, 1873-07-25
la CROSSE BRIDGE CONTROVERSY.
Building a Bridge ''in Spite Of tho
.. Old Harry" :
How It Is Likely to Come Out.

Correspondence qr 1hs Chicago 7t1at.ns.
,.r.: .. LAouosar, Wis.,, July q, 1879.
Tito collision bctuocn tile pooplo Of La CroBao'
and tho Milwaukee d st. Paul Rnilrond Company
WAS anticipated. Tho trouble is about tho loca-;
tfon Of tho proposed bridge ovor tho Mississippi
River. Tho people want 1t at In croaae, but the
1sailrond Company iooato 1t ovcr milo north Of
tho city. 70. .~&,
Originally It was local fight, but tho parties
eiuce drawn Into 1t givo 1t national importance.
The city authorities aro supported BY tho sccre-
tary Of War, tho Governor Of tho stato. and tho
Southern minnesota nai1road Company. Tho
st. Paul Company has tho quasi support Of the
Unitod States Attorney General. =.
THO dispute ia an old ono. It bognn soon af-
tor Congress, In February, 1868, authorized tho
southorn minnesota Iaailroad Company to con-.
struct bridge "betveen tho City OF LaOrosse
aud . point opposite, In tho State Of Minnesota"
Tho consent Of tho Legislatures Of Wisconsin and
Minnesota had boon obtained tho year previous.
Lacrosse City voted $50, 600 in bonds to help the
| railroad, and the b1idRo would have boon con-
structod Ind not tho Company gone into bank
| ruptcy. Tho road is now in tho hands Of a Re-
| ceiyer.
| For fourteen yearB tho milwaukee, & st. Paul
Company hnve operated railroad from Milwau-
loe to In Crosse. Two ycars ago they pur-
chaBod tho River noaa, from ct. Pnu1 to Winona,
and havo since extended 1t to La CroBcont,
nearly opposite La Crosac. At this point they
wish to Lridgo tho river, md !;
| ',~~ coNNEor WITH THEIR LINE :
from h1ilwsulteo., Wero they enabled to do
tho through 'routo botwoen Lake Michigan
o Of this plan,r TIC st. Psni dompany sscnred tho
passage OF IN act Of Congreaa in April, 1872, nu-
thorizing them to construct and maintain a
bridge noroas tho river "at or near tho City Of
Tint tie bridge should bo 'bnilt and located
uudor and subject to such regulations for tho
aocutity Of the navigation Of said river, ns tho
Secretary Of War shall prceeribo." This legiHla-
among them lie St. Paul. which had lilo advall.-
| taEo Of being represented in CongresB by
its: proaiaont, tho Hon. Alexander Mitchell:
On tho 4th Of Juno, following, another act WAS
the soeretary Of War 70 over 5si5gss Or
| constructed ACROSS the MiHssatppl River under
authority Of any nct OF Congroas;" mud, in To-
eating thoms tho Secretary Of; War WAS to: havo
" duo regard to tho security aud convenience of
navigation, to convenience Of aceeHs, and to the
wants, Of all railways and highways crossing said
Thua empowered. Secretary Bolkn ap ap-
BOARD OF ENGINEERS
to cxnmfno and determine a proper
sitc for tho railway bridge, 1t or
nosr ,.,!ta haoroa5o' The noaId , visited
liBtoned to tho arguments Of tho respective par
! tins, md fixed upon point for tho erection Of
tho bridge. Their selection waa not whore tho
citizens Of La Orosso or tho milwaukee, and St..
Paul Company desired, but they affirmed 1t WIS
tho only place where bridge could DO construct
ed IN accordance with the terms Of tho law. Tho
citizens accepted tho decision, but tho st. Paul
Company appealed from It on the ground that,
in their finding, tho Board had boon governed
too much BY regard for tue requirements Of
existing highways. Tho Board wero again
convened, and instructed to roviow their de-
cision, md Disregard tho question Of highways.
4 re- e-oxalninaton and re;hoaring Of the case IN
ion. Whoroupon tho Railway Company carriotl
tho oaao to Congross, and asked permission to
bnild tho bridge As their own chosen location.
After n full hearing before tho Committees OF
Commerce, their petition WINS refused.
would not abandon thoir position. - BY the
!. mid Of powerful lobby they endeayorod to
fsturo OF Wisconsin to construct thor bridge at
tho rejected location. They claimed TINT the
STRUGGLE FOR BustNRBs
between Chicago aud st. Paul was keonly con-
i Northwestern. Both had through limos con.
nocting the two Cities Tho Northwestern had
tho advantage Of itB Winonn Out-01 and The
bridge at Wnona. It waB, therefore, assumed
TO Dc unfhAf 70 C0INDG4 Ife SL. EAM Company &c
go out Of ita way and run through The City q
.. 1aCrosae, thereby losing two hours timo Thi*
view tho Legislature adopted, and passed tht
. bill but Coy: Washbnrn vetoed II, and, i
right to bridge the Misasappi River was veatet
in Congress-. This advice waa wasted on tht
r Lowor House; but tho Senate sustained tho vott
: despite the urgent offortB Of tho most humorous
and powerful lobby ever brought together u
! Yot the Company woro not flispirited. Thoi
congrossn, n, .r-rrosidont prevailed upon tho Sec
: rotary Of War to aak
ArTonsEy-oENEnAn WILLIAMS
for his construction Of the law. Thi
othor ASPECT upon tho case. . I'll
!. Secretary was informed that ho had no more au
build It: His solo duty in tho matter WAS to 10
whether they would Interfere with tho naviga
ton q the river, and, Il not, to adopt them. I
have opportunity to obviate them, IT possible
and. it unable to romove thom except by
change Of location, thou tho objections must b
:, overcome in that way:
= attorney Of the st. Paul Company asked socrofar
= Delknap'a permission to preaant q atatouaen
i juBtifylng their choice Ut location- The Becre
= tary allowed tho applicant ten days. Nine day
= Boatd Of Exaninara ho convened to re-oxa,uin
= tho locality, and report. With this request til
IS Secretary :.
Y REFUSED 70 coslpLY; .. !
"a | and, ~ no further communication was IT
!. coiyed lip to July /, the Secretary wroto Nj
= Mitchell that tho decision, Of tLo Boar
ot Engineers, waa approved by tile War Depart
ii mant, md tint tho oaso was olosed.t
q Tito St. Paul Company, however, did not PFC
l. poso to lot it rost thero. They could not affor
to do it. Their Board Of Directors, in May las
resolved to isHuo a2 500 900 in bonds to proyil
~ funds for tho construction Of tho bridge Thee
io bonds aro OIL tho market, and
l. SOMETHING HAD TO De DONE
!, to make them salable. Preparations to build til
j, bridge vera. 1nado. atones wero placed in til
" rlyor for foundations. At this stage, tho Unite
G. StatoB authorities intorfercd with til
progress Of tho work.. After u TIM
tho Company resumed work.. Contract
for the masonry alll . irqn.wo1
wero lot to Chicago parties fow days ainoe, At,
tho oyitlont inlention waa to construct tic brile
in defiance Of Secretary Bolknap'a dlsapprova
st Being apprieod Of these movements. te cit
Dt zons Of In Crosae set about oonnteraoting tho11
; Their habit had boon to roly too muoh UPON til
y IInitad Htntea 0nyornnGilt'A making tin At,t