The Minneapolis journal., 1906-07-13
RIGHT.OF.WAY Man
TURNS NEAT TRICK
SUPERIOR FOLKS SIMPLY ruM.
BILE INTO TRAP.
Wisconsin Central Secures Best RoutA
Thru City by Foxy Maneuvers Of
That Man Gillis,'' End Does Not
Fay Much Either-Nobody Knew
Who Backed Him.

that sp2saiSf qis Miis sad 5aly long 5s5s
murphy, attorney for the plaintiff in a
sun against the Wisconsin Central rail-
rSHad, rS, IN the circuit court. "He came
clc,ng cnat an InI1 town with a coonskin
'oaS M; ana smoking corncob pipe. -
inns describes to some extent the
way in which the Wisconsin Central
secured the best right of way obtain
able thru the city of Superior.
The suit in which the attorney made
his statement was one in which tbs
plaintiff was seeking to have the i1Iry
raise the award for land given by the
condemnation board, and in making the
statement Attorney Murphy hinted at
has been made in getting a railroad
right OF way in this part of the country.
Gillis Only Smiles.
Mr.. Gillis, the right-of-way man,
smiles to himself whenever he thinks
Of what "Long John" Murphy said
an9 an9ut T. MN: IN II It is pretty nearly true,
ana to the foxiness" of Gillis the
right of way for price wav, under
what 1t would undoubtedly have had
to pay otherwise.
For couple of years the Central has
had surveyors out in the field running
a line from Ladysmith up this way and
from Ladysmith down to Marshfeld to
make ChIcago, connections with the
head of the lakes. No one knew what
out along the different surveys that
were made had their guess, and the
real-estate men came in for another
guess, but no one could show ANYTHING
to back his statements.
AGENT Ts Of6eh
Then when the excitement over the
survey quieted down, Gillis came to
town. He told the people that he
property in town. He didn It want, but
he told the people he did. He set them
right up in arms at the start, and they
offered to go ahead and get him a
right of way along the Omaha tracks.
He didn It want that. he told them.
Their price was not low enough for
them.
So he went ahead securing options
on property that would destroy some
OF the best business property in the
city if he put a railroad thru there.
This further excited the people, who
would have their property damage by
such move, so they got together again.
They finally made Gillis an offer that,
If he would take the other right of way,
IueY WOulu see tudC II u1u nOI cOSC H1n
over a certain sum.
The people did not know ANYTHING
about the road yet. They did not know
whether it would do the city any good.
But they did not want their property
destroyed. so they kept edging over to-
ward Gillis' side of the fence. Things
were within his grasp at good figure
for the road, but he didn It grab. He
waited and meanwhile went on getting
options on the other right of way.
Willing to Consider.
Finally ellis told the committee
what he would "consider' fair price
for the consideration only of the Omaha
right of way. The committee grabbed.
ellis let go his options on the other
right of way just as fast as the people
on the committee kept turning in op-
tions on the right of way aloIg the
Omaha tracks.
The result was that the road got the
right of way for half or less of what it
would have had to pay if the people
had known what was doing and the lit.
tie deal hadn't been worked.
Today the Central is putting in a
line from Ladysmith to the head Of
the lakes. Contractors are at work
rushing things along so that by the end
or perhaps the beginning of the winter
of 1907-0S trains will be running over
the new line of the road.
The Wisconsin Central lost out in a
jury trial as to the value of property it
is taking for right of way purposes.
the commissioners awarded the owners
$1,700. The jury after being out all
night made an award of $4,000 for the
propertY