St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-08-19
THAT REGHT-OF-wAY.
The Regents Refuse to Modify Their
Actin,r mn tlnn n nrl IN I'm Pm ific.

Action Ou the Northern Pacific.
The trouble between the regents Of the
state university and the st. Paul 81 North
ern Pacific company over the right of way
through land owned by the state and con-
trolled by the former, was again ventilated
before the regents yesterday. The main
facts in the case are well remembered. The
regents refused TO sell the land wanted for
the st. Paul d Northern Pacific short line,
on the ground that the laying OF tracks and
running Of trains so near the university
buildings would be detrimental to the in
terestS of the institution. The road began
condemnation proceedings to acquire the
right of way, and the regents at once took
the matter into the courts, asking that an
injunction be laid on the company, as the
land being owned by the state could not be
thus acquired. A temporary injunction
was granted, from which an appeal
to the supreme court was taken,
the company meantime putting up forfeit
bond and going on with the work. Recog
niZing the importance of the question, in
vOlving in some sense the terminal facilities
of the Northern Pacific road the boards of
trade and chambers of commerce, with
kindred institutions in the two cities,
appointed committees to consult to-
gether, examine the premises. and confer
with the regents with a view to settling the
difficulty as amicably and as speedily as
possible.
YESTERDAYS MEETING.
At the meeting of the regents held in the
senate chamber of the capitol yesterday
morning, a hearing was given these COM
mittees. There were present Regents Sib-
ley Pillsbury, Davis, Hubbard, Nelson and
Gillian and from the various organizations
the following:
st. Paul-ThOmas Cochran. Jr., J. T.
AverilI, +. Driscoll, Charles Nicols, w. p.
Murray. W. b. Dean, William Lindeke and
?. r. L. Hardenbergh.
Minneapolis - Judge Isaac Atwater,
Ezra FamsWOrth. Jr., w. e. Steele, j. 3.
Bassett, o. A. Pray, w. w. Huntington
and W. W. Eastman. Lieut.. Gov. Gilman
and others interested were also present,
and on coming to order, President Sibley of
the board OfregentS announced that remarks
would be in order, On the question at hand,
as the regents were anxious to learn the
feeling Of the organizations represented be-
fore deciding on the question of sale for the
right of way.
Judge Atwater, chairman of the commit
tee from the Minneapolis board of trade,
was called on first. He said he did not pro-
pose to go over the facts in the case, but
would simply express the sentiment of Min
neapOliS so far as he understood it, and ac-
cordingly the committee had reduced to
writing a statement of the views of Mime
apOliS business men, as spoken through the
board of trade and chamber of commerce
committees. The paper opened with a gen.
eral statement of the Importance of the
question at issue, and the expression of re-
greet that any reflections had been cast on
certain of the regents for their views on the
f1,n hot l.,
was in no sense the feeling of the Mime
apolis people. 1t continued as follows:
THE FEELING OF MINNEAPoLIs.
We are most profoundly impressed with
the paramount Importance Of giving all the
facilities possible to all railroads seeking
access to and egress from the city. Indeed,
we believe that the future prosperity of the
city depends almost wholly upon the course
pursued in this request. The history of
cities Known as railroad centers leaves no
room for argument on this point, and the
almost unanimous sentiment of the boards
SOur, committee represent, as well as we, are
clearly convinced that greater railroad facili-
ties are urgently demanded not for the roads
I'm question alone, but for others now knock
Ing at our doors. With the present growth
of the city, difficulties must inevitably be ell
countered, IN whichever direction we look, TO
afford these facilities. Fortunately in the
route in question, these difficulties have been
happily overcome through the main part of
cty with little damage TO business interests,
.eaving those only connected with the uni
Fersity to be considered. Your honorable
board Is doubtless as fully and perhaps better
Informed than the committees which have
the honor to present this communication as
to all the facts bearing upon the question;
and they deem it would be out of place at
this time to enter upon any argument in sup
port of their views. From their stand
point and the light they have, they
believe more interests would be subserved
and as little injury inflicted by the proposed
route than by any other that could be adopted
and that vital blow would be struck to the
prosperity of the city if the route be not
adopted The committee, therefore, respect
fully and urgently request your honorable
body to give the fullest consideration to this
important question, with view of seeing if
what appear to be conflicting interests cannot
be harmonized and the difficulties now exist
ing be satisfactorily adjusted.
This, Judge Atwater said, was all that
the organizations he represented cared to
ofler-simply an expression Of the general
feeling.
FROM ST. PAUL.
Mr.. Thomas Cochran, Jr., spoke for the
st. Paul organizations. He said the city
had desire for harmony with Minneapolis
On this question and he believed there had
been from the first desire to act in common.
He did not desire to burden the board of
NAL reports. st. Paul men had privately
given most of the regents the views of the
bodies the committees represented. The
case is complicated. 1t has been taken into
court and the st. Paul men had no desire
to influence the decision Of the court but
simply to appear as petitioners. The board
has the right to act and to exercise its best
judgment as to granting the right; there is
10 question of the authority of the regents
and their right of domain over the land in
question. 1t is of the utmost importance to
develop the railroad facilities of the two
cities and 10 road could ever deserve more
than the Northern Pacific. 1t has often
been stated by q railroad man that the in
terests of the two cities are fairly
antagonistic with the growth at the
head of the navigation. What we
have in common, we should all work for.
and this is an interest common to the two
cities. Whatever is of advantage to but a
single one should be sought for in a spirit
of manful rivalry. This is a common mat
ter, and in it both cities are fairly antago-
nistic to the interests of Duluth. A short
visit to the latter city will convince any of
this fact. When a small city. with the adj
vantages Of position that Duluth offers.
can grow in a few years to be the second
city in the country in the handling of wheat
it is time Minneapolis and ST. Paul were
bestirring themselves.
Mr.. Cochran then continued forcibly to
point out the possibilities of Duluth if the
Northern Pacific was not allowed to secure
satisfactory terminal facilities at ST. Paul
and Minneapolis, and the consequent in
jury to the latter, and urged in strong
terms that the regents take no action that
would drive the company TO do this. 1.-The