St. Paul daily globe., 1885-07-16
The Minneapolis Board of Trade 0onsid-
ers Itself Insulted by st. Paul
Chamber of Commerce,
And Says it Can Stand Alone in Rail-
road Matters Where its Interests
are Concerned.
Col. King and the Pillsbury Brothers
Make Some Fiery and Pointed
Speeches,
And the Board VIII Do a Little In
vesigatIng on Its Own
Behalf.
Railroad and Regents.

yesterday morning. 4 special meeting had
been called TO consider the matter of the
difficulty between the regents of the uni
yersity and the officials of the Northern
Pacific road in regard to the right of way of
the railroad in East Minneapolis. As a
result the board says 10 ST. Paul that it is
quite able to care for its own affairs with
out the assistance of anybody-that the
metropolis asks no advice from the capital
in matters concerning its interests.
The meeting was a very large one and
the discussion was interesting, not TO say
exciting. Secretary Hale read the commu-
nication from the ST. Paul chamber of COM
merce, whereupon Col. King leaped to his
feet and began an excited speech. He de-
nOunced the communication as
INSULTING TO THE LAST DEGREE
and deserving the merited rebuke OF this
board. BY what authority did these people
of st. Paul presume TO dictate TO Minneap-
oils in a matter concerning her alone? No,
this board should send no committee to
confer with St. Paul as long as his voice
could be raised against il Who did not re-
member when the hast committee went
down there 10 return humbled and humil-
lated? st. Paul has ridden the high horse
TO an unSeemly length and should now
come down. No longer could she grease
the heads of Minneapolis people for the
purpose of swallowing them.
Mr.. FaTnsworth said he had some hastily
drawn resolutions to offer for the purpose
of inducing a discussion that would throw
light on the situation. which was badly
needed by himself and others. They were
as follows:
ONLY FOR INFORMATION.
Resolved, That the board regrets exceed
boF cknnld har-a
between the regents of the state university
and the st. Paul and Northern Pacific rail-
road as to the rights of way for the line OF
the mentioned corporation. and will gladly
do anything to aid in satisfactory adjust
ment of the existing difficulties.
Resolved, That we consider it of great
importance to our city to have the new line
of communication perfected.
Resolved, That in our opinion the reasons
publicly alleged by the regents of the uni
versity for objecting to the proposed line of
the railroad are insufficient to warrant them
in continuing their opposition.
Resolved, That we hope the authorities
representing the university and the railroad
corporation will speedily harmOniZe their
conflicting interests in such wise that we
will have this other new line of railroad
completed at an early date
THE MAYBE Is HUI.
Mayor Pillsbury took the ground that a
route might have been and might yet be
selected by which the road would get what
il wanted and yet save the university.
Such route little further south had been
surveyed, but because the late route might
save an additional bridge, it was selected.
He was of opinion the course taken by the
road was little too arbitrary, both as re-
garded the regents and the city, and the
rights of the latter had not only not been
consulted. but even intrenched upon.
Grades of streets had been raised without a
word or without authority, and he had been
compelled to stop them, on one occasion.
from cutting down a grade. He was in
favor of doing what was right in the mat
ter, but that was, first TO protect the
interests of the city and of that educational
institution which was the first of the kind
in the state. As to appointing a COM
mittee, he was not opposed to that but did
not see why it should act with St Paul.
The road was going there at any event,
and he favored independent action. In
conclusion, he thought the railroad COM
pany was persistent in a matter which was
mere saving Of a small expense.
Capt. o. c. Merriman thought Col. King
had been too savage, and exhibited little
more bile than the occasion strictly de-
manded, going further back into the his
tory than the eXigencieS of the affair war
ranted. He then wentintO an extended de-
fenSe of the university, and an attack on
that influence which would remove it from
Minneapolis and convert the building into
an insane asylum.
STRAIGHT FROM THE BOARD.
Gov. John S. Pillsbury of the board of
regents said his position had been intention
ally miSrepreSented. He had always been
| friendly TO the Northern Pacific road, and
to every other railroad. and he said it boldly
| that no man in Minneapolis had done more
than he had for that road. When Mime
| apolis opposed the building of the Brain
erd branch, he was one of two men who
had publicly favored it. He had even given
his own land for half its value for the use
of the road. As TO his position as regent
he had no opposition or objection to the
road, so that it let the institution
alone. After all the trouble and dif-
ficulty, and wear and tear of build
ing that institution, they did not
wish to see il destroyed and the people of
Minneapolis did not. A line had been sur
veyed two blocks further down and il was
unObiectiOnable. Why was it not taken?
| 1t would be a little longer and would entail
little more cost. but il would let the uni
versity alone At some length the governor
went on TO detail the advantages of the
university TO the state and give the reasons
| why il should be cherished and protected
He read the constitutional provision estab-
fishing the university here and, comparing
| it with the capital and other institutions,
! showed how il was reallyl lintrenched in the
constitution. The university is now on the
high road TO prosperity. Fortunate in
faculty and in president and with 500 stu
dents enrolled, there was not more -four
iShing institution in the United States.
Going back to the railroad, he gave brief
history of the negotiations by the Northern
Pacific company. They had told the right
of way men that they regretted the route
and knew it would damage the university,
but they would put fair valuation on the
land. AT the May meeting of the board,
the members had gone over the campus and
every one declared the road should
not, if possible to be prevented, be
allowed TO cross the ground. The
matter had been referred to the executive
committee, and finally, to get rid of the af-
fair, he offered 10 take SS5, ZOO for the
ground. If the company had accepted,
that would have ended it, but it refused,
and in the meantime the attorneys of the
board found good reasons for believing they
could prevent the road from going there.
Then came brief history of the court pro-
ceedings which are so recent as to be well
remembered.
Now, then. he continued. are the people
Of Minneapolis and this board of trade
ready to pass that resolution and censure