Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-07-25
A GOOD MAN.

ES-Presidenc Wright of the Northern
Pacific, Stops Over Sunday in Fargo on
HIS, Way to the Pacific Slope.
Hon. Charles B. Wright, ex-president of
the Northern Pacific railroad, accompanied
by dozen friends, arrived in the city
yesterday morning in his private car, and
stopped over during the day. An Argus
representative visited the distinguished
gentleman during the day, and finding
him snugly ensconced in his easy seat, was
accorded a very warm reception. Mr..
Wright is now an elderly gentleman,
and has seen much of the
world not forgetting meanwhile, to
accumulate vast fortune. He remarked
| that he was on his way to Tacoma, the
western terminus of the road, where he has
been erecting a church, the same to he
dedicated about the tenth of August. He
will also lay the corner stone of girls
| college, which he himself will endow. The
| Episcopal churches of the east have raised
! a sufficient SUM to erect the college. A
second college will be erected for boys,
and is also to be endowed by Mr.. Wright,
with fifty thousand dollars each. Mr..
Wright is president of the Tacoma Land
company, which embraces the town site
1 l.
Sound.
| Mr.. Wright came into the directory of
the road in 1870, and was the direct repre-
sentative of the Jay Cooke syndicate, and
brought with him the first dollar that was
used for construction purposes. When the
road went down in 1872, General Cass was
made Governor Smiths successor as pres
ident, and Mr., Wright became vice pres1-
dent at the same time, soon after the pan
ic of 1873 the road went into the hands of
a receiver, in the person of General Cass,
and at this time Mr.. Wright was elected
president of the corporation. Immediate
ly after the reorganization of the road, in
1875, Mr.. Wright was again elected presi-
dent, and continued until the summer of
1879, when he resigned on account of i'll
health.
When he first visited Fargo in 1870,
tents were tie only shelter afforded the
engineers and other parties connected
with the road. Mr.. Wright having been
sent into Illinois and Wisconsin when
quite young man, to look after landed
interests held by parties in Philadelphia,
he was enabled to obtain an education re-
garding the growth and enterprise of the
west that was of great benefit to him
when he engaged in the Northern Pacific
enterprise. While others connected with
the management Of the road were some
what doubtful, Mr.. Wright had the ut
most confidence in the future of the great
northwest, and asserted that the growth
and prosperity of the same were assured
just as soon as the necessary railroad facil-
tiles could be afforded. This was twelve
years ago and now he has the satisfaction
of seeing his fondest anticipations real
lied. After looking over the city of Fargo
he was convinced that it was destined to
be one of the most important points on
the entire line of the great
transcontinental route, and he saw no rea-
son why it should not grow and become
one of the leading commercial and manu-
featuring centers of the northwest, being
surrounded by one of the most fertile
countries in the world, and embracing a
live and energetic lot of business men, its
growth and prosperity we're perpetual.
Mr.. Wright expects to spend the month
of August at Puget sound, returning in
time to meet President Wizards special
party of invited guests, who go out to
drive the golden spike in the silver tie that
holds down tbs copper rail that is laid last
in the line. This event is expected to take
place on the Sd or 9Th of September,
but possibly may not until the 10th
or even The 18th. Arrangements have
been made to invite distin-
guished foreigners and prominent
American citizens. It is said that Mr..
Wizards list of invitations covers four
hundred names, among whom will be the
British minister and wife, and several
German capitalists, while lesser lights
in the management will be allotted friends
sufficient to make up fifteen hundred.
E. V. Smalley has been assigned the
duty of selecting twenty-four repre-
sentatives of metropolitan journals, and
will no doubt perform the same with
the facility that General Butler attributed
to distinguished politician from Indiana
when vice-president of the United states.
Said Gen. Butler: "He can distribute a
pan of dough among 100 chickens and
give more general satisfaction than any
man in America" A large number of
members of congress and senators, who
were friendly to the road when
seeking legislation in its early