, 1873-03-15

At thie' 1ancturo, tho Chicago L Northern Pa
ci6o AIRLINE Company put In MI appear
anco. VIII, the MD Of tho grant, thoy
proposed to construct tho aliorteBt limo be-
twoon Chicago md Latto Superior. Tho proioot
enlisted hearty sympathy and support from tho
SECTIONS It promised to doyolop. II Bucocsgfu1,
1t would givo tho Btnto 800 mios Of now railway,
rinnfng from aonova Lako through Wntworth,
Jotforaon. Columbia, Marquette, Adams, Wood,
Clark, Olippowa, Burnett and Douglas Coun-
tics to an intersection with tho Northern Pacific
lsallroa1. The ST. Paul and North Wisconsin
CompanioH saw tho necoBaty Of modifying thoir
propositions. Tho former agrood to pny md
tho latter per cont Of tho groBa earnings de-
rived from tho road into tho gtato Treasury.
Ihis last concession waa too much for tho CHI
cago d Northwestern Company, Thoy declared
tho bill overloaded, and affirmed that tho monoy
to construct q road through Rn unsettled ro-
glon could not bo procured In Now York
or London. Tho st. Paul officials OK
pressed tho aano opinion. A proposition
to unite their forces, capture and divide tho
spoilR was submitted, for q stage had been
roachod where tho progress OF legislation could
on1ybo accelerated by tho disbursement Of somo-
thing more precious thnn FREQ drinks and pasBoB.
Tho order went forth to spend no money, aud,
W tuo olsmay u mauy c1poctRnI8t IL was
oheyed. %.
simultaneously, the st. Paul and Northwestern
Companies relaxed thoir efforts, creating Buspi-
cion that they were acting In concert. Mean
timo, tho AIRLINE interest gathorod strength.
THOR foroo would enable either party to carry
thoir bill. This thoy pyofrered in consideration
of being allowed onetifth Of tho grant, ,-250, 900
acros,-tho portion TINT would rightly foil to
them were their line carried through to Superior
City. Tho Northwestern could not afford to
troat with them, nor oountenance my plan that
would Insure tho Huccoas Of 30 direct
rival. As yet, tho line has only pa
por ex1stonce. It's projectors aro young
mon, Of no considerable railroad reputation,
WhoBo object III seeking tho grant Is to Hooure
financial standing in Wall street. It constructed,
tho line would bo q strong competitor for the
trado OF the Northwest. golf-interest dictated
that both the St. Paul and tho Northwestern
Companies should decline to foster itB growth
but. by Herios Of b1undors, tho partios claiming
to represent tho two loading corporations IN
committoo attached to tho respective bills pro-
vision giving the Airline project one-lfth of
tho grant. When tho bills woro so reported back
tho Northwestern Company ropudiatod tho bill
accredited to thom. Groat constornation en-
auod, amid which an abrupt adjournment was
carried to enable tho Interested members to visit
Chicago and Milwaukee for consultation. The
result was currontly believed to hayo been q
mutual understanding to unite in defeating
all tho Land-Grant bills. Eminent legal opinion
was obtained, to tho oifoct that tho lands would
not revert to the Gonoral Government il their
disposition wero loft over until next year. It
was furthor stated TINT, Wero tho bill passed "a
reported to tho House, neither tho executive Of
acere Of tho st. Paul nor tho Northwestern Com
panlos would ratify tho acceptance Of tho grant
upon the burdensomo tor1na imposed.
Whom tho Legislature mot on Tuesday, tho
show Of rivalry was maintained The aftor pro-
ccedinE of tho St. Paul Company ia not so cloar
to tho uninitiated. Although they had agreed to
join hands in throwing out every measure, they
simply stripped from their bill tho
Airline proposition, made tho lands OK
empt from taxation until tho limo
should be completed, tlon put their bill
through with the aid Of the nino "Monroo and
shullBburg extension votes. At this unexpect-
ed result the losing party were taken abac1,
though not greatly disappointed. Practically,
they withdrew from tho contest when the attacl-
mont Of 30 many provisions nentralized tho
value OF tho grant. On tho other hand, It ia
maintained TINT the st. Paul Company have no
intcntion Of carrying out tho provisions Of tho
bill, should it become 8 law. It requires tho
construction Of sixty mies Of tho land-erant
road this year, which any Western company un-
aided will find serious undertaking in tho prog
ent aspect Of the money market. Whether tho
Legislature or tho Northwestern Company wore
hoodwinked in tho final result will appear in duo
time.