The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-12-08
"GHOs1" DID NOT WALK.
Reason Why Men Quit Working on
the Alphabet" Grade.

Reason Why Men Quit Working on
the Alphabet" Grade.
| Mr.. Fred Byersdorf of Medic has in.
formed The Mapleton Enterprise that
| a number of men from st. Clair and Vi
cinity who have been working on the
alphabet" road quit work because of
not receiving their pay and have re-
turned home. The sentiment. he says
seems to be that the road is busted
| and he has no faith that the Milwau-
| kee will be built either. In his opinion
if the Milwaukee line had built further
north going through Beauford and strik-
ing st. Clair it would look more like
business proposition.
Raymond Doyle, who was over from
Vivian today told one of his friends
that the opinion prevails among a good
many Vivian people that the new rail
road is dead. Right -ofway hasc been
obtained through only six farms in that
section of the county and the contracts
for right way expire the third of next
month. Mr. Doyle said there was con-
siderable dissatisfaction among the
farmers and he believes the company
will experience difficulty in renewing
contracts should they proceed with the
venture. 1t is certain that things along
the line of the alphabet" have been
very quiet for the past few weeks, but
with the return of Mr.. Tobie, who seems
to be the backbone of the company.
things may take on different aspect
and the work begin to progress again.
John Haney's crew of graders that has
been at work on the Alphabet rail
road at Vivian and Bryon townships.
pulled into town yesterday. There were
4 number of men in the crew and nine
teams. The two big grading machine
used by the crew were brought in and
will be shipped soon. One of the men
informed the Star that there is but one
crew now at work on the grade and thai
is located near Plum Valley. Severa
reasons were given why the Haney crew
quit work. One was that the company
had failed to provide the right of-way.
and another was that the ground is wet
and will not permit the grading ma
chimes to work properly. The gentle
men that we talked with thought there
was no doubt that the road would be
completed. Other members of the crew
however, intimated that there was
shortage of funds-New Richmond Star.
Capt. A. II. Reed, president of the
alphabet" road was in Albert Lea
Saturday and expressed much satisfac
ton over the present condition of af
fairs concerning the road and seems t,
be absolutely confident that everythins
was coming out all right. The roa
bed from the Minneapolis & st. Louis
line to point some distance within
Waseca county is fully in shape for the
ties and iron and grading is progressing
toward Cream station. Captain Rec
has not heard from f. L. Tobie & Co
g., ,,,l
understand the delay of the latter il
going on and equipping the line as fai
east to buy the necessary equipment an,
Captain Reed has no doubt that he viii,
be able to do so. In fact, he cannot af
ford to fail and there is no likelihool
that he will do so for he would lose tn;
great sum he has already expended an'
besides he and the surety company
would be liable to $4,000 damages OF
their bond. Bonds to the amount o
$50, 900 of the total $l,500,000 that have
been placed on the market, have been put
up on sale with the Citizens Nationa
bank of this city and the New York
bond company assures Captain Reed tina
bonds will be sold in time to provide the
alphabet" company with funds as fas
as they are needed The milwaukee,
''bluff'' seems to have almost collapsed
Less than two miles east of Good Thun-
der has been graded only fourteen mel
and teams are at work and the regu-
lar CORPS of surveyors have disappeare>
from the line.-Albert Lea Standard.
The Standard says also: "The lates'
news concerning the alphabet" rail
road is rather of discouraging charac-
ter. Our correspondent at Freedom re
ports that the graders have all left tho
line and that the contractors are owins
bills for supplies for which the people
who accommodated them are apprehen
sive may not be paid.