St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-18
How Gothic stock.

After reading the article in Sundays
GLOBE on the Northern Pacific road and
the circular which was issued by the BOs-
ton parties relative to the condition of the
Oregon TranScOntinental company, a rail-
way official asks the question: What inter
est has the Oregon TTanScOntinental in the
! Wisconsin Central road, and how did it Sc
cure IS, IA shares of the latter'S stock, COM
mon?. The history of this investment by
the Oregon 1ranScOntinental dates back to
when Willard was president of the North
ern Pacific road. 4 glance at the map of
/ Dakota reveals grave danger with which
| he Northern Pacific has been threatened
or some time: that is, the invasion of its
erTitOry by those powerful corporations.
he Milwaukee IL st. Paul. the Chicago d
Northwestern and the Rock Island roads. in
/ tiielf rival race for new business in South
eastern Dakota When Willard became
/ president these companies were steadily
pushing their lines into the James river val
| ley nOrthward toward the main line of the
Northern Pacific. IL was obviously but
question of time when the extern
SiOns would reach and cross it.
| and thus became direct competitors. Vii
| lard could see nothing so effective in pro-
tectlng his company from the injury of
such competition as the command of some
means 90 hurt the aggreSSorS more than they
could hurt the Northern Pacific. This
means appeared to be the best offered by
the control of an independent line to Mil
waukee and Chicago. There were other
strong reasons for seeking the control of
such line in the interest of the Northern
Pacific. In the first place the companies
owning the existing st. Paul lines also
owned lines to Omaha, with larger haul
on Pacific coast business than via ST. Paul,
which constituted a natural temptation for
them to divert business from the Northern
Pacific. Next. the Northern Pacific. with
its virtual terminus at Milwaukee and Chi
cagO, could exercise a much stronger in
fiuence upon Pacific coast rates, and upon
the flow of immigration, than at St. Paul
and Minneapolis. Finally. at Chi
cago the Northern Pacific could
most effectually promote the growth
of ST. Paul and Minneapolis. and
all its territory, as far as such growth de-
pended upon favorable traffic rates from
the East. In casting about for a desired
line. Willard found that it could be most
readily and economically obtained in con-
nectiOn with the Wisconsin Central system.
The latter was to be connected at all events
with the main line by the extension of the
Wisconsin division to Ashland. InyeStiga-
ton showed that good direct line to Mil
waukee and Chicago could be had by build
ing not over 100 miles of new road from
the Wisconsin Central terminus at Chip
pewa Falls to st. Paul, at cost not eX-
ceeding -, 600, 600. Accordingly the project
was taken actively in hand under the au-
spices of the Oregon TTanscOntinental COM
pany, though it did not complete what it
commenced on account of its embarrassed
condition, but for what work it did accom-
pliSh it was paid for doing in Wisconsin
Central stocks. The road was afterward
completed by the parties controlling the
Wisconsin Central.