Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-03-24
NUMBER SO.
THE BRIDGE QUESTION.

THE BRIDGE QUESTION.
MEETING LIST NIGHT IN FAVOR
OF TIE BONDS.
Clear Statement of the Reasons WIN tt
Will Pay Ramsey County to Vote Next
Tuesday to Issue the Bridge Bonds.
A mass meeting in favor of voting the Fort
Smelling bridge bonds was held in Knapfts
Hall last evening.
William Landeke, Esq, was called to tho
chair, and on taking his seat announced tho
following speakers. Hon. James Smith, Jr., d.
W. Ingersou, ]. W. McClung and 8. H. Fair
child, Esqs., and Hon. W. L. Banning.
Hon. James Smith said the question was.
one of considerable Importance to the
prosperity of st. Paul, but he.
did not think very much time
should be consumed in discussing n.
FOR twenty Year, he had been of opinion a
bridge should be built at Fort Smelling. hut
rom various causes the matter had been post
Poned from time to time. Two years ago ha
h haa introduced bill providing for locating
bridge near Fort Smelling, and appointing a
commission for that purpose, and also for Law.
ing out roads leading thereto. We have now
al the machinery to make the bridge available,
Inns legislation was secured not without oppo-
sltlon from a certain quarter.
IL Is SAID the construction of the bridge, and
the roads leading to it, will not contribute yerv
largely to st. Paul. The persons making such
an assertion do not understand the matter.
he lnstanced the building of the Wabashaw
street bridge and its effect upon the trade of
the city, not of Third street only, but of the
eh'lre city. 1t this bridge be built, a large
number OF farmers will come here to trade for
the reason that they can get more for their pro-
duce here than they can get elsewhere. Thew
can get three or four cents more per bushel for
their wheat by hauling it here. It appeared to
MN self-evident fact that st. Paul will gain
largely from the construction of this bridge.
he spoke OF the unity of action shown by Min
neapoils when anything to promote her inter
ests was In contemplation. The building of
the bridge will involve the payment
OF tax of twenty-five cents on a
Thousand dollars. Tho opposition comes
from few who own property in
the neighbo-hood of the Meeker waterpower.
selhsh interest was at the bottom of it. and
the parties are those who INDUCED the utopiau
idea OF improving that property and building
the capitol half way between the two cities.
ana removing the cities there. If by building
the bridge we can increase our population, and
| bring business to the city, there is no man
| within Its limits who is not benefited thereby.
Every stranger that passes Fort Smelling has
expressed his surprise that St. Paul has not
built bridge there to bring itself trade.
Something has been done in the way of i'm
proving the roads down the river, and the
consequence Is we are drawing grain from the
nelghborhood Of Langdon and that whole sec
ton OF country. People had said the building
OF the bridge would enable.the citizens of Ram
| sey county to go to Minneapolis. If anybody
wanted to go there let them go, but those who
| talk this kind of talk know there's nothing, in
1t. 1t had been said it would benefit uppe,
town, but it it benefited upper town it would
also benefit lower town. The farmer would
purchase at the place where he could get the
best bargains, regardless of the fact of it's be
| ing upper or lower town.
MI. lngersoll was the next speaker. He said
1T was hardly credible that St. Paul should &C
long have placed herself in the attitude of levy
ing a tax upon those who come here to- trade.
But such was the fact. When the elevate,
was talked of, there were some who said St
Paul was no wheat market and could not be
made one. He had told them this would be
the case SO long as they levied toll of fifty
cents for crossing the bridge. st. Paul now
attracts wheat by team from S5 to 40 miles
If this improvement had been made Is year,
i ago, our population would have been quartz,
larger. We had barred out the farmers, and hs
did not believe the people would be so unwis<
as to vote down this proposition. Look at the
amount spent on our streets; what good viii
they do us if we can't bring business to tn,
city?
Mr.. Banning supposed those who opposed th
measure, did so on the ground that the take
were high and our debt was large The abilit,
to pay our obligations was the proper test o
this. This ability could only be secured b,
business and the development of business in
terests. He told anecdote of his early day
IN Pennsylvania, of country school house
which had no spring nearer thai
half mile. The consequence was one
half the boys were always absent gettinl
water for the other half An enter
prising patron conceived the idea of diggin,
we'll and putting in a pump at the cost o
some S15, which scheme was sanctioned by tn
trustees. fellow who thought this too grea
an innovation and too great an outlay of none
travelled over the district and worked up sue
counter feeling that the action of the trus
ten was annuled and the project killed q,
dead that it rested for twelve years. After tn
expiration of this time change of popula
sentiment prevailed, the we'll was dug, waite
was struck at the depth Of thirteen feet and th
whole improvement made at a cost of Sl5.5(
SO it was with the men who are opposing thi
bridge
Such are the changes which tim
brings forth. A new era an
one OF prosperity was about to dawn upon ui
The ruin and devastation now prevalent in th
East must conduce to our benefit, and "
should prepare for the great growth which
evidently to be thrust upon us. MIR. Bannin
continued at considerable length, and sal
those who opposed the bridge were not the er
terprising business men of the city. Brus
aside these men of narrow views and vote fc
the bonds next Tuesday.
Hon. F. r. Delano next addressed the NEE
} ing. He said he did not suppose there was an
opposition to the bridge. 1t was a simpl,
plain, business proposition, which meant tt
drawing of large trade
the city. he instanced the w;
, bashaw street bridge and its great benef
| to the city, despite the toll system which ha
SO long proved barrier and bad detracted fro
its advantages. That barrier had at last bee
removed and yet there was not man in s
Paul who felt the loss of the toll derived fro
that bridge. That bridge had since been r
paired and single span had cost $50 200, y
you cannot find q man who will get up and 50
his taxes have been increased thereby. E
hoped when the polls closed next Tuesday the
would not be found 300 men in all the city WI
voted against the issuing of the bonds.
Mr.. FL. s. Fairchild was the last speaker, an
, made some earnest and enthusiastic remarks
favor of voting the bonds
At the conclusion of Mr.. Fairchild's remark
Mr.. McClnng moved that the sense of tt
meeting be declared to be in favor of tt
bridge, and on the question being put by tt
chairman, the motion was carried unanimousl,
The meeting then adjourned.
The Mammoth
Stock of Carpets and housekeeping Goot