The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-04-15
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OUR RAILROADS.
NO I.

1T NO I.
Action Of the late LegialAture.-ThsS st. Paul
b Pacific Extensions--Tho Hon. +. r.,
Delano's Plans--C0mpletion OF the Rail-
road Lines from Sank Rapids to Brainerd,
and from Melroae to Glyndon. RI
LETTERS FROM OUR ST. PAUL COR
RESPONDENT.
ST.. PAUL, April ~, 1875.
EDITOR JoURNA1.-Agreeably to
your request,an in accordance with my
own inclinations, will undertake to
convey to yourself and readers the
results of my Investigations and in.
terviews relating to what I call our
railroad interests for the interest I
still retain in Stearns and adjoining
counties induces me to keep an eye
out to what is going on in whatever
relates to that interest or has a bear
ing in any way upon it, and while I
may derive benefit or damage from
any action of the law-making powers.
l consider that there are thousands Of
other men who are similarly situated
and who are anxious to know the
why's and wherefores of all these do
ings, and I know of no better way
than to spread these matters before
them in your columns. As you de-
sire to get at the real facts relating to
our railroad matters, and as my leis-
ure time the past winter has been put
in at and around the capitol, much
Of the time listening to the remarks
and observing the doings of the as
sembled wisdom of our State, and
having learned much from personal
interviews with the railroad men and
attorneys who are connected with the
railroads in which St. Cloud is d.
rectly interested, l will proceed to
give the results of my discoveries to
the public.
In writing upon this subject I shall
treat St. Cloud and Sank Rapids as
virtually one place, for the reason that
the future development of the Sank
Rapids water power must so intimate
ly connect the places that in fifteen
years from this date, with GER
tain railroad improvements carried
out, this ''oneplace" part will be full
filled.
I want your readers to get clear
idea of the real situation of affairs,
and will call particular attention to
the various railroad companies that
are connected directly and indirectly
with our railroads which effect St,
Cloud, Sank Rapids, and the Sank
Valley.
The "First Division St. Paul & Pa
cifc Railroad Company" own and op-
crate the line from St. Paul to Sank
Rapids, known in the law and to the
public as the Branch Line, and also
the line from St. Anthony to Breck-
inridge, known as the Main Line.
This First Division Company is 80
organized that the Main and Branch
lines can be separated and operated
each under the immediate control of
its own stockholders-they being vir-
tually so operated at present, and al
though having only one Board of Di-
rectors and one set of officers, all the
property and accounts of each line
are kept entirely separate, as much so
as if the Branch Line was in Mime
sofa and the Main Line in New York.
This First Division Company has
been, since its organization, under the
general managementof Geo. L. Becker
President, Herman Trott Land Com
missioner, and F. r. Delano Superin-
tendent. The Board of Directors, or
majority thereof, have always been
residents Of Minnesota, excepting for
the years 1872 and 1873,. when the
Northern Pacific Railroad Company
held a majority of the stock and un-
dertook to control these lines under
the influence Of Jay Cooke, the great
railroad man. Mr.. Delano, as the
General Superintendent, had personal
charge Of the construction and opera
ton of these lines from 1862 to 1873,
and in all the conversations I have
had and the inquiries I have made
among and of railroad men, the
ability Of Messrs. Becker, Trott, and
Delano, each for his particular de-
partment, stands unquestioned, and
their skill in railroad matters is
admitted by all, and a sufficient
voucher for such skill and man
agement is found in the manner in
which the Main and Branch lines
have been constructed and operated
under the difficulties with which these
gentlemen had to contend, and which
difficulties will never be comprehend
ed except by those who have under
taken to construct and operate rail-
roads in the new and unsettled por-
lions Of the country, and to build up
entirely a business for the roads a.
we'll as to build the roads.
There are persons in this and in all
other countries who will always "bowl
and cuss" about railroad officers and
managers, and there are those who
are always ready to take hold and
''shake them over HE'LL" but as for all
such I would let the mantle Of chair.