, 1873-12-27
Tho Next Fight in the Wis
consin Legislature.
EX-G0r. Waslburn and Attorney
General Williams.
History Of the Road, and OF tho Land.
Grant.
Financial Condition and Results of Its
First Years Operation.

When, III tho carly winter Of 1870, Mr.. r. u.
Phillips Bcverol Ills long connection With the
Michigan Southern, mud un<lortook to bud tho
Wisconsin Central na4voal, 1t was generally
thought ho had rolnpsed from, prominent to MI
obscure position. During lii. cnreor Us Prosl-
dent Of the Southern, and afterwarl M General
Manager Of tho consolidated 1.ake Rhore Il
Michigan Southern 1lailroaa, lie 1,ad bocn aI-
milingly formed n alroad-,nugnate." Tlis
rcport oral fan1o left him when lio dntcroIl upon
sEo unproin!elug venture Of running il road
through the Wisconsin wools to tho al,orns Of
[ako Superior. Tliia project did not originate
with him. 1t was NIL old selonla, dating back to
1860, when Congress celcd to lilo State of WIS.,
:onain
SEVERAL MILLIONS OF ACRES
of nuhlic ]nt,ds to aid III constructing railways
throughout the northern portion Of the StAto.
For tho building Of lino from Madison or Co.
,un,bus to Portage City, nnl thohdo to point on
Luke Superior, and auother from Fond dn Lao
northwcstward to tho lako, oyory nltornato Sec
lion Of land for width OF six sections on each
aido of tho road was granted. '.
Three years before, tho Legislature chartered
tho Wisconsin Central nailfoa1 Company, onl-
powering tliem to construct and operate, within
ten ycars, railroad from Portage City, vim
Columbus. to Whitewater aud Comm. Tho capi-
tal stock WAS placed ut 81 000, ,000, to bo divided
into 300 shares. Tho Legislature wha not then
tonacioua about its authority, also 1t would not
hnro tccrcod. in tho fourteenth section. tllut
s.On tho completion Of said rai1road or Any
section Of tho track not 1css than miles, 1t
eaIl and may bo !nwful for tho Company to de-
nand and receive sueh sums Of money for pas
sngo and freight Of potsons aud property as
r. .,,,,
~.,,, .,,,,.. zr,.,., ut, -, ,,r,,,
,,a vii, .,. ~ ,,.,.a ,,,o,r o+.,, n. ,e,, ANN,
ro,,.oI mon MI cnr,,orotinna oroar;zoa ] NJ thnt
:, Ao" .te'' 49, ~ -: :, - $500. w. '".
siho' hSnn Will s'!cn WINS "1i!t unluohIlonea
;atitude rail- oads were not readily built. Then
same the crash Of 1857, when the bottom fell
MT Of Western crct1its. mud ra1]roal-buNdh,u
ra, a,,,,,,t out;rol, s,,aro,.1od Nv rn,,nro,
"''7 "l''"'t o''A'o5 a"'p.'uo' A'o' ''.''' "
opeu territory presented Attlo nttfactton 10 tno
Wary capitalists and, despite tho generous
itation cxnired beforo milo Of tho wisconsin
u,", n"S'o" 'Nl.Ia .a..4, W 49, s",n
cohtaa. L'''' peeu et.'a'."e.eo' 'et 'ae nesn'"-
t'1re, disposed to DO lentont, o1tondeu tho time
tho rora should be built from tho s,.nte line 10
.rc1r,rsor h. Inn. i 1s(,.
"sIea SUI - ."I', = A'o'.
LII atay o1 'no lase-naoiou year, 'ns co""'t'on
was stlickou ont OF tho a1nonucd net extending
ALc charter Two years previously however,. a
con,n,rv 1,od rcen nrraniznd In subcrsodc lin
sy"ao.;., Ca,.tna1 f.o,',,,.;,7., n,1 =, 1enc a.
W'eeo'sin oen'tA' oo''tpA4s "aa' =" touo' 'no
Legislature conferred upon tue now Company
NIL tho rights, privileges, franchises, Gc., be-
slowed uDon thu ORIGINAL Go,nnauy. ILc new
os.oc,tn, M VI ~ ro rtic,1or s,ons of 11ro v
~; ,oro w., 9"o ao r. .o uat su
~ 1'u'' 'io Legislature te.ealc" .o w. co''iet
ring the charter, and garo it to the Wisconsin
I'm; vii pn13
oy uoycr heard Of aftorwarl. Meantime. !
rn,,xorn. n,v,r, covn,,r,ov
IT,, .o.a auoN 1acc Nm ~ ,,,,,n,aua,
it's psi use r Il McGegor tsp ne cer t ot tug
late Second National 1anl', of tiia city; y: ".
KcseB, styled tho Bismarck Of Wisconsin be-
forc Farmer Taylor l,ad been heard from II. L.
Palmer, tho only brilliant member Of tho last
Legislature !; john Fl. Rountreo, John Naxro, aud
otiiera Of leEaer notoriety. .Thoir Incorporated
Intentions defined two linca,-onp from Portage
by way Of Stevens Point, to Bayfield,, Oh Lake
Superior ;, and unother from Portage, by way OF
best they could locate. to bayfield,. These
we're dependent upon Congress giving it's naEont
70 the routo selected from purtuge to Bayfield,
in order TINT the valuable and.gran attaching
m ,esson Of tho new Company. III lse9, by ~ a
ornccss md in q way sorqo Of the individuals
pany became consolidated with the Wi.lnebago l.
Sper.or hailroaa t% oo,nnZ Two years Inter
:llansc;l to the ..............
WISCONSIN CENTRAL nA1LNoAI, COMPANY.
In Clliengo it il known III .tphill,p's Noal;"
hut. in WISCONSIN, lilo possession Ii accredited
to George Reed, STYLED: "non.' by courtesy"
Hart.tIcr Colby, Of Boston, who advanced tho
money, IL nol:inally President Of tho Company,
and Mr.. Reed is Yicc-Prcsdont. Tho Vice
President is a pc1tinacous lawyer Of Manitowoc,
md hrother-ln-law of Alexander Mitchell,
f,F I,na H. Fns11