River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-01-03
The st. Paul Railway
and it's a sSailantS.
MILwAuKEE AND ST PAUL RAILWAY
GENERAL MANAGERS 0FFIcE.
MILWAUKEE. Dee, 81. 1872.

To The Editors ofthe Mlraukee Sentinel:
1t is not usual for me to notice news
paper attacks. but the La Crosse Liber-
al Democrat of the 23d inst, contains
an editorial relating to the accident
near Tomah on that day, so destitute
Of truth, and so full of misrepreseuta
ton, that I have deemed it proper to
notice it.
The article in question, after making
statement of some matters connected
with and growing out of the accident.
comments upon it in most bitter and
unjust manner; aud charges among 9TH
er things that 'the road is VIGOROUSLY
in bad condition and has been for years."
that ''there are broken rails on every
mile of the road from Portage City
west. and that trains are ditched every
week. :" and that zone of the officers of
the road has teen heard to say that the
freight receipts of 'ast winter would
not pay fo' the smash ups"
I shall not attempt to answer the ar
ticle in detail 1t is not necessary, for
It's tone and spirit are so bitter, malig
nant and unjust that it furnishes its
,wn best refutation.
The Milwaukee and ST. Paul Rail.
way has now been in existence about
zen years. and during that time has
owned and operated this road from La
Crosse to Milwaukee, running two pas
senger trains daily, and until the acct
dent on Monday last no passenger upon
it had ever been fatally injured. One
person, Mr. James Fl Kelly, was killed
m that occasion in jumping from tho
cars. He was the only person injured
N the car in which he was riding, and
had he remained in il he uld have
escaped without injury.
| wonld further state that our Com
pany is now, and for several years past
has been the owner, and is operating
yer fifteen hundred miles Of railroad
N this state, Iowa and Illinois. and on
It's whole lines during all that time has
never had but one other case Of fatal
c"ident TO passenger. which occurred
as in this case. in an unwise attempt to
Jump from the ears
| submit that facts are better re
futation of the wholesale charges made
il the article in question than any de
NAL that | could make They tell
their owr story in language not to be
mistaken They do not show that 1.-THE
road is out of repair or has been mis-
managed" but. on The contrary. they
furnish strong evidence that the state
mcnts Of the editor of the Democrat are
untrue. and that the trains have not
been "run over patched and brittle
rails or over rotten ties" as by him al
legged
| confidently assert that you will
search in vain for like case Of exemp
tion from fatal accidents on any road in
the United States of eql1l length and
business for the same period Of time.
vet the article in question represents
the road as wholly unsafe AMI TO be
avoided by everyone having any regard
for the preservation Of his own life
The suggestion tina, a road master has
resigned because the comnany would
not & rnish him material TO repair the
road is without a shadow Of truth 10
support it All road masters have been
instructed TO use all the ties and other
material necessary to put their several
sections Of the road in proper repair
and in no case have they been restrict
ed in this re.pect The road.be1 is in
good condition. the ties are sound. and
the company are now carving over 70
next year more than IS O01 ties on The
lines of the road IL this state which.
were not needed for repairs thi. season
The rails are in good condition. but.
with such a winter rs we have had thus
far-11 DAYS with the thermometer be ,