Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-07-26
THE SIOUX CITY ROAD.

THE SIOUX CITY ROAD.
Gen. Bishop Interviewed Relative to the
Statements of the Mankato Revlew-He
Puts Different Aspect ON it.
Having found goose and gander, as it
were, the Mankato Reyiew proceeds to sup
ply President E. F. Drake with considerable
sauce for his speech in the Commercial
League executive committee. The article
was published in yesterdays GLOBE and in
substance charges President Drake with at
tempting in the purchase of the Wells rail-
road to perpetrate the same game against
Mankato, which the sale of the st. Paul &
Duluth railroad has consumated against the
best business interests of st. Paul and Min
neapolis. In other words the Re0Seao says
the st. Paul q Sioux City company tried to
buy the Wells road ''to close it as Compel
ing line.' Then Mr.. Drake Is called upon
to reflect upon the old fable of ''the gored
OK"
Weighted with the bulk of said article,
GLOBE reporter called at the headquarter
offices of the st. Paul & Sioux City road TO
learn what Explanation" the high dignitaries
might have to mako in answer to this charge
of inconsistency in action and speech.
President +. f. Drake was out of the city.
Gen. j. w. Bishop, general manager, was
ameaable to the voice of the reporter. eyes,
have seen the article you refer to-" said
Gen. Bishop, after the reporter had made
due reference and emphasized it by handing
nnta will fha RI fY1rV mi
upwards.
"What answer have you to make to it, if
any?"
"You don't want me to answer all the gen
ordinations there (apping the paper.) If
you will question, am ready to reply"
An interview being thus invited, the GLOBE
picked up the article and quoted:
1--WE take pleasure in informing Mr.. Drake
that Mr.. Merrill is doing to st. Paul Just what
Mr.. Drake tried to do to Mankato recently in
his attempt to purchase the Wells road-"try-
ing to dry up competing road"
'What say you to this3"
eve never tried to buy the Wells road ito
dry it up as competing line.'"
"What then, is this assertion based upon?"
sit as no foundation in fact. When the
Wells road was built the directors of the St..
Paul d Sioux City Railroad company con-
tributed largely to Its construction,
having an option to use about one third of
the length, or in other words the use of the
road from Mankato to Good Thunder, as
part of our then proposed branch to Blue
Earth City and Fort Dodge, Iowa. This
option expired during the prevalence of hard
times, three or four years ago, when no rail-
roads we're built. Last fall we decided to
undertake the construction of the Blue Earth
branch, and then we tried to get this option,
to use this track, revived, go that the Fort
Dodge branch might begin at Good Thun-
der, and by using the thirteen miles of the
Wells branch to run our branch trains into
and out of Mankato.
The owners of the Wells road declined to
revive the option, but made US proposition
to sell or lease us the road. This PROPOSE
ton, after consideration, we accepted. After
the lease had been executed by the directors
OF both companies, and pending it's ratifca-
ton by the stockholders, we had an inter-
view with the officers of the Southern Min
Minnesota Railroad company, who now and
Tor several years have been operating the
Wells road. At this conference we wanted
them to join us in the lease and use of the
road, so far as to the 10 miles between Manka-
to and Good Thunder and Offering them the
exclusive use of the road from
Good Thunder to Wells their business
over the whole road to be as absolutely
free from any control or interference from
us as 1t now is or has been. They to nav
an equitable proportion of the interest bur
den of the road and both companies to share
IN the maintenance expenses in proportion
to the number of cars run over the line.
Messrs. Myers and Easton represented the
Southern Minnesota company at the confer
ence, and declared themselves entirely salts
lied with the proposition-as they we'll might
be, as 1T gave them the same use of the road
as now, with only portion of the interest
burden and maintenance expenses. During
the consideration of the lease by the stock
holders, the majority of the Wells stock
changed hands, and the lease was repudiated
by the new stockholders Chicago, Milwau-
kee u st. Paul Railroad company.
This compelled US to commence our Fort
Dodge branch at Lake Crystal, or another
point than Mankato. Had not the lease
failed, Mankato would have had all the bene-
nus she has now or ever can have from the
wells road as an Eastern line; also would
have been the terminus of the Fort Dodge
branch"
The GLOBE next put the following, in quo
tation marks, as original from the Mankato
Reuieao:
In this endeavor we imagine that Mr..
Hrake did not squeamishly hesitate to accept
the good offices of Chicago company-the
terests." -
10 this Gen, Bishop replied:
line Northwestern was not consulted in
the matter at all. Never had ANYTHING to do
with 1t. That's all there is about it,
another quote was made, as follows:
me oloux City road has closed our route to
DuIuth. we must reach that city and the
lakes by some other route. Singular co-ordi-
nation of facts
70 which the reply was made:
"As to the statement that Mankato or any
other point is barred out from Duluth bv
the Sioux City road, it is entirely at variance
with the facts. The st. Paul & Sioux Citv
ROAD mas always used the Duluth line on
ManKato business in competition with the
Two lines running from Mankato direct to
Cnlcago, and has taken fair proportion of
east bound business by that line. In fact. it
IS the competition of the Sioux Citv line to
Duluth that gives to Mankato the low Chi
cago rates, which are quoted in comparison
with our short local rates, to make il appear
the latter are high"
No sooner had Gen. Bishop ceased to
speak than the GLOBE was ready with an
other quotation
we are charged practically the same rates
from st. Paul that we have to nav from chi
cage and not unfrequently more"
ana followed it with question as TO whether
it was so or not.
Its wholly devoid of truth. But it's
useless to answer it. It has been done time
ana time again, but does no good. I think
the whole subject is covered by my explana-
mon as to the attempted purchase of the
wells els. road TO dry up competing line.''
with this intimation that Gen. Bishop