Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1893-10-13
e BgoIJ I
How the Present Bonesi1 q
scheme Cams &c Appear
In its Present Form.
For Years II Had Been Planned
70 Devete the Proceeds
OF the Water power
Bonds to Eid Inns
- provencnts.

+ II IS l1it,OtDlf WIZ ~ lutC VIC
past history of local events at the
present. as it will throw some light
on to the events that are now re-
ceiving the attention of large
majority Of our people.
In 1887 the county and municipal
ty voted bonds in aid Of the Water
Power company as follows: =.
Morrison COunty........... 1926. 600
Little Falls yillage.......... -. $4,000
Little Falls tOWn........s.. 5000
Pike Greek. ............................. 10000
Belle Prairie... Observation-Disclosures. 10000
.r- r, - ---
'lOLdl -. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ,uUU
The bonds We're voted under spec
ial acts OF the legislature, and the
town and village bonds were voted
with no opposition, and the county
favored the bonds by vote Of 400
to 700. -.
The Improvements were made at
Little Fails as agreed, and the bonds
delivered to the Water Power com
y
Water Power Co., Wien it was evil
dent that extra efforts We're, neces-
sary to obtain manufacturing en-
terplises at Little Fails, the COM
paDy, voted to use the proceeds OF
the $4,000 bonds to aid in securing
manufacturing plants for Little
Falls. After some effort to get fact
cries here, it Was discovered that
the fact that the Transportation facili-
ties of Little Falls were limited to
what accommodate could be Oh
tanned from one railroad was such
an objection in the eyes of manu-
facturers that another railroad must
be secured before great success could
he attained, Soon after (about
three years ago. the Water Power
company had arrangements practi-
cally completed with parties some
what closely connected with the
Manitoba railroad company, by
which Il branch from that road
would he extended into this city ii
the 100000 Water Power bonds
would be surrendered. Negotiations
were delayed by objection of some
stockholders OF the Water Power
company to surlvndering the entire
$500, 900 for a road in one direction.
and before the project could be COM
pleted the parties who were expected
to build the line took up other enter
prises and the plan to build the road
to Little Falls was abandoned by
them. Since that time the control of
the Water Power company has pass
ed into the hands Of Minnesota men,
and efforts have been constant to
get the road built.
Meanwhile complications regard
ing the Water Power bonds had
arisen. When the special laws were
passed authorizing the issue of the
bonds Little Falls town (Which was
to vote $25 ,OO0) included the property
OF the village, and voters in village
were voters III the town, 50 that the
village itself was authorized to vote
its 80, iGO, and as i, part OF tho town
was supposed to pay it's proper part
Of the towns $25, 200. After the law
was passed it became doubtful
whether the village could be held for
the town bonds, and to satisfy the
town voters the people Of the village
gave Il written guarantee that the
village would pay it's share of the
town bond interest and principal. 1t
will be remembered that the voters
III the village did not vote. at the
town bond election. The taxes for
the town bond interest were, how
ever, levied against village property
for the next year, and the village
paid it's share OF the town interest.
At this time it was developed that
the laws concerning villages organ
lied in towns was quite indistinct,
and the supreme court made decd
sions that interpreted the law in Il
new way. So i'll the spring OF 1855
the village voters again voted at the
town election, as it will lie rcmenl-
bered that there was a rather eXcit-
ing campaign in the town and sever
al hundred village voters were driven
out to the town polls to vote. The
next winter, 1885, the city of Little
Falls was Incorporated. and took the
valuable tracts of property from
the towns of Little Falls, Belle
Prairie and Pike Creek. The question
came up the time the charter was
being prepared in Little Falls, as to
| whether the territory detached from
the towns would continue to pay its
proportion Of the town bonds OF
Little Falls, Belle Prairie and Pike
Creek, and it was zstleridcd hat il
would. ATTORNEY d. II. Farnham
who drew the charter, gave that
, assurance to til" city and towns
+ and it was accepted as correct. Il
: was as much OF disappointn,cc,
and surprise to the people Of the ity
as it was to those If the towns tt
i. afterwards lsar: that the city
, property was all exempt from
J taxation for town, bonds. The
above facts about how the town:
i were involved for i, greater deb
than they should have. viii III
$ r.mcnberedt i " all citizens cE Il:
= village and towns. Since then: II,
i effort has bcea made to coll III til,
!, entire town interest, md only Il par
+ Hf it has been raid by any towns
: The city has stood in the light I,
! escnping the fair obligations q
II nearly all it's territory. ConStan
J efforts have been made IL fad son.
= means .! rn,nedy;n; his. Hspeci,l
:. lrgisIatirn had been permitted las
b winter, he legisIa ture y nul,i I'm
7 aouhtct!Iy have ant'.arized tiles
, communities tOreadjus their bonded
/. deht ON :, fair basis. but no mean