St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-25
A BIG DEAL ON FOOT.
Has Henry Willard Bought
Tom LoWpy's Street Car
Franchise ?
The Story Is That He Will
Buy Out Lowry in Both
Cities.
Certain Corrobopative Incl
dents Named by Think
ing Men.
The Scheme Said to Be In
Connection With heeker
Island Deal.

1
Minneapolis. Early yesterday morning,
rumors were rife that such deal had
been consummated. and subsequent in
vestigation did nothing to allay the be-
| lief in the truth of the assertions or pre-
vent their general acceptance as fact.
| A GLOBE reporter got wind of the
story, and after talking with numerous
| persons claiming to have heard the
news of the deal frou reliable sources,
| was informed that q. o. Bacon had in
side information on the subject.
| Mr.. Bacon was found at the Minnesota
| club. and in response to questioning
| stated that he had received no informa-
| ton from the parties directly concerned
! i'll the deal, but had been informed that
| Mr.. Willard had purchased controlling
| interest i'll the street railway systems Of
st. Paul and Minneapolis. and that he
| considered his information to be thor
| oughly reliable, though he did not feel
| at liberty to divulge its source. Accord
| ing to b S informant the terms of the
| deal included the purchase OF a vast
amount of stock in the lighting COM
| panies of both cities. Mr.. Bacon said
he was inclined to accept the story
1 as true from the fact that Mr.. Willard
| had already heavy interests in ST. Paul
and Minneapolis. and that his purchase
of the street car lines and lighting ap-
| paratuS was in line with his recent ac-
| QUESTION of the rights originally granted
| by the government to the Mississippi
| River improvement company. 1t was
well known to be a Willard scheme to
DAM THE RIVER
! at point between the cities for the
| purpose of securing power for lighting
| the two cities. tor street car propulsion
| and other purposes for which electricity
| could be utilized. La the acquisition
of the privileges granted the now
defunct company. Mr.. Willard had
| gained great advantage. it being but
matter of very short time until No
other method than the electrical one
would be acceptable for operating street
railways. 1t seemed very possible in
| the premises that If approached with a
fair offer for his interests in the lines,
| Mr.. Lowry would BIZ willing to sell.
At the Merchants hotel the rumered
/ transfer was the chief topic of CONVEX
] satiun. and general belief in the credi-
bility of the news seemed to exist,
where doubt would have been more in
accordance with the conservative
! methods of the men engaged in the dis
| cuSSon.
Up to last evening there was no off,
cial intimation of the purchase received
! Try the officers of the street railway
company Mr.. Lowry is still in New
| York, but is expected to return in few
days,
Crawford Livingstone returned from
! New York yesterday, and being ap-
preached by GLOBE reporter as to any
knowledge he might have of the deal,
replied:
II have seen Mr.. Lowry almost every
day in New York. Of course L should
| not feel at liberty To divulge anything
| that might have been told me in conf
| dence, but, as a matter of fact, | know
| nothing about Mr.. Lowry's intentions
What do | think about the rumors?
Well. think it possible that such
deal as is spoken of may have been
| made as regards the street car lines.
but will say positively that Mr.. Vii
lard has
| PURCHASED NO STOCK
In the ST. Paul Gas Light company
| since last October, when he made large
| purchases. l do not think it improba-
| BILE that Mr.. Lowry may have sold out
| his interests to Willard Street rail-
ways in st. Paul are not very good
! property, and should think the receipt
! of good offer would be an indueement
to The present owner to unload. At all
4 events the truth will be known shortly,
| for Mr.. Willard himself will be in St.
| Paul in q few DAYS. He will doubtless
| explain his plans for the future, for he
is not at all reticent in such matters"
us it to be inferred that you have re-
ceived information of Mr.. Wizards
| plans ami that you are bound to silence
in connection therewith?"
Infer nothing. except that know
nothing about Mr.. Lowry's business.
As for the Gas Light company. Mr.. Viii
lard has not increased his stock re-
cently.'
The reporter called on S. B. Walsh. of
the firm of Cochran & Walsh, who had
not heard of the deal. but admitted that
it might have been made. The only
| news from Lowry that have received
recently" said Mr.. Walsh, lis a dis
| patch which got this morning, which
| take to be in reference to the opening
| of the Grand avenue line. The dispatch
read as follows:
New York, Feb. 23.-Thomas Cochran or
| Archbishop Ireland: On this blessed Sum
| day. when am trying to rest. it seems but
| fitting that should thank you for your en-
| couraging telegram. ! will try to prove
within the next four weeks that the cheering
for l,m Lowry on Washington's birthday
| was not all wasted THos. LOWRY.
| This dispatch. said Mr.. Walsh. bears.
as you see, no reference to any such
| deal, either past or prospective.
Judge Nelson thought the rumors
| well grounded and said that his
BELIEF IN THEII. ruth
| was greatly increased by his knowledge
| of Mr.. Wizards connection with the
| scheme for establishing water power l,y
| damming the river at Meeker's Island.
! If the story was true and the transfer
| had been made. there would be great
and sudden change in the lighting and
| transportation facilities of the Twin
| Cities. 1t meant that the change from
| horse cars to electric cars would be a
rapid one, for Willard was not the man
to do things by halves. and would, in all
probability. proceed at once to provide
the necessary power. He would not be
at all sorry to hear that the rumored
| transaction was fact.
Efforts TO discover the recipient of the
dispatch from New York. which is said
TO have been the source of the story
which gained popular credence in st.
| Paul yesterday, proved unavailing. Mr..
| Bacon declared that the telegram had
not come to him personally. and he was
| not at liberty to tell who had been his
| informant. The attitude of persons
! most liable to have received in
| side information on the subject was
| such as to indicate their possession of
more facts in the premises than they
cared to divulge. However. the story is
generally regarded as having considera-
bile foundation in fact, and talks with
several prominent real estate dealers
revealed that the story had been very
thoroughly discussed in real estate cir
cles, and was accepted as fact.
A Wife Loses Tier Rights.
/ In the case of Edmond KiaIv against