The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-02


THE n
lot pause to look at the sights. but as
soon as he left the station he began to
aunt for the haunts Of the hnanciers. He
soon found, to his great dismay, that the
lay was a holiday. But he was especially
anxious to see a western United States
senator whose real home was In New y ork
and who was a wealthy railroad protector.
So he learned the senator's residence ad-
dress and went UP to the house And this
Is the story Minds told to. the Dakota
farmers Of his visit to the east:
II rung the bell at,the- senator's house,
and the Teller that opened the door told
me that the senator wasn't sup yet (tho it
was after 8 o'clock). He told me tub
come back at noon, but he was sure the
senator wouldn't see me that day. Well,
Went back at plum noon,, and the sena-
tors wife, leastways s'pose she was his
wife. opened the door. When7I asked to
see the senator. she told me that he
wouldn't see me ner anybody else. told
her that wouldn't do, at all, must see
him. fer I had come two thousan' miles
fer that one thing. I went on tellin' her
about the Farmers railroad in Dakota,
:
tween us two there was considerable
noise, until finally the senator himself
come out to see what was the row. He
laughed when he saw me, fer some reason,
and told me to come in anyway.
But ! tell yuh, he was mad enough
when he found what / had come fer.
Why he says. Tn bothered to death
every day with these swindlers an fools.
told him then purity warmlike that I
wasn't a sWindler err fool, but a plain
Dakota farmer and I KEEP on a-talkin'
that way until he said, weary like, oh,
WE'LL set down, and let's hear quick what's
yer scheme
again the wall, and begun tub tell him the
whole thing ez I hev told it tub you. and
he set there, sayin' nuthin', but blinkin'
his eyes: Well when ! got all tired out
and couldn't think of anything else tub
say. he begun to talk, and I wisht yuh
could have heard the questions he asked
me. There was the queerest things he
asked about-where lived, what kind OF
house, who my wife was. how many
chilren we had, what we had tub eat
how done my farnin, who my neigh
bors was, and a thousand more questions
jes' about as funny.
I'm the evenin' he sent out fer a churn
Of his, and I went over the whole thing
again. Then we had supper, er dinner
they called 1t, and it was sure enough
dinner fer me that day, fer I'd had but one
meal before that. Well, 1 tell yuh, it was
a funny sight, me tellin' them million
aires about things out here on the prairie
Finally, after they had looked over my
papers and see that I wasn't fraud
they got off in corner and talked long
time. Well, the upshot of it was thai
they agreed to give me just what I want
ed, guarantee to loan me $4,000 mile
fny hn1 n \ ~,
was done. They couldn't believe at frs
| that the road could be built so cheap, blu,
had all the f1ggers down purity fine, ano
| showed 'em how it could be done, anc
I've got their agreement in black anG
white right in my pocket.
| New York is a purity nice, big place
| with lots of sights, and l could have
spent a whole week there, SEEM things
but the Farmers railroad didn't have tn,
time and I went right off to Washington
to see about gettin my bill thru congress
Yuh see, when anybody wants to built
q, road thru an Indian reservation he ha
to git a special act of congress. Mebb'
some of you member that some Teller
and newspapers in this country said
would cost us $50, 900 to git that bill
passed. Well, it was put thru and signe,
| by the president in a weeks time, and i
| didn't cost a cent, and them congress
men wouldn't let the farmer pay even TO
his own meals"
On his way back home Minds visite
the Carnegie. mills at Pittsburg and tn
Illinois Steel Works at Joliet; to see tn
rails turned out and to get their prices
When he arrived 1t Brighton he foun
many circulars from Wall street firm
and other capitalists awaiting him., i
which they complained because he ha
not negotiated with them.
| His campaign among the farmers no'
took on notes of power, inspiration an
triumph. The meetings were very ]arg
and enthusiastic, and stock was taken u
with avidity Those who had called Mind
a lunatic now showered praise upon hi1
4 and entertained him lavishly. " The LEAD
ing men Of every community became &C
- tive in support Of the project. f.-.
| Soon, however. nature conspired wit
many other circumstances in an attituG
which seemed that of malevolence to dc
feat the scheme. First, there came
backward spring. The ice and snow RI
manned on the ground until late in Apr
and in some sections until May, and the
melted in few days, causing disastrol
floods which prevented seeding. The
after seeding, cold rains fell, and mue
of the wheat was chilled and require
, replanting, and the result was that tt
wheat came up more than month b.
hind over the whole Red River: vale
storms which almost wholly wiped O
! the crops in several townships in one coul
, |ty. The result was that farmers fail'
, to pay their subscriptions for stock in tt
, railroad.
: Upon the top of this came a gigant
and crushing blow to Minds at the NEE
! ing of the directors that summer
Brighton, at which his scheme for raisir
, the money was rejected and outvoted ar
:, he himself was practically removed fro
= the position of chief. There had been RI
mors during the early summer that the
. was in the directorate some jealousy /;
Minds, and it was said that the inspir;
ton came from st. Paul, but no fear W:
> felt by Minds or any of his nearest frient
: Of any formidable revolt. The action
i. the directors must, therefore, have bee
: a. great shock to his reason and hopes: b.
. he gave no sign. He spent most of h
! time at Brighton, supervising the SUI
! veys and the grading, which had alreat
$ begun. His hopes were high that wht
n the annual meeting Of the road was he
Y in January he would be restored. Il
v Everything looked most suspicious f
: Minds when the directors assembled
s Brighton for the annual meeting. The pl;
e which they had, adopted had proved
h failure, everywhere was confidence
! Minds and the condition of the farme
: was better than they had anticipate
10 which, with higher prices for their whe;
d made the time an excellent one to revi
1t interest in the railroad. But when t
is meeting began, his enemies were seen
) be in full control, and he was retired fro
n the presidency and every vestige of pow
v was taken away from him.
ID Minds was silent, and for the first til