Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-03-11
NUMBER Sc.
RAILROAD LANDS.
THE ST. PAUL d SIOUX CITY ROAD
DENY RAISING THEIR PRICES.


the Southern Minnesota Road-Anount
of sales-Vigorous Programme for 1879
Opening a New Land Ofhce--James III.
Drake for Land Commissioner.
Meeting Gen. J. W. Bishop, general manager
of the St. Paul Sioux City railroad, yesterday.
the attention of the reporter was called to re-
cent publication in reference to the land oper-
atoms of the Southern Minnesota Railroad
company, in which comparison had been
made rejecting upon the policy of his company
IN disposing of its lands. The nature of the
complaint made by Gen. Bishop was that it
was charged against his company that it had
advanced the price of its lands just at the
time when people were unable to meet the de-
mand, and that its general policy was narrow
minded and selfish, and coming in conflict with
company pursuing more liberal policy. must
OF necessity result in falling off in the sale
of lands belonging to it, and thereby
DO great injury to the counties through
which its road ran, by delaying and preventing
Gen. Bishop emphatically protested there
was no justice in the charge, and made the fol-
lowing Statements to which the GLOBE cheer
fully gives place:
First-Our prices have not been increased 80
per acre lately, nor have they been generally or
materially increased in the past five or six
years, the only exception being in the case of
some particular tract lying in the vicinity of
station or made extra valuable by some special
cause.
Second-That the policy and terms Of our
company in the sale Of lands to which we have
secured title are at least as liberal as are those
Ut any other railroad company in the State a.
to lands they have title to.
Ihlrd-As to lands to which title has not
been perfected, our terms have been snd are as
favorable to intending purchasers as those Of
1ered by any other comsany to its lands in
In explanation of this point Gen. Bishop
stated that the special terms offered by his
company for lands in which title had
not been perfected, had been made and
practiced years before offered by any
other company. These terms in brief are that
at party desiring to purchase contracts to take
the land at the then appraised value whenever
the company shall secure title tn the same,
payments on the same only commencing from
the time when such title is secured. Under
contracts of this character, Gen. Bishop states
parties have been living on lands ever since
1873, to which the company only secured title
last year, without paying cent until the title
passed. They then get their land at the ap-
praised value in 1873.
Answering the point as to the prices charged
Tor land being SO high as to limit their sale,
Gen. Bishop stated that their lands were gcner-
ally held at lower figures, and sold more rapid
~. than lands of the same character of the
Southern Minnesota company. which state
ment ne said was clearly proven in the sworn
report of both companies to the railroad COM
missioner, as could be seen by reference to
his report. for 1879, page 10. An examina-
tfon Of shou,.t this S.. report by the
nesota Railroad company sold from January /
to December l, 1878, eleven months, 7,437
acres, at an average price of SO per acre, while
the present prices we've stated at from SIS to 50
per acre, cash.
during the same time the sales Of the st.
Paul q Sioux City company were 91,326 acres,
or more than twelve times as much as tn Q
Southern Minnesota company, the sales being
MADE at an average price of $7.19 per acre,
while the present price is given at $3.50 per
cash, or So time.
Continuing, Gen. Bishop said of the unsold
lands OF the company on the LIST of January,
1913, the st. Paul & Sioux City company sold
more than IA per cent. last year (the Sioux
City st. Paul company more than % per
| cent. to the Southern Minnesota company ap-
proximately per cent.
These facts and figures Gen. Bishop present.
ed as an emphatic contradiction of the charges
made against his company of pursuing mar
row ana selfish policy, or in any way control
ling their lands to the injury of settlers
along their line of road, and to be worthy the
widest circulation for the information of all
parties interested in the country through which
their roads run, or are thinking of becoming
| interested by purchase.
| CHANGE IN LAND DEPARTMENT MANAGEMENT.
| Having Gen. Bishop in tow, and having the
subject of land under consideration, the re-
porter conc luded to interview him briefly with
reference to the new departure about
| ment of the company, of which brief
mention has been made. In answer to
! the reporters inquiry, Gen. Bishop stated the
one management at the head of the st. Paul g.
Sioux City company had $50 miles of road un-
der Its control, representa- three orgauiza-
tions, and located in two States and one Terri
tory. The management of this extent of road,
with its diversified interests, commanded all
the time of himself and President Drake
While such was the case, the Importance of
| making an extra effort to attract attention
to and dispose of the lands yet in
extent, and it had therefore been determined to
make new departure in the management of
| their land department.. To this end Mr.. James
b. Drake, at present connected with leading
grain house of Chicago, had been rendered and
accepted the appointment of land commission
time MIR. W. 2. Jewett, for years past deputy
state auditor, had been rendered and accepted
the office Of secretary of the land department
of the St. Paul & Sioux City company, vacated
last fall by the resignation of MI. Edward
Sawyer, while MIR. Edward Berreau, for years
the able and indefatigable secretary of
| the land department of the Sioux
City st. Paul company, would
be retained. These three gentlemen will have
charge of the land department, and to give
them room to spread themselves the three
story brick building No. 20. almost directly
opposite the general offices, has been rented
for headquarters. The first floor will be used
for otticts, which will be fitted up in an at
tractlve style, while the two upper floors will
be devoted to proper display of grains veeet-
ables grasses, ETC., raised along their roads and
such other purposes as may be found neces-
sary. The programme is good one.