was after Manitowoc and Appleton
had exhausted negotiations to effect the
same thing with Nenasha and George
Reed.
Then the Lake Shore people, between
Milwaukee and 1IanitoWoc, feeling that
little depen1enca could be placed upon a
majority of the Milwaukee corpoFators.-
who would one day pledge that their
route should be on the lake shore to
Green Bay, and next that it would be to
Plymouth, Stockbridge and Menasha,-
asked to be included in the new charter,
which was accordingly so DONE
The Original charter was drawn in Mil
waukee; it was, ike the swinging char
ter of the so-called Central Route. y
defective III some particulars, and espec-
iaIly TO the sub committee Of Appleton
ians designated to look after it. because
it was definite in its route from MaDit0-
| voc, Appleton not being named ia Inc
bill 4 brief conference, however, with
the leading representative men Of aiani-
towoc, afterwards unanimously endorsed
by the entire lake Shore representation
in and out OF the Legislature, settled the
question that the bill should be perfected,
and Appleton distinctly named as point
on the liUe Of the road.
On the 22d Of February, 1870, Hon.
G.. Il. Mcintosh ~declared in the Office Of
B. Douglas, in the city of Appleton. that
although he did uof ike some features
in the bill, he should vote for it, urging
as one objection that Appleton was not
named as a point on he road. just pri
or to the passage Of the Central Route"
Swinging charter" Bill, o. Ii Waldo
ana others Of ITS especial champions
pledged that interest that if their bill
was allowed TO pass without opposition,
the Manitowoc bill should not be OBJ
structed.
Without going into the details Of one
of the warmest contests ever fought out
on the floor and Hobbies of the Asse mhlv,
it is only necessary to say that Waldo
was conveniently absent, and his associ-
ates all forgot their pledges. and that
Assemb'yman Mcintosh changed front
and fought the bill to the extent Of his
power, even to declining to assist in per-
fecting it and amending it so as to make
Appleton point on the road. voting for
an amendment to change the corpOrators
so IS to substitute men who would not
only not put dollar-in the road, but
would las in the case Of the Central
Route Swinging charter pocket the
act of incorporation for some future and
| indefinite time, and thus prevent the
buiI1ins of an important Railway, the
cnpita7 for acAich pas ard as ready ardit-
| ina for Investment and he capped the
| climax by voting to kill the bill after it
was perfected and this locality fully pro-
tected. 81
Our citizens had learned through their
lobby representatives( Messrs Blood
and Douglass and their Assemblyman
| had planted himself firmly against, and
was in full communion with the enemies
| Of Appleton interests-n0t even accord
| ING 70 AnnIeton citizenstexeept to one
Reeder smith, the ordinary civiltIes and
| courtesies due between gentlemen and
| fhat tue only excuseshe offered or pre-
tense he made was that he was represent
inc tho people of Appleton, and he
| knew the prevailing sentiment Of its pe0-
| ME to be in accord with his position on
that subject. Accordingly on Monday,
the 29th ulsimo. the following document
was signed by eCe,y business alale dad
,,,45,,f;tcf,,y,er SAVE ONE to whom it was
presented. and sent to the Legislature.
and probably Observation-Disclosures of the
tremaining business men who could not
| be seen before train time would have
signed it on presentation
10 The Ieg}SIatHye Of iltscOnsll1'
The undersigned. the Mayor and Com
mon Council of Appleton. the members
ofthe Railroad Committee of said city,
whose names are hereunto appended, beg
leave to state that We regard.it Of vital
! interest to this city and section Of cnun-
trv that the Railroad Charter asked for
BIZ the authorities and people of Ianito-
voc be permitted to become a law with
out delay.
Il Is u5atruc tat the people Of A22pleton
do not desire q sDee9Y r1i}tcnY connection
] IL EE.-..lo.l.nc IL. te Il tlllo TEAT