Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1872-11-29

tons to the amount OF SzoO,OVU. IniS
result was, according to arrangement, an
nounced by Mr.. Bentley to Mr.. Joy.
In the meantime change had taken
place in the principal officers of the S. &
F. Co.-Mr. Tim. f. Strong had resigned
the office of President aEd Superintendent,
and Mr.. Murrill that of Chief Engineer.
Mr.. Joy sent Col. Smith, who had long
been employed by him, and in when he
had the utmost confidence, and Col. Smith
was appointed Chief Engineer and Super
intcndent.
Mr. Joy was unwilling to furnish CAPT
tai for the extension of the road on any
terms, until Col. Smith should make re-
connosance of it and submit his report.
This he was prevented, by other engage
ments, from doing until the last of Au-
gust. On the 3Oth and 31st of that
month he and Mr.. Bentley rode through,
on or near the line, all the way from Por-
tage City to Mineral Point; and | am in
formed that the result was satisfactory,
and the report to Mr.. Joy favorable,
Everything up to this time was looking
very fat terinsly, when most unexpected
obstacle was developed, which, until re-
moved, threatens to obstruct all further
progress in the work of extension in the
desired direction.
It will be remembered that the expect
ton of extension from Portage City tor
Mineral Point was dependent upon the
construction of the road from Fond du
Lac to Portage City, and that this was
supposed to be rendered certain by the
memorandum of contract" already re-
ferred to.
1t now appears that most unfortunate
misunderstanding has arisen between the
S. 6 F. Co. and the Wisconsin Central Co.
growing out of that memorandum"
Mr.. Bentley has filed with the executive
of the State copy of the memorandum
(marked No. ID and also draft of con-
tract handed him by George Reed, Esq,
(marked No. 81 together with his own
written statement, dated October 18th,
which he says is "a public notice to all
parties concerned of the present relations
of the Wisconsin Central Co. and the 8.
& F. Co. to that portion of the land grant
properly applicable between Portage City
and Ripon, and the attitude of the S. & F.
Go. in the premises"
In that statement Mr.. Bentley says
"Since the making of No. (the mem
orandum'l the s. & F. Co. has proceeded
in its extensive projects, relying upon the
faithful compliance of the Wisconsin Cen
trail Co. with its terms. 1t made expen-
Sive surveys upon the routes named in the
paper, and bad effected financial arrange
ments so that on the LIST of September it
would have been ready-but for the delay
caused as herein stated to begin the
work of construction on the line from
Princeton to Portage City, which would
hrve given ample time to complete the line
before January 1st next, thus covering all
that part o. the Wisconsin Central land
grant line between Portage City and Fond
du Lac.
"At the time of max ing No. it was the
understanding that George Reed should
prepare the formal contract therein refer.
red to; and about the middle Of August
he enclosed to me what he had prepared
for such contract. No. 2 is one of the
parts. Owing to absence from home and
important engagements got no opportu-
nifty to meet Mr.. Reed until the 9th of
August.
cat this interview objected to the cx.
ecution of No. 2 on the part of the S. &
F. Co. on the ground that it was not so
framed as to carry out tho spirit of No. /
and upon the further ground that the Wis
consin Central Company had executed a
mortgage upon all the lands Of the grant
lying on either side of its line of road
from Stevens Poin: to Lake Superior, for
$4,000 per mile of all its line from Por-
tage City, and from Menasha ola. Stevens
Point to Lake Superior, and there was
nothing contained in No. 2 to assure the
S. & F. Co. that the lien of this mortgage
would be released as to the lands to which
it would become entitled on the perform.
ance of the conditions of No. /.
Neither at this interview with Mr..
Reed, nor subsequently, has any intima-
ton been given by the representatives Of
the Wisconsin Central Company, that they
would obviate these objections, so far as
they related to the said mortgage.
lowing to the failure of the Wisconsin
Central Company to assure to the S. & F.
90. the said lands upon compliance with
No. l !; the S. & F. Co. was deferred from
commencing work as it had intended to
do, and has not yet commenced the work
Of construction. But Notwithstanding this
delay the S. & F. Go. have expended much
money and valuable time in preliminary
steps towards carrying out its part of No.
/ j; and having devoted its attention solely
to the rou ties and lines provided for in No.
l throughout the entire season; said com.
pany is DESTROYS of commencing the work
Of constr uction on the line between Por-
tage City and Princeton at once, and
stands ready to commence said construc-
ton at any time, whenever the Wisconsin