Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1911-03-23
TRUNK LINE TO BUILD

Minneapolis and St. Louis Will Build to
Pierre this Year--Vote for Franchise
Owing to the closeness of the money
market the financing of the road for
the necessary improvements could be
done to advantage last spring. This
condition prevented some other roads
in the northwest from extene;ng their
lines under existing contracts. When
the Minneapolis & st. Louis railroad
men were here last fall it was expected
that some work on this grade would be
done before winter Then after one or
two OF the Minneapolis men went over
the grade from Pierre to Faulkton
again it was found that on account of
the lay of the country it was advisable
to make some local changes in the
route. The question had also been
raised whether it was certain that the
Duluth, Pierre & Black Hills Railroad
Co., had commenced work in building
its grade within one year after it's
charter had been forfeited The COM
pany was then re-incorporated, as
means TO remedy the matter. Then
when the Minneapolis & st. Louis peo-
pie arranged for the issue of bonds to
finance this improvement the question
was raised by the counsel of the trust
company in the east that would furnish
the money. whether the old charter had
lapsed for the reason above given and
whether this was made good by the re-
Incorporation. These questions were
thoroughly considered between the at
! torneys of the Minneapolis & st. Louis
| and the trust company, and it was
finally thought necessary in order to
put this matter beyond all question,
that an act should be passed by the
legislature saving any rights that the
old company might have lost by not
| commencing its work within the statu-
the law prohibited any railroad from
paralleling another move than ten
miles, and yet the line could not be
built into Pierre without paralleling the
Northwestern more than ten miles, and
| the Pierre people were requested to
have the law amended so as to permit
parralleGng for longer distance.
| These two acts were introduced into
the Legislature and pushed through as
rapidly as possible, and during the last
days of the session, with hard work
both bills were passed After both
measures were approved by the govern
or copies of them were sent to the rep.
resentatives of the Minneapolis & st.
Louis road his occurred, OF course,
but few days ago. Then came up the
question as to extending the time for
building the road into Pierre on Sioux
avenue. At all.times in the past these
extensions of time could be granted by
the old city council without vote of
| the people, but under the city commis-
sion plan there is a question whether
a vote is not necessary, and 10 make
certain on this point the city commits
sion has called special election to SUBJ
nit the question to vote on Tuesday
of next week. If the people vote to
extend the limit, this does not mean an
indefinite franchise to the railroad, but
the ordinance will require that the road
shall come in over the street within a
year. The ordinance is on file with the
city auditor and provides that the line
on Sioux avenue shall be built and in
operation within one year from March
Is, 1911, The Minneapolis & st. Louis
people have acted in good faith in at
tempting to pave the way to commence
work on this proposed line into Pierre,
and the circumstances which have pre-
vented them from getting the necessary
| preliminaries arranged so that the
| work could proceed upon business prin-
ciples and not prove a failure or cause
further delay because some bar had
been left down, would have prevented
any other railroad in the country from
going until all these steps had been
taken.