Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-02-11
THE VAR OF ROADS.

The Comming Contest between the South
crn Minnesota and the Southwestern Rail-
roads--Broad Acres the Prize--Statement
of the Case.
The fight which is now going on in the
Legislature for the possession of the forfeit
ed portion of the land-grant of the Southern
Minnesota railroad, and which has hereto
fore been alluded to in The GLOBE, has now
narrowed down to contest between the
Southwestern Railway Company, of Mime
sofa, and the Southern Minnesota Exten-
sion Company, which is really the old COM
pany under new name. The Immigrant in
question which, it is claimed, has been for
feited by the Southern Minnesota, amounts
to 175,O0O acres, of which sc, 900 are in Mar
| tin, 1000 each in jackson and Faribault and
1875, 900 in Pipestone and other counties west
of the line of the Sioux City railroad.
The contest has already waxed bit
ter and the Southwestern has already issued
and scattered broadcast circular s'to the
business men of the Upper Mississippi and
Minnesota Valleys" in which they set forth
that the Minnesota Southern are playing the
dog the-manger policy with intent to con-
tinue the present policy of rendering that
region tributary to La. Crosse, Milwaukee
and Chicago business interests, and shutting
out st. Paul and Minneapolis, whose interests
are identical with the southwest part of the
State. They further state that they have
already graded miles and propose to put up
$4,000 in the State treasury to be forfeited
to the State in case II miles of road to Fair
mont are not built by October 18th 1873,
and 10 miles additional to Blue
Earth city by December LIST 1878,
The circular concludes by invoking the aid
of the Senators and Representatives of the
section to which it is addressed, s'to help to
build up cities in our own State, which
would result from giving them the land
grant, instead of compelling that section to
assist in building up Milwaukee and the
other places named.
The Southwestern have also issued and
circulated q memorial to the Legislature in
which the above facts are set forth with
somewhat greater particularly, with the
further claim that they are the legitimate
successors to the rights and franchises of
the Martin county railroad which had ac-
quired certain rights by virtue of a contract
with the Southern Minnesota, under which
the grading referred to was done by Mr..
Eric Oleson, the contractor. who is one of
the parties interested in the Southwestern.
The memorial concludes by asking of the
Legislature the Immigrant in question, as "a
matter of justice, in order that they may be
permitted to complete the work commenced
by the Martin county railroad.
The directors and leading spirits of the
South western are II. w. Hawley, formerly
manager of the Southern Minnesota, and A.
G. Dunn, Of Winnebago City; G. w. Kings
ley and ~ Johnson, of Blue Earth City and
J. A. Armstrong and Eric Olson, of Fairmont.
These are the gentlemen who were holding
meeting at the Merchants the other eve
ming, when the Jackson and Worthington
representatives seeded therefrom, as already
noted in HE GLOBE,
But despite these representations and Wig
orous protests of the Southwestern and it's
friends, the fact is apparent that it lacks the
confidence and support of the
people of the. section through which
the proposed road is to be built.
meeting has already been ],ald at
Worthington at which delegates were sent
to this city in behalf of the Southern Mime
sofa, and in Fairmont and other places, it is
represented, an equally strong feeling of dis
trust of the Southwestern and correspond
ing confidence in the Southern Minnesota
prevails. Jackson has instructed its repre-
sentative in the legislature, Mr.. Fiddes, to
support the Southern Minnesota, and it is
pretty generally understood that the entire
delegation from the 38th district is unani-
nous in favor of the old corporation. Such
is the situation as cleaned by The GLOBE
| reporter, but it is evident that spirited
fight will ensue. before many days, as the
representatives of both of the competing
companies are on the alert and determined
TO make the most of the weapons, offensive
| and defensive, at their command