The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1902-08-14
Che Breaking Of T1lcrristown,

IN N ORRISTOWN was to be broke
INv and set back into the water
tank class.
This must have been de-
cided upon by the president of the
American Pacific railroad, and when
Dudley Stone had settled on a course
of action it was seldom that he could
be shaken in his resolution. He was
known as strong man and an unre-
lenting hater, and not without cause.
Did he not pass over promising loca-
tion for headquarters of the Midland
Division and establish new town a
few miles further on for no better rea-
son than a rumor to the effect that an
old time antagonist of his school days
was interested in a few corner lots in
the old townsite? And bright men
can be counted by the score who had by
years of devotion to the welfare of
the American Pacific risen from the
ranks into positions of sufficient impor-
tance to come into personal contact
with the president, only to 60 down
and out before his outbursts of temper
How the ten thousand inhabitants of
Morristown incurred the displeasure
of the autOcrat of the American Paci-
fic is long story, commencing with
the election of an incorruptible men,
ber to the legislature over the railroad
candidate" and augmented by certain
complaints brought before the railroad
commission against a clever differen-
tial tariff, whereby the people of Nor
ristown were obliged to pay freight
from Chicagoto the western terminal
OF the road and back to Morristown
again; a scheme by which the Ameri-
can Pacific could collect freight for a
1000 mile haul, tho the goods were ac-
tually carried but two-thirds of that
distance. This was one of Stones per-
sonal ideas, but its invention was gen.
orally accredited TO the devil.
Morristown was essentially rail-
road town, and its prosperity was due
to the large railroad shops located
there and the fact that it was Division
Headquarters. More than one-half
the population were employees of the
road. True, there were shops at Lew
iston at the other end of the division,
but they employed only few men on
minor repairs, all the locomotive and
heavy work being done at Morristown
Therefore you can imagine the con-
sternation of, the people when the bull
letin was posted giving notice that the
shops would be removed to Lewiston
IN three months. Business men who
had erected substantial mercantile
blocks were at their wits end and the
railroad employees were likewise nom
plused, as not only were they attached
to Morristown, but most of them had
: built pretty homes with the savings of
years. These were practically dead
loss, as the town without the shops
would be town of vacant houses.
The bulletin which meant the fnan-
cial ruin of many represented the sat-
lsfied spite of the president, who re-
marked under his breath during its
dictation, "I'll show them. The divi-
sion headquarters will 60 next, and I'll
make Morristown a flag station" He
meant it, and what was more he had
the power to do it.
Delegations of citizens from Norris
town were turned down before they
reached the private Office, and the pres
ident's factotum was kept busy open
ing letters and kilograms of urgent en-
treaty.. which the president read with a
satisfied air and filed away unan-
swered. Every effort, business and
political, was made to have the shops
retained at Morristown, but the presi-
dent was immovable in his intention of
running the town, knowing that the ex-
pense of removal would be more than
offset by the rise in value of the COM
pany's realty holdings at Lewiston.
The Rev. Boyd, q new arrival, pastor