Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-05-09
The Southern Minnesota Railroad.


to make the convention successful.
The Southern Minnesota Railroad.
1t is we'll known that the Southern
Minnesota X. II. Company has for u
long time been laboring under extreme
financial embarrassment and that Clark
W. Thompson was in New York all
last summer upon business connected
with the road. For long time the
employees did not receive their earnings
and the Company claimed the lc"icncy
Of parties generally with whom they
wcro holdin. business relations. En-
co uragins promises were received from
time to time, and, in the hope of au
carly absolution from present difficult
ties, both public and private parties ex-
crciscd the greatest cleu'eucy toward
the Company.
Complaints against railroads on ac-
count of alledgcd mismanagcmcnt and
cxtortionatc charges eliminated year
ago last winter, in the Legislature by
the appointment of Il railroad invcsti-
eating committee. Mr.. Thompson was,
at that time, a member Of the Mime
sofa Senate, (from the county of La
Crosse, Wis.,, and he was able to con-
vince the committee that his road was
doing business upon terms more favor
able to its patrons than any other
in the State. This conclusion is newt
able from pcrusal of the report which
that committee presented to the Lcsis-
lature A general law was enacted
restricting the charges for the t,anspo:-
tation of freight and passengers which
was quite generally disrcgarded, but the
Southern Minnesota Company professea
to acquiesce in it. They went so far
as to promise farmers and others inter-
ested that they would postal each station
table of rates fixed by law, and that
in no case should their charges exceed
those made by the Legislature. This
we are informed they wholly neglected
to do, and used such schedule Of rates
Us would best promote their own inter.
ests. The condition of tho company
financially, was becoming evidently
worse and worse. Mr.. Thompson was
unable to rails, in New York the neccs.
sary funds, and he proposed trip ia
Europe for that purpose, but this
required money and nee assitated a new
feature in business.
Mr.. J. G. Easton, we'll known in
Southern Minnesota as a shrewd bust
ness man and a heavy capitalist, has
been buying wheat all along the line OF
the S. NJ. r. Il. At Rushford ho had
a business connection with two other
gentlemen, with whom he has lately
dissolved partnership, probably for spe.
cial reasons as We shall soon see. In
the meantime Mr.. Thompson and two
others went to Europe in the interest Of
the road, and, is a result Of that, il
transpires that MIR. Easton his an
arrangement with the managers of the
road whereby he is enabled to pas!
wheat for six cents less per bushel thar
any other buyer along the route. Will
this margin to operate upon he is king
Of the rings. But this arrangement,
does not affect the wheat traffic alone
it brings all kinds of business to dcat
stand. Farmers north Of the road arr
drawing their wheat to the w. Il St. p
Il. r., and those south are reaching
other available points. Considerable
quantities are. already coming into Aus
} tin which would naturally find market
at Albert Lea, Oakland, Brownsville
Grand Meadow or Spring Valley, whil'
Leroy is beginning to feel the impetus
which is impaired by the new condi
ton Of things. We learn, also, tina
the determination not to use the ro,t
is confined not to the producing class
I alone, but that merchants and genera
dealers are combining for the purpos.
Of freishting over other lines, aud, il
some cascs, Of returning to the print
tive methods for short distances. Al
bert Lea will ship to Northwood, in
Iowa, and from there transport BY
wagon. Other towns are making COT
responding arrangements.
The theory is that Mr.. Easton fur
nished the money for the trip t.
, Europe, and that one of the consider
, ations Of the loan was the special priv
ilege which he enjoys in the whea
trade. Whether such be the case OF
not, matters but very little. The ques
ton of Importance is, does this dscrim
ination exist, aud if 50, can it be main
/ tanned against the interests and the in
dig nation of the whole community
1t is in utter violation of law, and con
trary to every impulse of common
honesty, and ought not to be tol
Grated. These great public thorough
fares, while Of ,ncalculable value to tn
country and worthy Of all lesitimat
: encouragement, are rapidly becoming
= engines Of immense power, and, unlcs
i properly regulated, will soon lay unde