St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-04-01
TRUESDALE'S BIG CUDGEL.
He Takes Il in Behalf Of the st. Louis
and Vigorously Replies.
HE GIVES A GREAT ROAST
TO the Manitoba People, and Quotes
History for Their Benefit---A
Short Synopsis.

President W. H. Truesdale, of the
Minneapolis & st. Louis road, has pre-
pared statement in which he defines
at great length the position of his COM
pany relative to the crossing contro-a
versy. He says he dislikes to go into a
question which the courts have decided.
but is impelled to do so by sense OF
duty to his company. At the beginning
he gives the history of the obtaining of
the present right of way by purchase,
together with the perpetual lease from
the ST. Paul & Pacific company Of
ground that the courts have over again
decided was it's own. Then comes the
story of the proposed demand, which
he claims is a demand solely in
the interest of the Manitoba com
pany, to enhance the value of
its holdings. He shows how the two
roads compete, and says: "The demand
is a monstrouS one in every aspect, and
the spectacle of commercial organlza-
ton endeavoring to enforce it upon this
company by the means sought is with
out parallel in this or any other civil
lied country, where the rights OF citl-
zens and property are sacredly guarded
by a constitution and laws. 1t is de-
tant interests in charge as has the man
agement of this company, and desiring
to protect them, could think OF acceding
to for a single moment without being
grossly recreant to the trust committed
to its charge. No one of the gentlemen
who applauded and voted for the adop-
ton of that committees report but
would, if occupying the position OF the
writer to-day, be as strenuous and un-
compromising in his opposition to this
outrageous cOnfscation OF this COM
pany's property as is the undersigned"
To comply with the conditions pro-
posed, he says, and LOCATED with our
main track as explained herein, with
the growth of our business, we can,
either On our own property or on that
additional tracks and facilities as
needed. Located for all time with
single track held by the jaws of an iron
wise in the middle of the Manitoba COM
pany'S property, we never can do SO
unless that company consents, and
then only subject to such condi-
tons and rentals as it may be
pleased to exact" The company has
already paid the Manitoba, in a lump,
for all rights it now enjoys, and does
not propose placing itself In the posi-
ton OF tenant with SoullesS landlord.
The proposition that the Manitoba will
not complete its proposed terminal
facilities unless this track is removed,
that it will provide them outside of the
business center is, IN the face of the
competition, too absurd for discussion.
If the ST. Louis company were still
owned in Minneapolis, no such sacrifice
of it's best interests would be required;
and in this connection the writer gets
in covert fling at a certain member OF
the board of trade who made hand
some thing out of the sale of the road.
He takes the ground that the city is not
in position to ask this sacrifice on the
ground of past favOrs granted the COM
pany, as the men who profted largely
by the transaction have, with few eX-a
ceptions, used the money received by
them therefrom very largely in develop,
ing and furthering the resources and
interests of this city, and to this end
have invested in similar enterprises
which have resulted to its great adj
vantage. (
sin the committees report labored
effort is made to pose the Manitoba
company as the great friend and bene-
factor of this city. Refer again to al
map, reader, this time a. recent one of
Minnesota and Dakota. Look at the
lines of that company constructed dur
ing the part two or three years or now
under construction. From Superior to
Hinckly, now building, Hinkly to St.
Cloud, st. Cloud to Willmar, Willmar to
Sioux Falls, Benson to Huron, via
Watertown, the Aberdeen line, the line
paralleling the Minneapolis & Pacific
railway, and so on; are all or any of
these lines built for the purpose or with
| the expectation that they will benefit
Minneapolis or it's great milling inter
est? The president of the Manitoba
company has openly said that he eX-
poets to carry wheat from the farmers
granaries on these lines to Lake
| Superior and by his own steamboats, to
| the Buffalo and Eastern and foreign
| millers at figures that will crush out all
of his competitors and inferentially the
| milling interests of this city with
them"
| and concludes that when Jim Hill
takes snuff in st. Paul, numerous Min
| neapoliS men have a fit of sneeZing.
| He calls attention to the following:
sit is a well known fact that the
Northern Pacific, Minneapolis q Pa
cifc. $780," and Minneapolis & st.
Louis railways have purchased or con-
demned considerable property near the
foot OF Second avenue south, for the
purpose of erecting thereon a commo-
dious passenger depot for the conyeh-
| fence and accommodation of the
| public travelling Oh these lines. 1t is
equally well known that the Manitoba
company is waging a bitter and des-
perate fight against the enterprise, and
seeks, if possible, to kill it off. 1t is
al hot oil
the lines interested have most incOn-
venient and inadequate passenger facil-
tiles in this city, and would gladly
undertake the work of providing better
ones during the coming year, at an
expenditure not of $2,000,000, perhaps.
but of One-third that amount, say, but
cannot do so by treason Off the oppo-
sition referred to. The Minneapolis
public will please observe carefully how
long it will be before the railroad COM
mittee of its board of trade takes up
this same SUBJECT, and in the same vigor
Gus English as the gentleman who
wrote the screed against this company
is so capable of using, demands of the
Manitoba company that it withdraw its
SenSeleSS, factiOuS opposition to this
much-needed and desired improvement.
e The writer had the pleas
ure within the past few months of an
audience with a joint committee from
our board of trade and the St. Paul
Chamber of Commerce, charged with
the duty of securing, if possible, lower
passenger rates between these two.
cities. 1t was, it must be confessed, a.
source of considerable satisfaction to
him to listen to one of the members of
that<committee who had strongly OPP
posed the St. Paul d Northern Pacific.
and this company in their efforts to
build the formers line to st. Paul
through the grounds of the State uni 4
versity at the time of that memorable
contest. He urged his company most
eloauently to reduce its rates regardless
of the action of, or the effect upon, its
competitors; that it could thus adver-
tico it- Limo nair InaI1r friandc and IL,