The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1874-01-10
WISCOASTNTS LAKE SUPERIOR BOR


for fifteen years neglected her Lake
Superior border, is notorious and
diSgraceful fact. We doubt whe-
ther there is another State in the
Union, that can show parallel to
the treatment by Wisconsin OF this
section. Had Illinois thus discrim-
mated against Chicago, Ohio against
Toledo, or New York against Buffa-
10, those important terminal cities,
like Superior and Bayfield,, would
to-day be mere villages.
That Superior is not a thriving
city at the present time, is due sole
ly to lack Of railacay .tucilities,
and the chief hindrance in obtaining
these, has been the deliberate neg
lect of the State authorities at the
very time when neighboring state
worked as one man, IN and out OF
office, to build up her lake border at
the expense of Wisconsin.
1t is because Superior and Bay
field have been ignored by their own
state and their own Legislature, that
they are not to-day thriving Wis
consln cities. The seltShness and
incapacity displayed at Madison last
winter and before, tel why Min
nesota port has had the legislation,
the advertising, the incoming set
tiers, the railway and steamer con
aeclioas and timely start, that OF
right should have built up the cities
Of Superior and Bayfield,.
Wisconsin's greatest neglect of
her Lake Superior border, has been
her failure to so dispose of the Saint
Croix land grant as to develop this
section, for schich purpose it aoaS
appropriated by ro"gress.
We now appeal to our new Gov
ernor and Legislature, to redeem
the name of Wisconsin from a great
disgrace. by showing, in the prompt
disposition-this win er-of the ST.
Croix land grant, that she recogni-
zes the rights and property OF her
Lake Superior border. Let the
State herself build the road, if no
other settlement Of the case can be
reached.
And III this connection, we beg to
submit a portion Of an article, which
appeared in the KenoSha (Wis. }
Telegraph, written by Dr.. Hays Nc
kinley, editor of that paper, afrer a
visit TO this section last summer.
Though not pecuniarily interested, :,
DR.. Mckinley seeing the situation,
his state pride led him to write the
following plain home-taIk III regard
TO the St. Croix land grant:
DELAYS arr dangerous. The grant has lain
too long without the State constructing the
roads in accordance with the grant. Ii has
lain so long that even If there is no danger
of its revcrson there is danger of its being
diverted from the purpose for which it was
granted. 1t was granted for the construc
tion of "A railroad from or near Prescott on
the Mississippi river 10 Superior and Bayfield,,
and for these purposes it should long ago
have been applied Had it been applied
when it should have been, Superior would
probably now be place of five or ten thou
sand inhabitants and business in proportion
and Duluth would have been place of not
more THAI as many hundred or perhaps not
have been. And Bayfield, TOO might have
quadrupled the number of its inhabitants and
the amount of its business. But in place of
this a railroad has been constructed in Min
nesota from ST. Paul 10 Duluth, aud Duluth
without natural advantages anything near
equal TO Superior. has become the place of
thousands of iuha bit5ntS and business in pro
portion. Ia time, there will be "a city or
cities at the head of Lake Superior of one
hundred thousand neutrality-suspicious. sew
eral hundred tbouSand-and the people of
Wisconsin have some interest in where that
city shall be. They certainly should have
interest enough even at this late dav not to
allow it TO be taken from Wisconsin and
built up in Minnesota without effort to
retain it where il belongs. Aud the cfforv
to retain it, on the part of the State, viii
consist largely in the speedy construction of
the railroad from the Mississippi to Superior
and BAYFIELD, In accordance with the Superior
and st Crolx land grant. And there should
be no diversion of the grant for the construc
ton of any other roads till these roads are
constructed and equipped. Then and not till
then If there is ANYTHING of the grant left, it
will be time to apply il for the construction
of other roads. The past neglect of the
State IN the non use OF the grant and the
non-construction OF the roads never can be
made good to Superior and Wisconsin. For
Duluth has got such start that it is and
probably will continue TO be a place of con
siderable importance, even with the best ef.
forts of the State, whereas if the State had
used the grant and constructed the roads
when il should have been done Duluth might
never have been or be of but little cou>e-
quence either present or prospective But
great as has been the neglect of the State
and great as has been the loss to Superior
and Wisconsin all is not Yet lost. Railroads
are TO be constructed from Superior connect
ing with the Lake superior and Mississippi
at Riee's Point and al the Junction of the
Northern Pacific. This will give Superior
railroad connections through Mlnnesota. But
these connections do not give Superior her
right OF railroad connections in ami through
Wisconsin nor do they relieve the State from
the duty and obligation to give her such con
necsions by using the grant and constructing
the railroads 10 Superior and Bayfield, And