The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-05-13
LETTERS FROM OUR ST. PAUL COR
RESPONDENT.

action should be taken, bearing upon
our railroads and looking towards
their early construction as should be
to the greatest advantage of those
constituents. Those members, whose
constituents were and are directly
interested, in their business and prop
erty relations, in tho speedy construc-
ton Of these St. Vincent and Brain
erd Extension Lines are:
REPRESENTATIVES.
Chas. A. Gilman, of St. Cloud.
c. II. Chadbourne, of Princeton.
w. Merz, of St. Joseph.
B. Pirz, of Eden Lake.
NJ. A. Taylor, of Melrose.
Martin Stow, Of Brandon.
j. G.. Whittemore, Of Glenwood.
Soren Listoe, Of Breckenridge.
r. L. Frazee, Of Frazee City.
j. j. Egan, of Duluth.
SENATOR'S.
G. w. Benedict, ofSauk Rapids.
Joseph Capser, Of Sank Centre.
H. X. Page, of Fergus Falls.
G.. H. Graves, of Duluth.
Knute Nelson, of Alexandria.
Fifteen men that were not all fools
by a "long shot,"
To these Extension Lines Gov.
Davis in his message called especial
attention, and after reciting other
matters said: I'm the summer of
1872 the work Of construction was
suddenly stopped and has never been
resumed. The people of those por-
tons Of the State to be benefited by
these roads have waited patiently for
the adjustment of the private diff
culties by which the work has been
frustrated. They have waited in
vain. The disputants hold each 9TH
er obstinately at bay, and in the
meantime the prosperity Of the region
most directly concerned in these roads
is checked. 1t would be an irrele-
want undertaking to enter here into a
discussion of the merits Of this dis
pute. The question is now taxing
the ingenuity Of lawyers and the wis
dom of courts, with no hope Of its i'm.
mediate solution. To these proceed
ings the State is not party and BE-
hevinq as I do, that 1t has tho right at
this moment to assert its paramount IT,
tie to these lands and the franchises q
the company (Which has failed to build
the road, and that It has as the result o.
this title, ple''o'y poecer to coerce the
settlement Of these questions, aud there
by, or by other means, such coercion
failing, to ensure the completion Of
the grand system of railroads in
augurated with such wisdom so many
years ago, I earnestly urge that you
take such legislative action as will
bring about these results. Other con-
sideratlons of great moment press for
the solution Of this question"
The Governor had given this sub
ject careful consideration, and bis
ability to comprehend its legal as.
poets few persons will question, while
his desire to have something done by
the Legislature that would advance
the completion Of these lines was
freely expressed to all who saw fit to
question him upon the subject.
The Hon. Knute Nelson, Senate,
from Alexandria, came to the capital
fully charged with the great duty
and obligation that rested upon hi
shoulders Ito see to it that there wal
no more fooling about this matter,
and declaring his intention toprepart
a bill which would compel the Rail
road Company or the bondholders t.
60 to work at once and finish these
roads or get out Of the way. After q
delay of fifty days and due consulta
ton with the attorneys and agents O.
Receiver Farley, he introduced hi,
bill, which finally passed and was ap
proved, and if any person can sex
anything in the "Nelson Bill" that il
very compulsory on either the Rail
road Company or the bondholders
he certainly must do it with some
aid to the naked eye. About the on
ly meritorious clause in this bill il
the one which reserves the lands, &C
cupied and claimed by actual settlers
from being decided to the company Of
bondholders by the Governor, anc
this clause or proviso was offered by
f Mr.. Delano, of St. Paul, when thu
bill was under consideration in thu
House, Senator Nelson having for
gotten all about actual settlers il
} his hurry to compel the building o.
| the lines by the company or bond
> holders. Senator Nelson opposed any
change from the Railroad Company
or bondholders to any other parties
on the ground that the bondholderl
were the onl y ones who could ever
, build these lines, and in the same
hour and speech opposed the plans Of
/ Mr.. Delano on the ground that i,
: Delano's plans were put into bills and
, passed the road aoo.M be finished from
Sank Rapids to Brainerd, and from
Glyndon to St. Vincent, and that al
this would give St. Paul, Minneapo
lis and St. Cloud all they wanted il
the way Of railroad facilities, th'
piece from Melrose to Glyndon wouli
forever remain unfinished, for there
would be no one interested in its com
pletion. ..,.