The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-04-29

Now, let the reader take railroad
map Of Minnesota or any good map,
and we will hunt the "gazelle"
! Start at St. Paul and you will fol.
low the Branch Line of the First d.
vision Company On the east side Of
the Mississippi to Sank Rapids, rs
miles.
From Minneapolis the Main Line
Of the same company runs via Litch-
field, Willmar and Morris to Brock.
! inridge, POI miles.
Now, look from Sank Rapids to
Brainerd-the last named place a
point on the Northern Pacific Rail.
road where said road crosses the Mis.
sissippi river-61 miles.
FOURTH.
Then look from st. Cloud via Sauk
Centre, Osakis, Alexandri., Fergus
Falls, Glyndon and Crookston to St..
Vincent-this last named place being
in the extreme northwest corner of
the State-32O miles. =.
(These Sd and 4th lines are COM
monty known as the St. Vincent and
Brainerd Extensions, and when COM
Pleted were to be leased to and be
operated by the First or Branch
Line Company, which would have been
done if the suits brought by the
"Bondholders' Committee" had not
broken up the arrangement
FIFTH.
Now, look from St. Paul along the
line of the Lake Superior 4 Misis-
sippi Railroad to Duluth, 1865 miles.
Now, follow from Duluth along the
line Of the Northern Pacific Railroad
to Brainerd, on the Mississippi river,
12O miles thence along said road to
Glyndon, 127 miles: and in all these
six divisions of railroad you have
seen the lines which have = direct
bearing on the present and future des-
tiny Of St. Cloud, Sank Rapids, the
Sank Valley, and all their surround
ing country, and you have also looked
over the lines Of railroad to which
your attention will be called in con,
nsction with this subject.
St. Paul and Minneapolis have got
ahead in the world pretty we'll for
young folks, and don't care az much
as they used to about railroad mat
tiers; in fact they are pretty we'll
fixed but Duluth, Brainerd, Sank
Rapids, St. Cloud and the towns
along the Sank River Valley are net
so we'll off, and I think should be on
the lookout about how these railroad
schemes are working and understand
what is going on in connection there
with, and see who is working for
or against them and the reasons for
such work.
Situated as the extension lines were
in the month of September, 1873,
when Receiver Farley took possession
Of them under the order of Judge
Dillon, it was supposed that the bond
holders would furnish the necessary
funds and immediately complete that
portion from Sank Rapids to Brain
erd, and that portion from Melrose
to Glyndon at least by the end Of
1874, and the portion from Glyndon
to St. Vincent in 1875. When Mr..
Farley first entered upon bis duties
and looked over these lines he an
nounced that Is bis plan. The road
bed was nearly all graded, the cross
ties were all out, the timber for the
bridges was all framed and ready to
be taken to the places where wanted
and put up; there was thirty miles
Of track iron at Duluth there was
twenty miles at Glyndon and there
was enough more in New York, which
had been shipped from England, to
finish the while $50 miles of these
extensions and put them into opera
ton as originally intended.
Soon after Mr.. Farley took posses
sion (and after one Johan Carp, of
Amsterdam, Holland, and one John
S. Barnes, Of the firm Of j. S. Kenne-
dy 4 Co., New York lawyers, had
been out here and looked over the
lines, } he seemed suddenly to change
front, and instead Of doing anything
on the lines where the work done
would amount to something and the
lines pay, he went to work At Glyn-
don, where there was nothing for the
line to do and where with all that
could be forced to it it could not pay
expenses as it would be situated, and
utterly ignored that portion where
people lived and where there was a
good local business all ready and
anxious for the road-in fact 80 anx.
ious that such places as Sank Centre
and Alexandra would have rendered
material aid in its construction.
But more than all this. After No.
vember, 1873, Mr.. Farley, the Receiv.
or; stopped work altogether, and has
done nothing since-not stroke OF
work in the way ofbuilding any road.
In fact, after taking possession and
making "splurge" he turns around
and leases that. portion of the line
| from St. Cloud to Melrose to Mr.
Coo T, Rockor tho wow, ,>orso,, S.o.,