The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1906-02-21
FORTY YEARS AGO.
Excerpts Taken from St. Paul Papers of
Forty Years Ago.

Who have for several years held
the people throughout this section
If the country at their mercy, and,
5hus holding them, have squeezed
the last penny possible for moving
their products to market, were told
by an outraged people last Thurs
day evening that their absolute rule
was nearly ended. Ingersoll hall has
been the scene of many political
and social gatherings, but no assem-
blage ever met within it's walls
which contained as large proper
ton of the intelligence, business
enterprise and public spirit, as did
this anti-monopoly convention. The
large hall was crowded with dele
gates from nearly every important
county in this state and in North
western Wisconsin, and earnestness
and dignity marked the proceedings.
An interesting episode was created
by the appearance Of Capt. David
son on the floor, and by his attempt
to argue his own case as the de-
PENDANT in the cause Of the people
VS.. the monopolies. There was an
odd grotesqueness in the role as
sumed by the captain on this occa-
sion, a comical incongruity between
the orator and his audience be-
tween the actor and the scene
which, if it could be reproduced
upon the stage, with all its Access
series, just as it occurred, would
draw crowded houses for ninety
nine nights in succession. He as
serted, with remarkable control of
his facial muscles, that the gross
earnings of the La Cross & st. Paul
Packet company were less than
$500,000 The official data regard
ing receipts and shipments show
that the gross earnings was at least
three times this, or 81 100000.
The officers of the convention
were: President, Thomas H. Arm
strong of Olmstead county; vice
presidents, E. J. Hill, Prescott; M.
Bessey of Wabasha, w. F. Purdy of
Goodhue, David Coburn of Wash
ington, Senator Lord of Dodge, E.
B. Ames of Minneapolis and r.
Richardson of Stearns; secretaries,
c. A. Baker of Hastings ard A. B.
Stickney of Saltwater.
William P. Murray Of Ramsey
said that he could imagine what
monopoly was that if Mr.. Ingersoll,
or any other merchant of this city,
should buy up several cases Of
certain kind of goods, all there was
in the market, that he would have
a monopoly of that kind of goods.
Yet he thought this would be
legitimate. 1t might also be said
that Gov. Marshall was creating a
monopoly by giving all the offices
to the Republicans. l have lived
here for eighteen years, and in that
time | have fought these steam
boat monopolies several times. We
drove the old Galena Packet COM
pany out of business, but it was
costly undertaking for some of
us. Mr.. Murray ended his talk
with a resolution asking the legis-
lature to oppose and vote against
all bills authorizing any railroads to
consolidate.
E S. Edgerton of St. Paul urged
the formation of steamboat cor
poration with a capital stock Of
100000, with shares worth $25
each. This stock is to be distributed
among the common people as widely
as possible. No person or company
can own more than two-fifths of
the total. This is the most practical
and probably the only way to sue
cessfully fight the monopoly.
At the ninth annual meeting of
the State Agricultural society, Col.
D. A. Robertson advocated Fort
Smelling as the site for an agricul-
tural college and an experimental
farm, but withdrew his motion on