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


victed towards. They believed Minds was
right and that his scheme was possible'
but they were afraid to say SO TO one
another. They were saying to them
selves: I'VE build the road ? I believe we
really can. but it sounds foolish, and am
not going to expose myself to my asso-
GATES ridicule, when it is evident that
they all think Minds is crazy.
Minds sat quietly in his chair until they
had all gone, and then arose. and said
nothing as he helped the janitor put out
the lights. AS they walked down the
stairs he made some remark about the
weather, and with a CHEEKY "Good-by"
he went to his hitching rack, and was
soon off on his pony for home. His
thoughts may have been very bitter as he
rode across the trackless, treeless. fence
less and almost houseless country from
Lansing to the boundary, thirty miles
away. But not at that time, nor at any
other time, did any one hear him speak
bitterly or hopelessly. TO his wife's anx-
ious inquiry he said:
Eve he'd big meetin', but they
wouldn't say anything. I guess they
didn't think much of the talk. but when
they think over the railroad scheme,
they'll change their minds"
Mastered and led by his damon, he be-
gan systematic canvass of towns along
the proposed route to the river. His fame
harmless vision chaser. In several of
his meetings he was interrupted by cheers,
but his good nature did not leave him. At
Brighton, however, on the river he met
his first encouragement. Judicious and
respectful questions were asked of him,
and several leading citizens remained to
talk with him after the meeting was over.
He had felt, for some time, a great long
ing to go to st. Paul and learn how the
great roads were managed. But he had
little money. and he could not ride his
pony SO far without danger Of hurting it
permanently. So he crossed the river and
began a 5400-mile walk to st. Paul.
1t was one Of the Moguls cheerful days.
Prospects for the intercontinental amalga
nation scheme were becoming excellent
and it looked to the Mogul as if one more
visit to Europe would place the two great
lines in his grasp. So he said quickly to
the office boy who announced Minds:
'Oh, we'll, let him in
Minds entered. 1t was late spring, just
before seeding, and the northwest was a
mass of mud. A portion Of the mass
seemed to have chung to Minds. His face
was unshaven and worn. His winter cap
looked heavy and wet, and his hair was
disheveled and knotted.
At his desk sat the Great Mogul, tall,
portly, forceful and with the magnetic
tone and air Of success. Thirty years be-
that city. He had seized a slender chance
and had risen slowly until his genius for
railroad building was discovered and de-
veloped. He grabbed this line and that
one, and extended them fl rst to Duluth,
then to Winnipeg, and then on to the west,
until. by buying, Selling, leasing, building.
by any means getting lines and connec-
tions his trains reached the Pacific.
OF that whole system he was the boss,
the master. His voice was the Jupiter
Tonans of the railroad world of the region.
He had bold plans for reaching way out
to the orient and securing the monopoly
of the business with Japan. Little did he
care for the protests Of the people. It
was no concern of his that his name was
a household word in many parts of the
| northwest, and almost always with bit
| terness and an oath. .a -r
WELL what do you want?" cried. the
car In his abrupt way.
| Minds advanced to the desk with his
peculiar smile and told the great man OF
his railroad project, ending with the as
tonishing request, made with simple dig
nifty, for transportation over the lines OF
the road as courtesy extended from one
railroad president to another!
! The Mogul roared with glee. 1t was his
| first laugh for days and it caused con-
sternation turnout the building. Ate
quizzing Minds. the Great Mogul said
! All IlSlLI, 1 IL give y Ou d PASS dIlu llSI
he added with a chuckle, :'and if you are
in the same business at the end of the
| year drop in and I'll renew It for you.'
Minds left the office with a radiant face
He then went directly to Duluth. which
was to be the terminus Of the new rail
road, for there he thought he could arous,
an interest in business men, But hi
efforts were apparently Ruthless TIL,
newspapers took him up gaily and hat
! much sport over the visit Of Farmer
Minds.
Unwearied and undaunted, he the
plunged into the country on journe
never before made by a white man. H
had been told that In his route lay lake
and swamps which could not be bridge6
set out on foot to traverse the land be
tween Duluth and the Red river. Th
thought Of starvation, Of dying on tn
prairie or in the great woods, or bein
drowned in the lakes did not come to him
He was dreamer and he thought O
naught save the fruition of his dreams
| 1t had become almost summer H
plunged into the woods, and he who fa
: known for so many years a land where
> riding whip was hard to find was almos
crazed by the great pineries. Luckily h
had chart and a compass, and he he'll
!, doggedly to his route. Now he entered o
prairie land, but found few titled field
alLeE leaving the towns. How ne slept !
, hollow logs or in the open clearings; no,
: he houndered In bogs and swamps; no,
= he was welcomed by the trapper, the fror
: tiersman, the lone farmer and the Indiar
Of the great reservation, all Of whom h
saved from famine-these are tales whic
: he told very seldom, and then only to jus
tify his faith in the divinity of his inspil
F alton. TO those who entertained him /
never failed to tell of his mission, ar
they all knew that he was sincere b,
doubted his nationality. He found to /,
great joy that there were no serious oil
stacles to his route, and that his first pls
> was entirely feasible so far as the surve
+ was concerned In three weeks he h.
traversed the 800 miles, and it was wi
a. glad heart that he saw the Red riv
. and the town of Brighton rise into vie,
The cold and narrow minded people
that region, SO unresponsive at first
= the appeals of the farmer railroad bull
!. err, were not proof against his earne
q and steady activity in projecting his do
r trines, and 1t was not many months I'm
d Minds, many railroad meetings h,
g aroused much friendly interest and syr
pathy. Duluth finally seized hold Of t
enterprise, some capital was provided
company was Incorporated, of viii
: Minds was made president, at salary
SIS a month, and Brighton was ma
I, headquarters. In every county on t
e proposed railroad, meetings were held a
& local organizations were formed T
E, scheme became more clearly defined, a
n its practical nature was seen by busine
men. Minds preliminary plan "
to issue shares of stock to the far
am h11Si ioJ, + ',