Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-03-28


was gathering of leading gentlemen of
northern Dakota, members of the syndi-
cate who own the town site of Odessa.
DEVILS lake. Among the members of the
syndicate in the city are Hon. George 81.
Walsh, j. S. Eischelman, John
McKelvy, of Grand Forks; Hon.
o. NJ. Towner, of Larimore; Hon. Judson
La Moure, OF Pembina; Mr.. F. T. Walker,
president of the First National bank of
Grafton; Mr.. NJ. R. Doyon, Madison, Wis,
president of the Bank of North Dakota,
Grand Forks; Mr., A. E. johnson, emigra-
ton agent of the st. Paul & Manitoba
railroad; A. r. McGill, state insurance
commissioner, st. Paul, and Hon. S. NJ.
Emery, Lake City.
That the gathering was for important
business was evidenced by the earnest con-
situations which were held during the
forenoon at the Merchants hotel, and the
manifest ,.nxiety shown by several of the
owners Of the town site of Creel, a rival
location to DEVILS lake. This was further
verified by guile lengthy secret meeting
which was held in room No. Is during the
afternoon.
After the meeting had adjourned several
of the gentlemen were seen by a GLOBE
envoy, but he found them all very reticent
beyond the simple statement that the OBJ
ject for which the meeting was called had
not been accomplished owing to the fact
that several gentlemen largely interested
in the syndicate had been delayed in reach
ing ST. Paul, and that another meeting was
to be held to-day.
While the gentlemen declined to talk the
GLOBE will not be divulging any state Sc
cret when it announces that the meeting
was In reference to the prospective loca-
ton of the new capital of Dakota It
will be remembered that the late territorial
legislature, after the failure Of an effort to
locate the capital at Huron, southern Da-
kota, passed an act by which a commission
of nine was created to select such
location, the commissioners to give bonds
in $4,000 for a faithful performance of
their duty. With the advice of the legis-
lature Gov. Ordway appointed the follow
Ing gentlemen to compose the commits
sion: Milo W. Scott, Grand Forks; Bur-
leigh f. Spalding, of Fargo; Alex. Nc
Kenzie, of Bismarck; Charles II. Myers,
Sphinx county; Geo. A. Matthews, Brook
ings; Henry FL. belong, Canton; Alex.
Hughes, Yankton; NJ. P. Thompson, Yer
million; John P. Bedding, Deadwood.
As consideration for the location the
act specified that the place selected donate
16O acres for capitol grounds and 100000
as building fund. The commission, how
ever, were not to be abso-
lutely bound in the selection by the liber-
atty of the donation, but were left a GER
tain amount of discretion as to availability
of the location, etc.
The capital commission is to convene
at Yankton Monday next to receive and
consider the proposals received, among
which will probably be one from the Odes-
sa syndicate. At least it was for the pur-
pose of considering such proposition for
which the meeting was called. What the
nature of this proposition will be has not
been developed, and probably will not be
until formally received by the commission,
as the members do not propose that other
localities shall have the benefit of their
proposition beforehand. That the syndi-
cate is not without hope that
Odessa may be selected is I'M
doubted. They anticipate that there
will be lively struggle between the diff
ferent sections to secure the prize, but that
in view of the probable early division of
the territory, they reason that the commits
sion, in making their decision, will select
such place, other things being equals, as
will be as near the center as possible of one
or the other of the proposed
divisions upon the 45th parallel. If
this reasoning should prove true
they reason that SO far as northern Dakota
concerned, the DEVILS lake country. or
more properly speaking, Odessa, will be
the natural selection, occupying as it does
the geographical center of what will be
The new territory and prospective rail
road center, the st. Paul s. Manitoba road
having its track within a few miles
of the lake, while sew
eral preliminary surveys for other
roads have been made. Upon the question
OF the relative chances for the southern or
northern division of the territory securing
the location, the gentlemen were equally az
reticent as they were with reference to the
nature OF the proposition they would most
likely make. But while they seemed to
feel quite hopeful that northern Dakota
would be selected, there was
manifest considerable doubt of
the probable action of the great
N-AA- NN>> WI POAe'IAOuo COul pOliug IOr LIE
business of Dakota, and the effect thev
would be able to exert if they should act
lively engage in the struggle and array
themselves according to their respective
interests in favor of certain localities. In
the event of such active participation if
was thought the Chicago, Milwaukee
d st. Paul and the Chicago g. North
western roads would more likely
favor soma southern point, while the St
Paul d Manitoba and Northern Pacific
roads would be with the northern portion
There were those, however, who held that
the two roads first named would take no
active part in the matter, in part for the
reason that the interference of their agents
IN efforts to shape legislation last winter
had created strong prejudice against them
threatening retallatory legislation, and
also for the reason that both roads would
as rapidly as possible extend their lines
into northern Dakota, and would in the
long run receive as much if not greater
benefits from northern location than a
southern.
Reasoning from these conclusions the
Odessa syndicate is fairly hopeful. But
for all this they will not be nigpardlv in
the Inducements they will offer u,bo-, -,