The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-04-29
OUR RAILROADS.
NO 8.

OUR RAILROADS.
| NO 8:
The Legislation OF l876--The Dolauo Bill
for Constructing the Zine from s~uk
Rapids to Brainerd--The Men who Work.
ed to Defeat the Bill-.The Arguments
Used by Those Menu Their Object, and
Apparent Ends--The Present and Future
Of st. Cloud, Sank Rapids. Brainerd, Du-
l"tl, and the Sank Valley Towns.
| LETTERS FROM OUR ST. PAUL COR
RESPONDENT.
ST.. PAUL, April rs, 1875.
EDITOR JoURNA1.-In my last
communication I gave you the Delano
Bills, so-called, and referred to certain
members who perhaps more than
others are chargeable with their de-
feat. And now for the reasons Why
they are 80 chargeable.
Early in the last session, and while
the Senatorial pot was boiling tiercely,
Mr.. J. P. Wilson, Of St. Cloud, a
gentleman with whom a great many
of your readers are acquainted, came
to St. Paul and appeared to take
deep interest in the Senatorial fight.
There was nothing very strange
about this, as other men from St.
Cloud, like Wait, Mcclure and
Clark, were also on hand, and ap-
peared to be somewhat excited on
the same question, and all apparently
intent on seeing and knowing just
how many button-holes certain men,
bers of the Legislature had to their
clothes.
Reader, did you ever see . Chinese
puzzle, or a block puzzle, OF the chain
ring puzzle? Do you know how to
take a deck of cards and give them
all the scientific shuf1es and cuts
known to the sporting fraternity!
Do you know how to FIX up an old
WORKOUT horse and make him young,
sound and hisky, Have you ever
read the Bible clear through from
Genesis to Revelations, aporypha in
cluded? If you have done part, or all
of these things, you probably think
you are smart and know something.
But let me tell you that if you have
never seen the "&. Cloud Ring" in
operation with their working clothes
on, you don't know much, nor have
you seen all the sights. 1fyou should
die and 60 hence from any part Of
the country tributary to St. Cloud or
Stearns county, and should
claim to be admitted above on that
account, one of the questions asked
you would be, "Do you know the
Ring tellers down there ?" Be careful
as to your answer, for if your chances
depend on that answer, it may put
you in a mighty tight place. The
best place to see this Ring operate in
its full glory is at the Merchants Ho-
tel, in St. Paul, during session Of
the Legislature, when Senator il to
be elected, or when something is to
be done of great benefit to the people,
or a contract is to be let. To see
Wait, Mcclure, Clark and Charley
Gilman meve around, to see them
trim the side-lights and set up the
wall flowers, to see them spin the
smaller tops. and hear those tops
hum-1 say to watch their perform
ances for week or two is worth 90
ing thousand miles to see, includ-
ing the expenses Of the trip.
Excuse the divergence; but 1 have
seen so much Of this Ring that l could
MT help thinking of it and showing its
workings.
AS I said, about this time j. P.
Wilson, Of St. Cloud, turned up and
appeared before the Legislature with
matter of great benefit to the peo-
pie, to wit: an application to the
Legislature for the passage of "an
act extending the time for the con-
struction and completion of the Min
neapolis and St. Cloud Railroad and
Branches" A bill for this purpose.
was introduced and did not, at the
time, create much sensation, for this
railroad scheme has been before the
Legislature before. It was referred
to the Railroad Committee, and at
the request of Mr.. Gilman reposed in
the hands Of the Chairman until he
could figure little on it, 80 a to
have it "bene6t his constituents" of
course. In due time, and evidently
after much tribulation and prayertul
consideration, the matter was figured
out in bills which:
Frst-Renewed the old charter of
the Minneapolis & St. Cloud road
(Which 1 believe totally expired last
Year, for ten years longer.
Second-Provided for a branch
from St. Cloud to Duluth and made
a swamp land grant Of ten sections
per mile in aid thereof.
Therd-Provided for / branch
from St. Cloud to St. Peter and Man.
kato and thence to the Iowa line,
andsmade swamp land grant of ten
sections per mile in aid thereof.
Fo,rth-Provided for a branch
from the St. Cloud and St. Peter
branch leaving the same at or near
Cold Springs, and thence via Willmar
and Granite Falls on the Minnesota
river to the southwest corner of the
State in the direction of Yankton.
| MAKING a total If branches IF d5O