Little Falls transcript., 1893-09-29
Emusing1y Thin IRE Some Of
the Objections to the
Railroad Project.
It Requires Vivid Imagina-
ton to Suspect that the
Line Can Possibly
Ever be Northern
Pacific.

Ever be Northern
Pacific.
The best certificate of the fairness
of any proposition is to have it
opposed by arguments or questions
of great weakness. Opponents OF
any enterprise always advance their
best arguments and its strength is
exemplitied hy the weakness OF the
points that can be made against it.
Thus may be measured how fair and
favorable is the present bonding
plan to get a railroad from Little
Falls to the Great Northern (or st.
Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba)
railroad.
/ The. county and towns will, by
voting the 500 900 bonds, obtain the
surrender OF 100000 OF other bonds
that were honestly voted and fully
earned.
They will receive $l0O,OOO of rail-
road stock IN the company owning
the road.
They Will beyond question in
crease taxable valnat tions SO that
added property will much more than
pay the entire bond interest.
All products will have a better
market and consequently better price.
Employment Will so increase that
prosperity will be greater. -
In opposition to this are. a few
arguments that cannot have been
prompted by much thought. One OF
them is the fear that the new rail-
road will pass into the hands Of the
Northern Pacific. Consider for a
! moment what traffic would be gain
ed to the Northern Pacific by such a
line. 1t would simply get the grain
and wood from the tOwns in the
southwest part Of the county, and
that it has now. The trade in the
territory effected goes now to some
station on the Northern Pacific, and
no new business would be created.
The wood and tie business in some
parts would be increased, but it is
| the N. P.'s now, and unless the! line
is built will gradually all contribute
to that roads business. The widest
dreamer cannot believe that the
operation of the road would pay the
Northern Pacific, even if it was
received as a free gift. The
Northern Pacific is bankrupt road,
and will not be able to take up any
new schemes. Within the past few
days it's lease of the Wisconsin
Central has been cancelled by the
courts because the N. P. cOuldn'1
pay the rents. No one familiar with
the Northern Pacific plans, intentions
abilities or interests will believe that
any arrangement could be made by
which the new road could com'
under their control.
! On the other hand, would men O.
such business ability and loca
interests as are possessed by Jno
A. Berkey and M. NJ. Williams, OF th'
Water Power Co., offer to reliqqqish
! an obligation of 100000 toward al
enterprise that would be as valueles'
to the city as Il spur line OF tn
Northern Pacific to the southwest
They are giving more than anyon
else-the acknowledged obligation
OF our people for 100000, but thei
information teaches them bey0nt
a question of doubt that the new
line will always be Independent of tn
Northern Pacific.
The Pine Tree Lumber Co. is pre-
pared to inYest 100000 in money il
the road to secure connection will
the Great Northern system, and a
they will build the road, isn't tha
an assurance that they will see tina
J it is used for the purpose it is intend
ed? Their commercial interests ar
greater in this than those of an.
other corporation or man, and ar
such as will cause them to insure tn
; operation of the Eoad as one iude
, pendent from the Northern Pacific
If it was now possible for them t.
secure over Northern Pacific track
satisfactory connections with til
Great Northern system, they Noul
!. do SO both at St. Cloud and San
/ Centre. They would not build 3
miles more of road to strike til
, same system between those pOints
and then, for any price, surrenderitt t
a road that cannot and will not Civ
them them the transpoFtioH seryic
they must have in order to exceed
! cut of AZ, 900 .OO0 feet at this place.
The conditions are all such tha
/ any reply to an argument that tn
N. P. will get the road seems neet
less. The whole city of Little Fell
t would not be unit for a plan t
( bopd the city for a road unless tn
8 conditions were such that our peop
; were satisfied It. would be a benef
J, and we believe that the 'bHsines
men and voters of this city al
: rightly credited with seeing thei
] own interests usually with preci'
: ion.
i Neither would they favor a count
\ bondtof which they now pay abor
One-fourth, and will soon pay
greater proportion) unless the ben
: fits were to them apparent. And bel
: efits worth mentioning can only con
if the line is kept independent fro1
the Northern Pacific. No one ca
give solid season for even saspec
q ing that the n. P. will get control I
7 1t, and the logic OF the condition
q interests ofthe promoters intention
of the builders, and plans OF tt
!. owners ell unite in safely assnrin
i that it will continue to supply til
6 county and city with transportatiu
facilities not in the control OF an
8 road now reaching Little Falls.
, Women