Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1916-06-01
closed in 1860 and the property and
franchises went to the state.

closed in 1861 and the property and
franchises went to the state.
Two years later the legislature con-
ferred them upon Edmund Rice and
other St. Paul men. The name of the
corporation was changed to the St.
Paul and Pacific Railroad company.
This same year the ten-mile road to
st. Anthony was completed.
The road got into financial difdcul-
ties again, however, and in the course
of ten years had seven mortgages on
its property, aggregating $33,000,000.
When the 1873 business disturbances
came it was unable to earn interest
charges.
Studies Out Details Of Pet Plan.
Meantime Nj. Hill had acquainted
himself with the details Of the situar
ton. keeping In mind his pet plan for
making trade connections complete
Ebstwesn Csnada and the United States.
Az he himself told 1t: @as
After long and close study Of the
situation the slender besinningsNas
made upon which va Filked our Ill.
Failure would mean immediate and
inal disaster. Ny associates were
George Stephen, now Lord Mount
Stephen; Donald A. Smith, afterward
Lord Strathcona, and Norman w. Kit
son"
The trio Of commercial adventurers
bought the defaulted bonds from the
Dutch holders, IN agreement with the
committee representing the latter be-
ing executed March 13, 1878, and all
outstanding Indebtedness, practically,
was subsequently secured.
The property secured consisted OF
completed lines from st. Paul, by way
of st. Anthony, to Melrose, and from
Minneapolis to Breckenridge; of two
projected lines, one from Sauk Rap
ids to Brainerd, and one from Melrose
to the Red river, at St. Vincent, on the
international boundary line.
New Company Formed.
The connecting and completing Of
these lines and their extension north
ward required large sums Of money
and these were raised by the three
promoters. In May, 1879, the st. Paul,
Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway
company was organized to take over
all the properties. It had an author
ized capital stock of $15,000,0 900.
George Stephens was made first presi-
dent of the company; Richard B. An.
gus, vice president, and James J. Hill.
general manager.
From the very beginning the busi-
ness of the new system fulfilled the
expectations Of its founders. and then
began the long task of building up the
country. No sooner was a mile Of
road finished than the need of build.
ing other miles became apparent. Be-
fore Minnesota had filled up, the tide
Of immigration was passing even the
famous Red River valley country and
flowing into Dakota. BY 1880 it had
become necessary to add line down
the Dakota side Of the Red River val
ley and to plan for many extensions
and branches. Two local companies,
building lines in Western Minnesota,
were purchased.
Gets Eastern Outlet.
Many are the points of genuine his
toric, interest developed in the recital
of the growth of what is now known
as the Great Northern systematic
system that is, in peculiar sense, ].
]. Hill. One of these points was the
provision of an eastern outlet by way
of the Great Lakes, which was ac-
complished by first securing an inter.
est in the st. Paul and Duluth rail-
way in 1881; then the building of the
link from st. Cloud to Hinckley. and
finally the building of the Eastern
Minnesota road in 1887.
The enormous influx of immigration
and q general western boom increased
business tremendously. The North
ern Pacific was about completed and
the Canadian Pscihc was building to-
ward the coast.
!. The years between 1852 and 1850
saw IN. Incredible amount Of accom-
Slishrnsnt IN railway construction and
ths lattsr date eaMs the lsanite @.