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

Next it went to the payment of large
amount of miscellaneous Indebtedness /
IF all kinds, some of which had run |
through four years OF effort. Much |
more was paid out IN this city than was
ever received from it. Your stock was
all paid back, and hotel, livery anu /,
printing bills and long list of items in
This city besides. Unadjusted survey
ing bills were paid. Next, II large part
w,,s set aside to raise bonuses ~ agreed.
The vouchers of these items alone
reached, | think nearly $4,000. All the
expenses of the elections through II
long line of townships and municlpali-
ties for POO miles, with printing ofbonds
etc, were all paid out of this fund. Then
there were heavy attorneys fees in the
matter of consultations and other care
ful work, II single item of which was
D., 900, If correctly remember. And
thus the sum melted away in the dis
charge of obligations necessarily incurr-
ed, most of which had become personal
on the old directors, but had to be met.
That any money was unjustly made
out of the transaction is an atrocious
falsehood | frankly state that the com
pensation to come to those who alone
gave the enterprise their time, labor and
money, was wholly dependent on the
building of the road Had the road been
built as agreed, those men who carried
il through and hazarded their efforts and
money, would have had reasonable
compensation for their time and labor.
They were entitled to il by every law,
moral and legal. As it is, the road il un-
built, and they are unrewarded. For
myself, as secretary, ] gave the enter
prise nearly four years of constant and
faithful service. Travelled thousands of
miles, visiting New York and Chicago
often, and other distant places. | was
present, by request of the board, during
large part of the sessions of three legis-
latures. attended more than seventy
meetings of the board at points distant
from my home. was constantly incur
ring heavy expenses incident to my of
fetal business, all of which was Justly
due me. As secretary ! was entitled IL
some compensation. Never before did
| | work 80 much for SO little. These are
naked facts. When add to all this the
treatment have received for wellmeant
efforts, it is the most beggarly investment
of my life.
THE LATEST CHARGE.
But u new charge has recently devel
oped itself. 1t is alleged that the Con
struction Company of North America
having tn build the road, they transfer
red the stock To the original directors
That then the original directors, insteat
of giving the original stock holders the
opportunity to take their stock again, re
sold the franchise To u prominent rail
road man IN st. Paul, who represented
interests hostile To the building of tin,
line. OF all the lies yet invented, this il
| the widest and most malicious | sol
EMMY affirm that, as far rs know, there
is not II syllable of truth i'm this fresh nc
cusation. Ii is II lie, bald and simple
Not one of the old directors, to m,
knowledge, engaged, directly or indi
rectly, in such ~ scheme. never heart
such Il subject preached till l saw il in
print from noted political hummer.
Immediately went To the president of tn,
road, Gen. Bishop, and asked him if an,
stock had been, since the original trans
action, transferred, or if there was an,
intent To transfer il for any purpos,
whatever, To the original directors, o.
any of them, and he emphatically sal,
no. He kindly furnished me the follow
ing, which settles this new falsehOod:
~
favor of the 3ist ult., had no know ledge of O
connection with the st. Cloud MankatO Il Aus
tin Railroad company until after the purchas
Of the stock 10y the Railway Improvement com
pany. None of the stock has been returned s
far as ] know, To the original directors, or T.
any of them, nor do understand there In an
obligation ar intention of so returning any q
it, The time for building the road having bee
extended 10y the last legislature to Dec. rs, 1893;
il is, perhaps, too early To assume that the roa
| will not tie built. ! hope To se' n good man
nf IL frIctpI hpfnra h.l inn hnl
expire. Yours truly, j. w. Bishop, Pres't
But determined to exhaust all authority an
| insisted upon having certificate from tn
i secretary showing the exact record. Here ID is
| st. Paul, April %. l8S8.-Gcn. james II. Baker
Sir: Referring To your inquiry regarding tn
stock of the 81. Cloud. Mankato & Austin Raj
road company. l would say that at the time O
the purchase of this property, more than thre
years ago. by the Railway Construction Com
pany Of North America, certificates represent
ing the entire issue of stock excepting tw,
| sharcs) were surrendered to them, and the
became the owners thereof. That corporation
have ever since been in constant possession q
| and are now the owners of said stock. Having
as an officer of the corporation, the custody o
! the books, papers, certificates, etc, can cert
| fy that no transfers of this stock have beeI
made during the past three years, and tina
none of the old directors are. or have been tn
| ow ners ar holders of any of this stock.
| Yours truly,
| 4. Ii, MCCONNELL,
| Secretary st. q. NJ & A. X. Il. Co
L
At the twenty-fourth session of tn,
legislature resolution was passed at tn,
instance of Il politician to investigat,
the conduct of the parties now sough
again To be investigated. A cOmmitte,
of seven very prominent members wer,
so appointed on the 18th of February
The resolution was drawn by Represen
tative Foster, of this city. All that skill
could do to smirch some one was done
The chairman of that committee did no
place single witness on the stand. HI,
was unable or unwilling to find any ties
timonv to injure the directors. Not
word, not a syllable was produced from
any showing, or going to show, a singh
wrong act. Had they been able to pro
duce any, it would have been so pro
duced. After the chairman daWdlet
through weeks of effort, no witness be
ing offered, Mr. Campbell and Mr.. Off
Ger presented a sworn statement of tn,
history of the transaction. On the 6tl
of March the committee reported as fol
lows (see House Journal, 1885, page $3.50
| REPORT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE.
In the matter of the investigation au
thoriZed by the house in the matter o
the st. Cloud, Mankato q Austin rail
| road, the committee would respectful,
| tilat thC vi tiiC
ton are to be found mainly i'm the repOr
submitted by the former officers of sale
road, and i'm a communication from Gen
Bishop, president of the road, and alst
from its secretary. We would further
state that all parties who came before tn,
committee did so voluntarily, and an
swered all inquiries which came within
the scope of the resolution. The facts
| thus elected indicate dHiqent and prone
action on The part of all present and Jormr
officers of the company, and that the
statements submitted and sworn to give
correctly the information required by
the resolution.
| +. w. DURANT,
j. +. ID. SADLEY,
A. HARALDsoN,
w. ID. CORNISH.
BY VIM. +. Lee, Secretary.
Does any one suppose that such men as
| Edward Durant, w. ID. Cornish. VIM. T.
Lee, and the other distinguished mem.
bers of that committee, would cloak OF
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