The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-04-30

naRu featuring 10 has no superior ia the Northoes.
ny" II YOU wish your watch carefully
repaired and cleaned, take it to
Z. X. WISER.
THE ST. CLOUD r. r. INQUIRY.
Continued from First Page.)
we should hc censured. That the arrange. |
mcnts made for the building of the road fail |
cd of the desired and expected result is, Of |
course, regretted 10y all, and by none more |
than 10y those who So long labored for its sue |
cess and have suffered more than all others |
10y the failure thus far Of the arrangements |
made for its completion. The suggestion con-
tanned in one OF your resolutions that a suit
at law he commenced meets my most hearty
concurrence, and I earnestly trust that that
course will he adopted If any one really be-
licvcs they have been injured In any way
through any fault of ours, but have no idea
that any such course will be pursued or Is
intended. The time and manner Of moving
these resolutions as well AS the substance and
construction all point Enthusiastically to the
conclusion that motives other than the ones
pretended are actuating those who are agitat-
ing this matter AT this time.
ercncc To- the section of the road already com
plctcd is really very amusing us well as ridicu-
Ious when we stop Ia consider that the legis
iatiun which made possible what he complains
of WAS secured 10y the Mankato interests at
the last session The bill was drawn by his
brother, NJ. q. willard, il was introduced al
his request by MIR. Warner of your courty,
and after being amended so as Ia protect
int fa for uhi ha Ia
looked il passed. only refer tn IL i'm this
connection further illustration IL any is
needed at the unjust character of this entire
movement. In ease your committee makes
any attempt at investigation ! ask that this
letter may be land before them.
Yours respectfully,
W. Nj. CAMPBELL.
IA wIILARD's STATEMENT.
The following is a statement of J. A. Will
lard, Il former director of the 81. Cloud, Man
kato n Austin Railroad: 81 hear he Camp
beIn claims the directors had enough stock to
control. They did moi, Of stock they took ana
pad in like the rest of us, all combined, have
one-tonth of the stock. Tie must count that
they held il because they got the stock of the
owners into their names by some hocus pocus
unheknown Ia me, or. AS | believe. to any of
the owners, AMI voted il through all the stages
of the iniquity, and then, after Il was consum-
mated, came very graciously and paid the
ten dollars per share. IL they owned H. why
did they de- that? Baker had IN his name. and
the certificate in our bank, something like 100
shares Of stock, when b. took aud paid for
only four ar tive shares. IL embraced all thai
Was subscribed for at or about Mankato, AS 1
believe. except Il shares he had put in q. {.
IRrrf = nj for hat I
knew, unless il was In take the curse of. put
ting the big amount in his own name. l don't
think any of the stockholders consented In
this. | hear all the directors did the same,
and, no doubt, Campbell did. IL was the bold
est and most outrageous proceeding 1 ever
heard 81, moi excepting and of the same line,
and perhaps adopted from Fisk & Gould's first
rape Of Erie stock, though that was legally
valid while this, il tested, could not be. That
was issuing stock To themselves thai belonged
To nobody, because they had the books and the
power; while this was issuing your aud my
stock Ia themselves
The long sought explanation of the st.
Cloud, Mankato * Austin railway sell
out by General Baker was given by that
gentleman last Monday morning at the
meeting of the Board of Trade, he being
there upon the invitation Of that body
The General appeared before the board
and asked that he be informed AZ To the
real nature of the charges against him,
stating that he had never been officially
notified by anyone, nor did he know
the real nature OF the resolutions adopt
ed 10y the Board bearing upon the ques-
ton. lie asked for the reading of the re-
solutions.
Mr.. Hall recommended that the Gen
eral be accommodated, and Mr.. Pope
concurred. He thought it was but fair
that Mr.. Baker hear the resolutions read
before beginning his explanation.
Mr.. Baker explained why he preferred
To- hear the resolutions, and President
Noe ordered the secretary To comply,
which was done.
After hearing these, the General asked
for written specification for which he
was arraigned.
President Noe informed him that there
was no arraignment or Indictment
against him so far as the Board of Trade
was concerned, they having simply in
vited him 10 try to enlighten the public
so far a. possible, upon matter which
the people generally believed to be I'M
fair, and in which they had been wrong
ed. Mr.. Baker then asked for the re-
port of the Board of Trade committee,
who had been investigating the reported
sell-Out.
Dir. Hall and others objected, but the
General insisted that the charges he was
called to answer should be presented i'm
some definite form. lie said that thu
people and this Board Of Trade had as
sailed his character, and it being seri-
Gus charge in community where his
integrity has never been impaired or at
tackled before, the allegations should
be presented him in more specific
way. lie came denying the charges and
appealed To the citizens of MankatO, to
say how fully his vindication is accomp-
lished. 1t was explained that the only
thing expected of Mr.. Baker was TO clear
up, if possible, the mystery 80 long
hanging over the transfer of the railroad
franchise in question, which the people
interested did not understand, and wish
ed to know whether or not there were
grounds for the general belief that it was
fraudulent transaction.
At this point the General took the
floor, ami before beginning his address
read "A letter from the Railway Improve
ment Company expressing their inten-
tons of carrying out their agreement.
Recently this board of trade adopted
resolutions for an Investigation i'm the |
matter of the st. Cloud, MankatO d Aus |
tin railroad. j trust that II ~ being |
held with an honest purpose, in the |
premises, 10 do justice TO all concerned,
and that il is not inspired and cOntrOll-
ed by those who have personal and NAL
icious purposes To serve. i think that
fairness and Justice IN this matter would
be the object of by far the larger num-
Der of tins body, if left free i'm their own
motion. But from my past experience,
and from the very select few who are
the animating spirits Of this movement,
there are far other interests to serve
than the ends of Justice. Has tins hon
orable body paused To note who it is
that has brought these accusations?
Has il ever occurred to any one of you
To observe, what every one else now
sees, that this body is being used as an
appendage to political machine? These
are brought originally by a
person who is strictly politician; who
never owned share of stock of this
nd no i'm L ,