Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-10-31

The St. Cloud, Mankato s. Austin r. r.
The St. Cloud Board of Trade recently
appointed a committee to examine into
the cause of delay of building the Austin
Y st. Cloud railway, and the starting Of
other promised enterprises in that city.
The following, in regard to the report
of the Committee, is from the Times of
last week.
The committee also visited President
Bishop of the new St. Cloud, Mankato
& Austin Railroad Company, Mr.. Up
ham, the treasurer, and Gen. Baker, one
of the directors of the old company.
Each of these gentlemen were positive
that the road would be built. Gen.
Bishop said that when he accepted the
Presidency it was with the assurance
that the road would be built. He thought
that nothing short of a financial panic
would prevent Its construction next year.
Gen. Baker was also equally positive of
the construction and Indignantly repealed
the insinuation that the old directors had
received any pecuniary consideration, or
that they had sold out knowing that the
road would not be built.
A reply OF the Executive Committee of
cAC Nv. oloNtA, N1ILkdGO ~ AuStlu H.. IL.
Co. to the Mankato Board of Trades re-
quest for information was read by the
Secretary. In brief, it regrets that the
work OF construction has not been COM
mencca says that the preliminary sur
vey at cost of $4,000 proves that the
construction company intends to build
the road points to the shrinkage of rail
road stocks as one cause of delay; states
that the franchises are all in the hands of
the construction company, and that it is
to their interest to build it =; that this was
the only contract which they could ever
make with any company, and they would
bave been blamed if they had not con-
summated it that they have no doubt
the road will be built, and that no COM
pany in the State has any interest in the
franchises, and that it is ''ungenerous and
unjust" to indulge in unfricndly criticism
until such time as it is shown that the COM
pany has failed to comply with it's agree
ment.
The Journal Press adds:
The delay has been caused by the fail
ure of some of the towns to respond
promptly to the demand for bonuses and
by the requests Of different localities for
surveys Of lines in their direction. The
character of the country through which
the road will run is such that the grading
will not be difficult, and so many points
are convenient for the shipment of iron
that the work can begin simultaneously
at several places and be easily completed
in the six months from April 1st to De-
cember 1st, 1884, at which time the b.
muses. are available.
The indications at present are that the
franchises of this road have been secured
by President Hill, of the Manitoba COM
pany, and that it will be built by that cor
poration. 1t is an open secret that feel
ing of antagonism has been aroused be-
tween the Milwaukee and Manitoba COM
panies by the action of the former in aid
ing the construction of the new Fargo
Southern line, which will be a rival to the
Manitoba, and the latter proposes to re-
taliate. by building the St. Cloud, Man
kato & Austin road, and perhaps also
line into Southern Minnesota. It's known
that Vice President Kennedy, of the
Manitoba, is the President the Construc-
ton Company of North America, which
took the contract to build the St. Cloud
and Mankat0 line, and he is also the
owner in whole or in part of the road in
Iowa, terminating at Mona, with which
the line from this city is intended to con.
meet. The Mona road is at present leased
to the Illinois Central, but the lease will
soon expire and will not be renewed, and
the road can only be made profitable bya
connection from this direction. President
Hill is also largely interested in the Iowa
coal fields, and the construction Of this
line TO Mankato or Austin, would enable
him tobring his coal to this place for dis
tributiOn.