Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-05-01
From Hon. N Richar tlsoll
Little Falls, a prrii "a, 1885.

Little Fails, a prii ~ 1880.
Editor Of the Transcript:
According to agreement + will now
try to explain why I wrote the letter
to Hon. q. G. Postlethwaite, land com.
missioner Of the 81. Paul Northern
Pacific Railroad company, wherein he
feels that / unjustly criticized his ac-
ton in sending such notices as ii, did
to those holding railroad lands under
contracts from the company I did
rot retain eepy of it, SO IScannot give
it to yeut to print, bat those who read
bis reply in your last issue can Judge
we'll Gifts contents. The following is
copy Of one or the letters sent to
those delinquent on contracts:
ST. P. e N. p. R. r, Co,
81 St. Paul. April 4, 1885.
ARNOLD BECKER, Rich Prairie, Morri-
son county, MINI:
E DEAR SIR-I beg to remind you that
no payments have been made upon the
idnO COvtIcu %oy CShSt tAS1 Az. Iss
which was made by yon on the 5th OF
March, 1879, since March 80, 1883,
when payment on account OF Interest
was made. You are hereby notified
that unless the payments, now past
due, are made on or before the LIST OF
Nav, 1885. the contract will be can
celled on that date. .%-,<@a,. lid
Yours truly, 81 -. -. ~
+. ~ T.. A. G.. PosTLErHwArTE,
Land Commissioner.
f. THIS 5s one of several which I have
seen, all of the same purport. I defy
any one to point to anything in that
better tlrst would lead man to think
any leniency would be shownysin case
the money to square up at the time
named was not Forthcoming, which
was short of month from the time the
letter was written; some parties living
in the back country might not get the
letter until the time for making pay
ment was passed. I can't say that it
was the intention Of the company or
Mr.. Pestlet til waite to do what the let
tiers stated they would do in case of a
failure on the part of the settlers to
pay the amount demanded. 1t now
appears that the letters were not to be
taken exactly as they read, bat were
simply intended to stir them up to due
diligence, which purpose was probably
a laudable one, although notexpressed
in plain language. I simply claim that
I could hardly cometo different con-
clusion than did, especially I had re-
Gently heard Mr.. O. L. Clyde state that
the contract on the farm that he lately
bought in Bellevue was cancelled and
the price raised ON it.. l feared a great
wrong was about to be perpetrated on
many of the poor people of the county
who had contracted dor and gone On to
railroad lands to make home. Hence
my letter to Mr.. Postlethwaite, de-
signed to criticize the action Of the
Railroad company, and not him per-
sonaily, as supposed they had deter
mined to crush outthose who were 20
poor as to be unable to raise the re-
CURED SUM, and that he as their agent
was about to obey orders. For the
short acquaintance that 1 have had
with Mr.. P. can but esteem him very
highly, and what he states rs to his
never refusing to give extensions to
the poor and unfortunate settlers On
railroad lands when I have written
him requesting him to do so, is true.
I must say Of him that for railroad
man he is the most generous man with
whom ever became acquainted. I
9 leak Of railroad ,lnen because I have
generally found them possessed of
very small, if any. souls, and are very
keen to receive bat very slow to grant
favors. He has not only always grant
ed my requests in giving to the poor
the extensions Of time to their, pay
ments, but in some case has done
more and better orthem than I had
asked or had reason to expect. :, IF he
thought l meant to personally abuse
him in my letter he greatly mistoox
my intention. I was much pleased
to learn in his letter Of last week to
me that he had no intention of, and
would not, deal harshly with the poor
who had contracted tor railroad lands
and were acting in good faith towards
the company, His good purposes as
expressed in his letter have fully naci-
fed me. Still if the, Memorable Com
missioner has got Iris read set on tax
ing little fishing excursion, l ann not
the chap to back down, although 1 am
not much of q sporting man, and am
better at eating than catching fish. =
T., Your Most Obedient Servant,
b. n. RICHARDSON.