Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-05-21

Falls Manufacturing Company. The Compa-
ny proceeded to issue stock to the amount of
one hundred thousand dollars. Fergus, stur-
gis and Tuttle, took half the stock, and the
balance readily sold for fifty thousand dollars
in cash. Judging from the eagerness with
which the stock was taken up it would have
been safe to calculate that three times the
amount could have been readily sold. The.
stock rose rapidly until it reached $50 per
cent, at which, price . large amount of it.
changed hands, but it did not remain long at
that price and. coon took . downward turn and
continued to sink rapidly until 1860, at which
time it was worthless, and it was impossible
/ to find property enough to pay the indebted
ness Of the Company. The increase and de-
crease in population, and the rise and fall in
real estate, very nearly corresponded to the
fuctuation in the price Of the stock Of the
Company. E ~. o.,
a The town Of Little Falls was surveyed in
1855, by S. NJ. Putnam and at first few
lots were given away to start the town, but
they soon began to sell rapidly, and in 1857
the bestlots were held at 81, 900 each, and land
near town at 800 per acre. Since that time
town lots and lard have been worthless por-
tion Of the time, but lately have begun to
command something. The 500 land of for
mer times will now command $40, and the
$1,000 town lots about $500. When we con-
slider the fact that not less than seventy five
tn thousand dollars we're expended in improve.
ments on the water power at this place in
building dams, bridges and mills, and that
there is now nothing to show for it, the ques-
ton arises as to the cause. Our answer is
that while the Manufacturing Company had
plenty of money to use, there was great lack
OF Judgment. In constructing their dam on
the east side of the island the water was first
shut off by horse dam, and sand and gravel
was hauled in to the depth of two or three
feet IL. some places, to III Ike a nice level bed
on which to place a frame in constructing
dam. AS the bed of the stream was rock, and
was rough and uneven, it was thought that 1t |
would be much better to construct a dam on a |
nice smooth sand bed, so a large quantity of
sand was accordingly hauled in to level up for
a good foundation. Any man who has read |
his Bible could give the result of that kind of |
dam building. In connection with their dam |
they built fine suspension bridge. 1t was
we'll built and the main portion stood for ma
ny years. It was erected in the winter of
1878, but no stay lines were put on it, aud |
after about s or 9 years it was found to be
rotting some, so the Board of County Com
nissioners had it repaired, but it was blown
down by heavy wind shortly afterwards. It
had been used only about one year and half
tefore the portion east of the island, which
was depending on the suficiency of the afore-
said dam, gave out. L give their method of
dam building as a specimen of the manner in
which they did their work generally. As the
the whole river bottom and banks at this
point are composed of rock, it requires no ex
traordinary skill to put in substantial dam
at this place, but that built by the Company
fell short of being boys play. The Company
also constructed, besides the large saw mill
"AAo" W 'ho OoHlpduy, one Small caOlnet
shop and a large one, which was maguif.
cent building two and a half stories high nut
up by the Pioneer Manufacturing Company
and there was Touring mill put up by Mr..
Fletcher. The dam broke in 1859 so that the
mills could not be supplied with water; and
Mr.. Fletcher took down his Touring mill and
moved it down on Sauk river, having seen
enough OF Little Falls water works. The dam
was repaired in the winter of 1S59-6O, but in
the summer of 1860 the water rose very high
and soon revealed the weak points in The dam.
A channel WAS soon made through the mill by
the logs running through and knocking out
some of the pests, and shortly letting down
the west end of the mill. The water also un-
dermined the cabinet shop belonging to the
said Pioneer Manufacturing Company, and it
came Gown with great crash. The island
called Mill island Was cut across by ditch
dug in 1856, and as the water became high it
washed out some before 1860, but the freshet
of that year did the principal work in making
the wide channel through it that now exists.
To be continued