The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1874-03-28

ooC"eeh TIC MlsSlSsippi ana Lake
Superior as that over the North
district Of Wisconsin.
And it was in view of this fact
that Congress in 1856 devoted a
million acres OF land ''tor the petr-
"poses aforesaid and no other"
Under this declaration, the State
of Wisconsin as trustee of an express
trust is the custodian. The Gener-
al Government has by every rule of
sound sense-which is the law-con-
stantly conceded the grant as indie
feasible; sold and patented alternate
sections at double minimum price !;
and the Courts sustain the State as
the fee holder.
The first attempt to utilize this
grant was under corporation, Gre
ated by Legislative act of Feb. "a,
l854,-the St. Croix and Lake Su-
perior Railroad Company, composed
OF VIM. A. Barstow, Otis Hoyt and
aSsociates-one hundred and three
III all, holders of sixteen thousand
shares of one hundred dollars each.
This corporation caused to be
made a preliminary survey by Col,
Robert Patten, whose able report
was the basis to demonstrate to
Congress the propriety and need of
the land grant.
But while Col. Patton's report
showed the practicability OF lis
route, he elaborated two other facts ::
how cheaply the road could be CON
structed and equipped; and that
the existing elements oftratfic would
yield handsome dividend ut great
ly reduced tariffs, olarn,ingly below
the rates anticipated by the then
constructors of the Mississippi and
Lake Michigan railways-a certain
difference against them Of fourteen
dollars mean t0nnage.
The telling truths III Col. Patten's S
report-no grade of over fifty feet,
curves all under five degrees and
distance one hundred and thirty
eight miles, then as well as now,
demanded every possible provision
Of law to ensure an honest app!ica-
ton of the grant and prompt con-
Struction of the road.
But these facts induced the or
ganization of i conspiracy scarcely
equalled in yilIany by bankers, bos-
ses, governors and legislators of
more recent lrotoriety. Byron Xii
bourn, the President Of the "old La
Crosse Company" conceived and
executed the most ludicrous and at
the same time, ,unScrupulOusly wick
ed scheme to bribe the executive
and Legislative departments, pay off
his lobby and strikers and buy mp a
majority of 9 our one hundred and
three stockholders" in the ST. Croix
Company. Mr.. Kilbourn was the
honest Oakes Ames of that period,
but kilbourn did not steal his mon
ev; he made it on the Hallowell
Bank plan he was not pioats
Christian Banker nor did he pay
" gold interest"
Kiibourn had none of the aids en-
joyed by Cooke at Washington, to
calm the conscience of a yielding
Governor with a fat retIracy from
the face of betrayed constituency,
nor could Mr.. Kilbourn rely upon
efrontery in his victim to confront
damaging facts and torture law to
protect against, into license to foster
monopoly. His corruption bonds"
of the La Crosse Company were
placed where they did him the
most good" but they were III few
short weeks most damaging puts to
the character of the recipients, po-
litically and financially.
The disgraceful transactions by
which the La Crosse Company got
the control of the St. Croix grant,
the credit and character sacrificed
to delay the construction of the rail
ways designed by the grant, are
convincing proofs of the Importance
of the route as most salutory
check upon transportation monopo-
ly; proofs beyond impeachment,
that the existence of an Independent
railway from the Mississippi to Lake
Superior over this shortest and most
practicable route, will be damaging
to the paying success Of the ,oaterea
stock in the Mississippi aud Lake