Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1900-01-19
BOUGHT BY THE aoRraERH PACIFIC
The Brainerd q Northern Railroad Said
to b In tie Control Of .. -. s d.
E5f That Line. 4 ~ n


president Of the Minnesota Loan &
Trust company, to the presidency Of
the Brainerd & Northern Railroad
short time ago, a rumor
has become current that the move
was preliminary to the purchase and
absorption Of the road by the North
ern Pacific, that MIR. Merrill simply
represent Northern Pacific interests In
the matter and wouldstep down and
out as soon as it was seen fit, by the
Northern Pacific people, to take
farge OF the Brainerd & Northern.
This rumor was perhaps strengthened
by the fact that the Northern Pacific
was just coming into possession Of
9 large block OF cash through the
sale Of timber lands on the Pacific
coast and that there was evidence OF
q policy on the part of the company
OF meeting the many advances Of
competing roads by improving it's
Town lines and invading new terri
tory where it saw a chance of secur-
ling good business and meeting COM
petition. ... -.
In the absence from the city OF Mr..
Merrill and Vice President Carpenter
tof the Brainerd & Northern, E.. p.
Wells, prominent director In the
fcompany. was asked today what
t4there was In the rumor. He said
that he knew nothing OF such a deal.
lSome months ago tho Brainerd &
Northern directors were considering
the plan OF bonding the road to
meet outstanding Indebtedness in
tcurred in the Bemidji extention and
with the idea Of building further to
| the north. Mr.. Merrell was inter-
ested in financing this bonding deal,
but before it was brought to con-
summation, he came In with q prop
osition for the purchase Of the road,
or Of q controlling interest. The
stockholders being mostly lumber
men and having use for their money
in the lumber business, concluded to
sci. They protected their logging
interests by making contracts cover
ing the time which would be neces-
sary in which to get out their logs.
NJ. Merrill paid the cash, and that
was all there was of it. Mr.. Welles
said that that was all he kne W
about the deal and he had no know
ledge as to Merrill's purpose as to
1.-THE destiny of the property.
There: does not appear to be any
particular reas - Why MIR. Merrill
should he in this deal on his own &C
count. He is not a railroad man,
but he is a skillful dealer in securities
and properties, aud the Braiherd &
Northern Is one of the best invest
lnents he could find in this part OF
the country. The road is only
ninety-two miles long, but last year
carried $4,000 passengers, as The
Journal stated in an interview with
President Carpenter some weeks ago.
1t has a fine freight business, which
is paying handsomely. 1t is
thought that 100000 passenger
earnings is a moderate estimate for
1900. The road has a fine logging
business now, with q considerable
/ general freighting business, which is
increasing rapidly. as the pine is cut
off and farming takes it's place. 1t
reaches two of the finest lakes in
Minnesota, which are bound to be-
come great resorts. That the road
has great possibilities may be
guessed from the fact that it has
practically built itself-1nost of the
extensions since the original invest
meat having been made out of the
earnings.
At present the Brainerd & North
ern Is operated independently. but
, with close traffic arrangements with
the Northern Pacific, and it might
be anybody's guess that the road