Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-12-13
THE MIDNIGHT RAID.

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THE MIDNIGHT RAID.
Mr.. S. s. Merrill, the General Manager of
the Milwaukee &, st. Paul road, reached the
city yesterday, and was promptly called upon
by representative of the GLOBE, to whom
he furnished brief card, which is published
elsewhere. His card is simply repetition
of Mr.. Prior's statement in yesterdays
the Milwaukee company is to build short
line of road to Minneapolis. at present he
declines to state why the work was begun at
the dead hour ofinight, though he promises
to make that revelation to-day, and declares
that it will be satisfactory to the public.
Mr.. Merrill may as Northumberland now,
what the temper of the people of St. Paul is
towards the corporation which he repre-
sents. They do not regard his road as
friendly to this city, and hence a very slight
suspicion of some hostile movement is all
that is necessary to create breeze. If they
felt that that road was al friend, they would
not so readily accept adverse reports, and
MIR. Merrill would find at least large di-
vision in his favor, instead of united senti-
ment against him. Unfortunately, Mr..
Mer1ill's corporation has never
manifested any interest in St.
Paul, beyond the mere desire to squeeze
all toe business possible ont of the city.
His company, it is currently reported, has in
contemplation extensive expenditures in this
vicinity another year. The erection of
buildings, the establishment of additional
shops, etc., but not in st. Paul. The money
which st. Paul gives this road in the way of
business, is used to advance another city,
while st. Paul is treated with contempt and
Disseminated against in freights. This is
the return which st. Paul is receiving for the
$3.50, bonus she invested to secure the
privileges of a aoay station, with stoppages
of trains so brief as to afford inadequate time
to transact the business which has, hereto
fore, been poured into the lap Of this cor
poration.
With such state Of affairs existing Mr..
Merrill should not be surprised to find our
citizens quite ready to believe evil reports of
the Interior objects of his midnight raid on
the short line to Minneapolis. They fail to
perceive the sudden emergency requiring
such a movement, in such a manner, and it
will be hard to convince them that it was
anything advantageous to St. Paul which was
sought to be gained. The first thought was
that it was movement, which would prove
disastrous to the location of the Sioux City
shops. While this might be incidental,
and.was likely to be, the GLOBE has never be-
lieved that that was governing motive And
we are inclined to accept the assurances of
MIR. Merrill and those associated with him,
that they will in no way Interfere with that
project. We imagine that it was another
and still more vital blow, that was aimed at
st. Paul by the sudden movement What
that blow was we do not care to specify I'M
til we hear Mr. Merrill's promised explana-
ton. We shall be happily disappointed if
any explanation is given of the midnight
raid which proves it to have been friendly
move to st. Paul.
MIR. Merrill will find our citizens neither
unreasonable or exacting. They have SIM
ply been asleep, but have recently walked up
AS they rub their eyes in a sort of bewilder-
ment they realize. what they ought to have
seen long ago, that there has been a gentle
throat cutting in progress-so gentle that
the trickling Of the blood has felt rather
comfortable instead Of exciting alarm in the
mind of the victim. Now that the transfu-
sion of blood from this locality to another
has reached such proportions as to weaken
the patient, gentle kicking has COM
menced. Whether that kicking will become
damagingly vigorous depends, largely, upon
the future policy of Mr.. Merrill and the cor
poration which he represents.
We accordingly make no comments this
morning, but await Mr. Merrilrs promised
explanation.