The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1889-02-21
Her low. r.rn.r. N.r. sriadl.a.

Later disclosures in the matter Of the sur.
veying corps, who claimed to be running q
preliminary survey of the Minneapolis, st.
Paul 4 Kansas City railway, dedevelop an
apparently shrewd swindling scheme, rival
ing in scope the electric sugar fraud. The
company with large capital DESTROYS of build
ing an air line from the Twin Cities to Kan
sas City, they were received all along the
line with favor. Although the company was
represented as amply able to build the road,
aid was solicited in every town visited as q
guarantee ofits friendlinesst to the project. Not
only was aid solicited for the survey, but the
principal business of this e%nterprising set of
surveyors was the location of depots, also.
In consideration of a certain amount of
money in hand paid, these gentlemen would
locate q depot Of any dimensions at any
point designated. They did a thriving bus
mess, and it is said that there are very few
sections of land between st. Pau and Boone,
where their career was cut short, but has q
depot located on some part of it. As. sums
varying from $50 to $500 were secured in
every case, the extent of their operations can
only be conjectured, but must equal On i'm
mense fortune. In one instance they ran q
Line directly up to the side Of q farm
for the agri es, was s a woiSy.to.d e.S set an:
other stake on the opposite side, and "thus
located the railway. The farmer became
frightened and gave them $50 to run a line
which would not touch his residence. Other
instances of like character are also reported.
On one occasion a wealthy farmer was in
formed that his lands were exactly 100 miles
from the last division point, and that extern
sive railway buildings and machine shops
would be located in his neighborhood. By
coming down handsomely with the cash the
farmer succeeded in having the grounds for
these buildings laid out on his farm. The
Exposure came through a boy named Robert
Dickson, in the employ of the surveyors.
They owed him $1s, which they promised to
pay in Boone, but did not. He threatened
to leave their employ, when they promised
him the $1o owed him and$5 extra if he
would remain with them until they reached
the next town. On these representations he
went with them, but when out in the country
again they discharged him. Hurrying to the
next station they telepraphed back to look
out o. the discharged employe, as he was a
thief. This reached the boy and so incensed
him that he went before a justice OF the peace
and made a clean breast ofthe whole matter.
His story wa that the whole scheme was O
swindle, pure and simple. That the survey.
ors were running the lines to make what they
could out OF it from the subscription, divid.
ing the swag. On this information c. H.
ing money under false pretenses. The other
members OF the party took hasty leave,
however, n have not been seen since.
Evans proved that he was simply in the EN- =
ploye OF the other parties and knew nothing
OF the swindling character of the scheme. On
this plea he was discharged. There are hun
dreds Of credulous individuals along the line
in Iowa mourning the loss of thousands OF
their wealth.