St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-03-24
JOINT COMMITTEE MEETING.
They Listen to the President of
the Duluth 81 Winnipeg on Land
Grants.

They Listen to the President of
the Duluth & Winnipeg on Land
Grants.
The committees on public lands of the
two houses held joint meeting in the
senate chamber last evening to consider
the Duluth N Winnipeg land grant bills.
Representative Tripp, chairman of the
house committee. presided. Senator
Stockton's bill, granting ten sections to
S the mile from Cloquet to the northern
boundary of the state, was read, and
then Representative Boyd made a brief
speech in favor of the measure.
The Duluth q Winnipeg, of all roads, was
entitled to the grant If built the northern
portion of the state would be rapidly devel-
oped and would be of great value to Duluth
i'll particular.
President Fisher. of the Duluth &
Winnipeg. next took the floor, and in a
plain, matter of fact and courteous man
ner explained the situation of the Du-
luth q Winnipeg as it appeared before
the legislature.
THE Duluth & Winnipeg railroad" he
said, is being built by private capital CON
tributed by men interested in the welfare of
Minnesota. 1t will be an Independent road
built in opposition 10 no one. The land
grant which we ask was made originally to
the Duluth q Iron Range in order that it
might build into the iron country. which the
Duluth d Winnipeg is now developing. but
when 1t was found in those early days that
the capital could not be obtained
to build the road as originally
projected. some of the projectors of
the Duluth & Iron Range organized the
Duluth & Winnipeg. The grant was then
transferred to the new company in order to
secure the development of the iron proper
ties on the Mesaba range This land is now
n nd no hot he haa
duced will unite all these legal difficulties
and give everybody their rights. The Duluth
d Winnipeg is not IN contest with the Duluth
q Iron Range, the Minneapolis & ST. Cloud
or any other road, and the money invested
was put in Oh the strength of the grant made
by the state. The Duluth & Iron Range runs
IN northeasterly direction and the Duluth
q Winnipeg IN northwesterly, and each
fills and occupies separate field
This land he continued, was given the
state for the purpose of internal improve
ments and must be used for that purpose
The Duluth 4 Winnipeg is being built
through wilderness that must remain un-
developed if the road is not built 1t is our
ambition and purpose to construct the road,
but Te have built about as far as we can at
present unless we receive some encourage
ment. Much OF this land we ask is valueless
as things now stand, perfectly SO without a
railroad
Some time was taken up by questions from
Representative Lynn, Senator Geissel. SEN
dlOI lay anu OlueTS present. IN answering
which Mr.. Fisher explained what had been
done by the Duluth & Winnipeg and what
it propose dto do
Attorney General Clapp was asked to
give his opinion of the legal status of
land grant bills, but he asked to be ex-
cused, saying that when they reached
the governor he would be called upon
for ali opinion, which he would furnish
in writing. In reply to question by
Senator Geissel. Mr.. Clapp said that a
constitutional amendment had been
adopted in 1881 turning the swamp
lands over to the school fund, but this
did not affect the Duluth & Iron Range
nor the Duluth IL Winnipeg grants.
rs it proposed to build and keep this as an
independent line" asked Senator Day.
1T is the purpose answered President
Fisher, ''of the men who are Interested in
the Duluth & Winnipeg to maintain this road
as an independent and competing line. We
had at first intended to build to Crookston
and then north, but afterwards changed our
plans. deciding to build an air line, with
feeders running west into the Red river val
ley.''
This completed the public joint meeting
of the committees. ana ou motion the meet
ing adjourned.