St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-09-28

"hiSh mis ocyc.
I'VE are very large stockholders. 1t
is singular. also. in the light of two very
pertinent and convincing letters written
by j. d. Hiland, general manager of the
Minneapolis Millers' association (the
cOmbine). Those letters are as follows:
Dictated.
THE MINNEAPOLIS NILLERS' ASSOCIA-
TON. t.-s
j. II. Hiland, General Manager.
MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi. Dec. l, 'S5.
F. Blakeslee, Esq.,:
Dear Sir-I enclose letter from n. w,
Elev Co., NJ d n. Elev. Co., r. X. ".
Ell. Co. and NJ. & d. Elev. Co. In ref
erence to the buyers of those companies
being governed by your Instructions,
concerning price, grade, dockage, etc.
You must be very careful in the eXer-
else of this authority, not to adopt or in
SlSt upon any agreement or irOnclad
rules that will not hold water. Be very
careful, keeping in mind always com
ciliatory and conservative policy. If
you do this you cannot 60 very far
astray. In case you find any of the ele-
atOr agents hostile to the plans you pro-
pose and there is a lingering doubt in
your mind of the wisdom of insisting
upon your views being accepted. take
the safe course, and ask for Instructions,
after giving the full presentation of the
facts. Yours truly,
j. II. HILAND, G. M. u
THE MINNEAPOLIS MILLERS' ASSoCIA-
TION. -
j. II. Hlland. General Manager.
MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi, Dec. 1, 1885.
Frank Blakeslee, Esq.,, Herman, Mum. !:
Dear Sir-Have interviewed Mr.. Nc
COrmick, of the Far. & So. Ell. Co.,
yvhn QA ujcnc fhof fhnro ic n, frr n T,
the statement that he is paving over
list at Abercrombie.
There seems to be no reason why
WahpetOn should not conform to list, as
the surrounding towns have been
placed TO list, and will continue so un-
less WahpetOn forces them up. Re-
spectfully, j. Il. Inland,
General Manager.
These letters don't look very well in
the light of the denial by Mr.. Pillsbury
that any combination existed among the
elevator companies. His company, the
Minneapolis 81 Northern, is near the
head of the list.
The examination of Mr.. Pilsbury con-
tinued as follows:
do you know Frank Irons?"
Eyes, | know him. l want to state
here"
al thlo pOlHb AGtOluCl OK
planned that Mr.. AmSden was in bet
ter position to testify as to Irons con-
nectiOn with the market than Mr.. Pills
bury was, and the question was deferred.
1t was never put again in the SubSe-
quent sessions of the investigation. The
above questions and answers are taken
from the Minneapolis Journals report
of the investigation in st. Paul by the
legislative committee of the wheat COM
bine.
Mr.. Pillsbury says he never heard of
any combination. but find it very hard
work to obtain more information from
all the companies, as it is not customary
to publish statements of this kind in
this country" says Mr.. Pillsbury in his
letter to Stuart.
1t wouldn't be exactly good thing to
publish the fact of dividends of %, 80,
40 and 80 per cent. and larger profits
than any other elevator company in the
Northwestern least, not while the
farmers were told that the ''loss" was
Fearful" and that elevators had mot
paid at all well lately"
The Merchants, Interest i'm the Mat
ter.
In letter written by Amsden, Jan.
20, 1856, to Woicott, the former saws:
AE uINNI Slttilu III lIlCSC d2tHIS DIT
InkSter are merchants. and if the prices
OH either side of the town were made
higher than at Inkster, and kept so for
any length of time, they might wish
they had attended to their legitimate
business and let the wheat business
alone. IL you can be instrumental in
saying or doing anything that will cause
them to look at this matter in the right
light, same will be appreciated. Yours
truly, G.. NJ. AMSDEN.
General Manager.
How could PillSbury know about the
combination? Nevertheless. whenever
merchant on the line of railroad where
trust elevator was located undertook
TO buy wheat, the combination at once
paid more at another station, and, by
thus drawing farmers away, broke up
the rebelliOuS merchants. for with no
farmers coming TO town the prospect of
merchants living was slim indeed.
Here is another letter:
OFFICE OF
MINNEAPOLIS NORTHERN ELEVATOR
COMPANY.
MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi, s, 4, 1886.
G. G. Wolcott, ESQ.,, West Hotel:
Dear Sir-Am showed under with
work and no time to call and see you.
Think your original scheme for YOU to
loan the Ardock, Dakota, folks money
and take bill of sale. etc, the best, and,
If you can carry out your scheme so as
to control that outfit, guess it's the best
thing to do. Hastily.
e. M. AMsDEN. G. NJ.
The disreputable design of Pillsburv's
man AmSden in this case was to have
Wolcott loan money to farmers at Ar
dock. who had started an opposition
elevator, and then to take bill of sale,
and after refusing to loan them more, to
close them out.
Here are some more letters:
OFFICE OF
MINNEAPOLIS & NORTHERN ELEVATOR
Geo. a. Pillsbury, c. NJ. Amsden,
President. Sec'y u Gen. Manager.
MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi, 8, %, 1881.
C.. c. Wolcott, ESQ.,, City:
Dear Sir: Are we to understand YOU
refuse 10 return the $4,000? Mr.. Pills
bury asks this and expects you to make
your word good.
Your receipt received. and you can
send check for 2,750. Very truly,
c. Nj. AMSDEN, q. Nj.
OFFICE OF
MINNEAPOLIS & NORTHERN ELEVATOR
COMPANY.
MINNEAPoLIS, Mimi, g Is. 1887.
c. G. Wolcott, Esq, City:
Dear Sir: Think you had better not
do anything at points on the Fergus
Falls division, st. Paul, NJ. & NJ. r. r.
1--WE talked of yesterday, till after Mr..
Pillsbury returns, which will not be
long.
He may have interests know not of,
Yours, G. NJ. AMsDEN. q. M.
Wolcott had thought of starting ele-