Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1893-09-08
n ROUSER.
The Public Meeting Last Night
Was Well attended by
Enthusiastic Citizens.
n United Effort Will BE Made
for the New Railroad to
the Southwest.

the Southwest.
Anyone interested in the deyelOp-
ment and prosperity of Little Falls
and Morrison county must have been
pleased at the spirit shown by the
public meeting last evening. There
was displayed the enthusiasm and de-
termination that guarantee success.
Such body of men can accomplish
almost any work they undertake,
and when the fight is for such a mer-
itorious measure as the present rail-
road proposition the contest is a win
ming one, not only upon it's own mer-
its, but by reason Of the entire faith
that all our people have in the: pro-
ject. The hall was crowded at an
early hour, and the meeting was
called to order by the mayor and on
motion of Peter Medved N. Richard
son was elected chairman. The pre-
siding officer made a few remarks,
and then 1. E. Staples was elected
secretary. The meeting called upon
NJ. M. Williams for a statement of
the proposition that would come be-
fore the people to be voted upon.
He stated that the.present move was
probably the result of the meeting
held last spring at W hich a acommittee
was appointed to confer with Offici-
ais of the Great Northern road with
regard to building a line into Little
Falls. In response to communication
from the committee on the subject,
J.J. Hill, president of the Great
Northern, wrote that he would be
glad to meet any delegation from
this city, but that his company
would not consider anv present plans
for building into Little Falls, nor
| would they do so in the near future.
Upon receiving that information
members of thecommitteea and others
began planning some other means of
getting additional railroad facilities.
At last they had succeeded in secur-
ing a proposition that, the speaker
believed, would result in securing
another line. A short time ago Mr..
Peter Musser, president Of the Pine
Tree Lumber company, made in
quiries about the offer of the Water
Power company to relinquish it's
municipal bonds of 100000 if a like
amount could be obtained for a rail-
road, Upon comforting with the
speaker the lumberman learned the
truth of the matter, and then
brought the question before his asso-
ciates in the Pine Tree company.
The result was that Mr.. Musser, in
the name OF his company, had offered
at a public meeting held at the di-
rectors, rooms of the First National
bank Oh Monday last, to provide the
necessary funds to construct the
road providing the county, city and
towns would vote bonus of $780,
600. At the same meeting thespeaker
had pledged, in the name of the Wa.
ter Power company, that if those
bonds were issued, the $100, 900 Water
Power bonds would be cancelled.
The proposition to the people would
be made by the Mississippi and Leecll
Lake Railroad company, as it's char
ter was very favorable one under
which to inaugurate the enterprise
1t had an authorized capital of $3,.
600, 900, and was chartered to build
lines in the different directions de.
sired. The stockholders and direc
tors were local men.
He was followed by G. A. Lind
bergh, who heartily endorsed the
plan of transferring the Indebtedness
for the Water Power bonds to an in
debtedness for a railroad. He gave
some interesting figures, showing
that since the voting of the water
|power bonds the city of Little Falls
had increased in taxable valua tior
from less than 100000 to nearly
$SOO,OOO. This great increase of hal
a million dollars OF taxable valua
ton pays it's share in county, schoo
and city taxes. At the present rat
it brings to the county treasur!
over $4,000 nearly $4,000 of which il
for county purposes. That is, tn
tax receipts of Morrison county fo
county purposes, on the valuation
made by reason of the Water POWe
improvements are about four time
the amount the county annual,
pays for interest ON the Water Pow
standpoint, Mr.. Lindbergh said, tn
property owners of the county hat
profited by the voting Of the count.
bonds. Now that the owners of tn
bonds had agreed to cancel the debt
providing $50,000 Of railroad bond
were voted, he believed that the yer
satisfactory results that followed tn
former bonus would convince th
Epeople of the county that the presen
proposition was one that should b
! accepted. He believed that th
i, building OF the new line of roa
would insure more rapid growth i
the future than had followed the in
proving of the water power. Cor
slant and energetic work, he sait
was all that was necessary to carr
the matter to successful end.
Following Mr.. Liudbergh, NJ
Davidson also responded to Il reques
to express his views in the matte
He explained the advantage of ha'
ing such men as the members of IL
lumber syndicate back of the NOV
ment, as then there could be n
doubt Of the ability Of the protector
to carry the enterprise throug
They would be able to raise tt
money necessary to build the lii
more quickly than any other col
1pany in the West, and they wou
certainly build the line at an ear
: day, The same syndicate own,
mills at Winona, and had fe
lyears ago built q line southwes
which now reached Fit. Dodge, I
= IT was ODarato in tha interests