St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-04-12
RUMoRs AND kUMoRs.
Some of the Stories Now AfiOat
About the Milling Deals

Some of the Stories Now Afoat
About the Milling Deals.
The air which overhangs the Flour
City these days, dry though it may be.
is full of rumors. A man cannot put
his head out of twelfth-story window
without being smashed on his auricular
opening by rumor. Many of the
rumors have to do with the Pillsbury-
Washburn mills, the G. G. Washburn
mills and the water power. So far,
however, these rumOrs have not taken
the guise of fact, although they are
very near it,"
For few days past R. ]. Cross, of the
New York banking firm of Morgan,
Bliss & Co., has been in the city looking
after certain matters connected with
the mills. He lett for New York last
night, but not before he had practically
confirmed the report that the G.. G.
WaShburn mills have been leased to
the Pillsbury- Washburn syndicate. So
far, however, Mr.. Cross is the only man
who will either affirm or deny the truth
of the statements relative to the deal.
Mixed up with all these rumors are
others concerning Henry Willard and
his plans. Willard was in Chicago on
Thursday, and was expected in Mime
apOliS yesterday, but he has hot yet ap-
peared this side of the stone arch
bridge. Crawford Livingston, who
secured the option OH the Meeker island
water power for Willard, is credited
with saying that the Meeker island dam
project has been abandoned. He says
that dam at Meeker island would fur
NTH no more than 5000 horse
power, which would not be sufficient
to warrant the outlay. He says further,
however, that dam at Smelling is by
no means all impossibility and that it is
believed fifty-fOOt head could be
secured there for small outlay COM
pared with Meeker island: OF course
until Willard arrives, looks over the
ground and announces just what he will
do, but little will be known of his plans.
But out of all these various rumors
little fact can be sifted.
The leasing of the G. G. Washburn
mills by the -Washburn syndi-
cate can be put down as fact. r. A.
Glynn, who denies that the Englishmen
are sick of their bargain as regards the
purchase of the Pillsbury- Washburn
mills, also admits that his people are all
blue. Because of the azure tint which
overspreads their minds he is inclined
to believe that they will not lease the
G. G. Washburn mills. He does not deny
it fatty. though. In regard to any i'm
provements which may be made in the
water power at the falls, he says that
matter will be left to Mr.. Pillsbury.
This brings up the question OF i'm
provementS in the water power. There
are two rumorS OIL this question, too.
One story has it that there will be a
dam on the east side of the river in
front of the university, and that an
other will be put across the river at
Spirit island. The other story is to the
effect that but one dam will be built,
and that it will run diagonaliy across
Spirit island to point on
the flats opposite the university.
This would give fortv-fve-foot head
of water to all mills above Spirit island,
while below the island and above the
steel-arch bridge the head will be from
eighteen to twenty-five feet. By this
means the water power will be just
about doubled. These improvements
have been thought of for some time, land
the only question that remains to be
settled, according to Senator Washburr,
is when it will be done.
Taken in connection with the state
ment made by r. j. Cross that a lease
of the G. G. Washhurn mills will prob
ably be ado to 5he syndicate, the con-
ference in progress last night between
Senator Washburn, @. A. Pillsbury and
r. A. Glynn is suggestive. A GLOBE
reporter found all three in Senator
Washburn'S room, and each individu-
ally determined to be as uncOmmunica-
tive as possible. Indeed, they might
have been posing as model for a ''con-
gress of sphinXes," but for the fact that
sphinxes never smile, and they did
whenever "mill deaP' was mentioned.
definite about the leasing of the G. G.
Washburn mills?" was asked the Eng
lishman.
81 really can't say anything, you
know. l have seen so many people to-
day that | have nothing more to say"
HAS any one of you gentlemen an
opinion to offer on Henry Wizards
schemes?"
II don't know that he has any
schemes. Nobody knows what he in
tends to do" said Mr.. Pillsbury and
Senator Washburn in chorus.
"Mr. Pillsbury. does your company
contemplate building two dams at Spirit
island and below,o does it even think of
building One"
"Well, l don't know. have been
getting all of my information on that
point from the newspapers. They
seem to know more about it than do"
These gentlemen seemed so deter
mined to express no opinion on anything
but the weather that they were left to
their conference, and what has been
said on these various matters is here
given for what it is worth.