buque & Minnesota. It is, in short, an arrangement which will contribute to the improvement of business in La Crosse, and which will not be without effect in adding to the reputation of the city as a distributing point, thus enhancing the general estimation of its eligibility as a location for manufacturing enterprises.

This city remains the headquarters of the general offices of the company.

The Dubuque Division-Was purchased from the Chicago, Clinton, Dubuque & Minnesota corporation in February, 1881, and has since been operated by the St. Paul Company. The road was commenced in October, 1870, and grew out of a desire on the part of Dubuque to connect that section with points in Minnesota, as far north as St. Paul. The necessity of this medium of communication was apparent to all, though it was not until discriminations made by the Illinois Central against Dubuque became apparent, that a decision was reached. It resulted in the creation of a company whose object was the building of a road along the west bank of the Mississippi to Minnesota, with a branch extending south, and to be known as the Dubuque, Bellevue & Mississippi road, having its terminus at Chicago.

On October 9, 1870, ground for the former road was broken at Eagle Point near Dubuque, and in the following spring, operations or the Dubuque & Mississippi route begun. Some time after, arrangements were concluded with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy road, and the corporate name of the Dubuque & Mississippi was changed to the Chicago, Clinton & Dubuque, with a capital of $1,500,000, and the Dubuque & Minnesota to the Clinton, Dubuque & Minnesota, with a nominal capital of $70,000,000.

In the fall of 1871, the roads were consolidated; in 1873, it was purchased under foreclosure proceedings by the bondholders, re-organized as the Chicago, Clinton, Dubuque & Minnesota Railroad, and completed the same year to Clinton and La Cresent with a branch up Turkey River to Elport.

It was operated by this organization until February, 1881, when, as stated, it was disposed of to the Milwaukee & St. Paul.

Chicago & North- Western.-The Territorial Legislature of 1848 chartered the "Madison & Beloit Railroad Company," with authority to build a railroad from Beloit to Madison only. In 1850, by an act of the Legislature, the company was authorized to extend the road to the Wisconsin River and to La Crosse, and to a point on the Mississippi River near St. Paul, as well as from Janesville to Fond du Lac. Its name was changed by legislative authority to the "Rock River Valley Union Railroad Company." In 1851, the line from Janesville not being pushed as the people expected, the Legislature of Illinois chartered the "Illinois & Wisconsin Railroad Company," with authority to consolidate with any railroad in Wisconsin. In 1855, an act of the Wisconsin Legislature consolidated the Illinois and Wisconsin Companies with the Rock River Valley Union Railroad Company, and the new organization took the name of the "Chicago, St. Paul & Fond du Lac Railroad Company." In 1854, and previous to the consolidation, the company had failed and passed into the hands of the bondholders, who foreclosed and took stock for their bonds. The old management by A. Hyatt Smith and John B. Macy was superseded, and William B. Ogden was made President. Chicago was deeply interested in reaching the Upper Mississippi region, then being peopled rapidly, by a line of railroad to run through Madison to St. Paul, in Minnesota. Its favorite road was started from Chicago on the wide (six feet) gauge. This was changed to the usual (four feet eight and one-half inches) width, and the work was vigorously pushed, reaching Janesville in 1855. The partially-graded line on a direct route from Janesville to Madison was abandoned. In 1852, a new charter was obtained, and the "Beloit & Madison Railroad Company" was organized, to build a road from Beloit via Janesville to Madison. A subsequent amendment to this charter left out Janesville, and the Beloit branch was pushed through to Madison, reaching that city in 1864.

The "Galena & Chicago Union Railroad Company" had built a branch of the Galena line from Belvidere to Beloit previous to 1854. In that year it leased the Beloit & Madison road, and from 1856 operated it in connection with other roads which they controlled. The consolidation of the Galena & Chicago Union and the Chicago, St. Paul & Fond du Lac Companies was

effected and approved by legislative enactment in 1855, and a new organization called the "Chicago & North-Western Railway Company" took their place.

The "Baraboo Air-Line Railroad Company was incorporated in 1870, to build a road Madison, Columbus or Waterloo via Baraboo to La Crosse, or any point on the Mississippi River. It organized in the interest of the Chicago & North-Western, with which company it consolidated, and the work of building a connecting line between Madison and Winona Junction was vigorously pushed forward. Lodi was reached in 1870, Baraboo in 1871, and Winona Junetion in 1874. The ridges between Elroy and Sparta were tunneled at a great expense and with much difficulty. In 1874, the company reported an expenditure for its three tunnels of $476,743.32, and for the 129 miles between Madison and Winona Junction of $5,342,169.96, and a a large expenditure yet to be made on it. In 1867, the Chicago & North-Western Company bought of D. N. Barney & Co.their interest in the Winona & St. Peter Railway, a line being built westerly from Winona, in Minnesota, and of which 105 miles had been built. It also bought of the same parties their interest in the La Crosse, Trempealeau & Prescott Railway, a line being built from Winona Junction, in La Crosse County, to Winona, Minn. The latter line was put in operation in 1870, and is twenty-nine miles long. With the completion of the Madison branch to Winona Junction in 1874, it had in operation a line from Chicago, via Madison and Winona, to Lake Kampeska, Minn., a distance of 623 miles. The "Green Bay & Minnesota Railroad built a line from Onalaska, a station on the Chicago & North-Western road, seven miles north of La Crosse, to the city of La Crosse in 1876, and the Chicago & North-Western road acquired the right to use that track, thus connecting its road with the chief city of Wisconsin on the Mississippi River. The first train of the North-Western Railway ran into the city of La Crosse over this extension on the 1st day of April, 1876. Albert Keep, of Chicago, is President of the Chicago & North-Western Company, and Marvin Hughitt, a gentleman of great railroad experience, is General Manager.

Green Bay & Minnesota Railroad. The line of road operated by this company extends from Fort Howard to the Mississippi River, opposite Winona, Minn. This line is 216 miles in length, and was built through a sparsely settled and heavily timbered section of the State. It began under most discouraging circumstances, yet was pushed through by the energy of a few men at Green Bay and along its line. It was originally chartered, in 1866, as the "Green Bay & Lake Pepin Railroad Company," to build a road from the mouth of the Fox River, near Green Bay, to the Mississippi River, opposite Winona. But little was done except the making of preliminary surveys in 1870.

During 1870-71, forty miles were constructed and put in operation; in 1872, one hundred and fourteen miles were graded, the track laid, and the river, opposite Winona, was reached, sixty-two miles further, in 1873. In 1876, it acquired the right to use the track between Winona and Onalaska, in La Crosse County, known as the "Winona Cut-Off," and belonging to the Chicago & North-Western Railway Company, and built a track from Onalaska to La Crosse, a distance of seven miles, thereby connecting their road with the chief city of Wisconsin, on the Mississippi River. The city of La Crosse aided in this extension by subscribing $75,000, and giving its corporation bonds for that amount. A change in the name of the corporation. is contemplated to take place at the next election of officers, on the 1st of September, 1881, when the corporation will become the "Green Bay, Winona & St. Paul Railroad Company."

RAILROAD BRIDGE.

Civil Engineer Dodge, of the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company, with maps and surveys for a railroad bridge across the Mississippi River, near La Crosse, by invitation, met several of the citizens of La Crosse, at the International Hotel, on Tuesday evening, April 30, 1872, to discuss the bridge matters. He gave very full information in regard to the surroundings, currents and distances on the proposed routes or sites for a railroad bridge. The discussion elicited the statement that the site selected by the engineer was, from the engine or round-house, in the Fifth Ward (formerly North La Crosse), across the lower end of French Island, to a point

on the Minnesota bank, a short distance above the old warehouse, near the La Crescent Ferry landing. This site he had selected with sole reference to the desire of the company to secure the shortest and most direct route between Chicago and St. Paul, and without any special regard for the interests of other existing or contemplated railways, on either or both sides of the Mississippi, centering at or near La Crosse. The interests of navigation demanded, however, that in order to have the least possible obstructions to commerce on navigable waters, these several railroads should all use one and the same bridge.

Subsequently, in August, information was received from the War Department, to the effect that the final deliberations of the Board of United States Engineers, consisting of Col. Macomb, of Rock Island; Col. Weitzel, of Louisville; and Col. Merrill, of Cincinnati, in respect to the location of the railroad bridge at La Crosse, the result of which was announced in the following brief, but definite communication from Col. Macomb to Gen. Rusk, member of Congress from this district:

Hon. J. M. Rusk, M. C., La Crosse, Wis.:

ROCK ISLAND, ILL, August 1, 1872.

DEAR SIR:-Bridge site recommended is at the foot of Mount Vernon street, La Crosse.
Very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,
J. N. MACOMB,
Colonel Engineers United States Army.

By authority of the Chief of Engineers, United States Army.

It can readily be seen that this site was about two miles south of the one proposed by Engineer Dodge. The objectionable points raised by the citizens relative to the site proposed by Engineer Dodge were, "Chiefly, because the banks and islands of the Mississippi in that vicinity were often overflowed to such an extent as to render it difficult for navigators to have any accurate information as to the channel; and the bridge, if located there, would, besides increasing the hazards of navigation, have required two draws over the Mississippi and Black Rivers, and prevented convenient access to it by other railways on both sides of the Mississippi."

To the site proposed by the United States Engineers, the railway company finds objections : "Chiefly, because it would have increased the length of their road two miles; the right of way through the city was very expensive and troublesome to get; the road would be required to station flagmen at every street-crossing; trains would be compelled to run slow, and it would be necessary to use an eight-degree curve to turn northward from the bridge-a thing to be avoided if possible, particularly in a city among densely crowded buildings where an engineer cannot see five rods ahead of his train."

These certainly were grave objections on both sides. On Monday, December 9, 1872, Congressman Dunnell, of Minnesota, introduced a bill in Congress, to repeal the act of June 4, 1872, regulating the construction of a bridge across the Mississippi River, and also to authorize the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company to build a bridge across the Mississippi at North La Crosse.

The act of June 4 is the one under which the Government Engineers located the bridge at the foot of Mount Vernon street.

This bill was, of course, introduced at the solicitation of the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company, on the grounds that if they were to build where the engineers had located it, it would cost the company $200,000 extra at first, and $16,000 annually in maintenance.

At a meeting of the Common Council of the city of La Crosse, in February, 1873, the following ordinance was adopted:

AN ORDINANCE GRANTING CERTAIN PRIVILEGES TO THE SOUTHERN MINNESOTA RAILROAD COMPANY-
BRIDGE DIVISION.

THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LA CROSSE DO ORDAIN:

SECTION 1. The Southern Minnesota Railroad Company, Bridge Division, a corporation organized under the laws of Minnesota, its successors and assigns, are hereby authorized and empowered to use and occupy the east bank of the Mississippi River, at the foot of Mount Vernon street, for the erection and maintainance of all piers, abutments, draws and approaches required in the construction and operation of a railroad bridge from the foot of said Mount Vernon street to the Minnesota shore.

SEC. 2. The said Southern Minnesota Railroad Company, Bridge Division, is hereby authorized and empowered, for the purpose of using and operating said railroad bridge, and connecting the track or tracks of any other road seeking transit over said bridge, to use and occupy the whole of Mount Vernon street, from the west line of Second street to the Mississippi River, with all necessary ties, timbers, rails, tracks, sidewalks, switches and buildings; provided, that the crossing of Mount Vernon, Brown and Front streets shall not be thereby obstructed so as to prevent the safe passage of teams and foot passengers.

The remaining two sections of this ordinance are omitted, as they do not refer wholly to the construction of the bridge. Subsequently the La Crosse Transit Railroad Company was organized, and among other things of considerable importance to the city, agreed to procure, or cause to be built, a railroad bridge across the Mississippi River, from the foot of Mount Vernon street, in the city of La Crosse to the Minnesota shore, on the location made by the Engineers of the War Department, provided the city of La Crosse would issue bonds to them to the amount of $150,000.

The bonds were issued in April, but were not to be delivered until the bridge was completed and the cars running over it. The Directors of this Transit Company were C. W. Thompson, J. W. Losey, B. G. Lennox, Abner Gile, S. L. Nevins, Angus Cameron, John Paul, Fred Tillman, of La Crosse, and H. A. Taylor, of New York.

The bill that was before the Wisconsin Legislature relative to the construction of the bridge by the Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Company was vetoed by Gov. Washburn, when it was passed over the Governor's veto in the Assembly by a vote of 39 ayes to 29 noes. The veto, however, was sustained by the Senate by a vote of 12 to 15, upon the announcement of which the city of La Crosse was thrown into a whirl of excitement and joyous intoxication. Those who had flags gave them to the breeze as rapidly as they could be run out, and the city was soon handsomely decorated with national emblems, cannon boomed at regular intervals during the day, showing no limit to the expressions of gratitude by the people of the city. This veto left the only charter and the exclusive right of building this bridge to the Southern Minnesota Railroad Company. The Milwaukee & St. Paul Company then called for a new Board of Examiners in the question of the location, but Secretary Belknap, of the War Department, refused to appoint a new Board, and approved of the location of the bridge as determined by the Government Engineers. July 22, 1873, the Milwaukee & St. Paul Company commenced driving piles in the western channel of the Mississippi, for the foundation of the railroad bridge piers, this being on the location first determined by Engineer Dodge. Application was immediately made by the United States to the Circuit Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, at Madison, for a preliminary injunction to prevent the Milwaukee & St. Paul Company from further obstructing the river by work on their bridge.

It came up before Judge Hopkins, July 29, who adjourned the case until the September Term at La Crosse. An order was also entered enjoining the company from placing any more

obstructions in the river.

The following is an exact copy of the order made by the Court, when in session in La Crosse, in September: "It is hereby ordered, adjudged and decreed that an injunction be issued pursuant to the prayer of the bill herein, strictly forbidding, enjoining and restraining the said defendant, the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company, its agents, contractors, laborers. servants and officers, and each and every one of them, under the pains and penalties which may fall upon them, from placing any stone, piling or bridge materials, and from proceeding to construct any bridge in or across the Mississippi River in the vicinity of the city of La Crosse, in said Western District of Wisconsin, at or near the locality described in the bill of complaint in this suit, until further order of the Court."

The following is a brief statement in full, relative to the trouble which arose regarding the construction of the railroad bridge:

A contest unprecedented in bridging navigable streams arose, and soon assumed national importance; and yet, underlying it, was and always has been an apparent injustice, which time developed into a gross wrong on the travel and commerce of the West. La Crosse, a city of about sixteen thousand inhabitants, is situated in the toe of a horse-shoe, the two heels of the

shoe being represented by bluffs on the Minnesota and Wisconsin shores of the Mississippi River, past which bluffs all vessels touching at La Crosse must move.

The Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company, with their then 1,395 miles of road, 500 miles of which, with direct tributaries laid between Chicago and St. Paul, passed one of these bluffs on the Wisconsin shore near La Crosse, and went direct to the Mississippi, approaching its banks by a hill through a ward of the city of La Crosse, crosses the Black River (which debouches into the Mississippi at La Crosse), a stream navigable only for logs, by a substantial iron bridge, built under the authority of the State of Wisconsin. Directly across the river from that point, its road approached the shore in Minnesota. There were centering at or near that point three railroad interests:

First. The Milwaukee & St. Paul, a through line from Chicago to St. Paul, and the main thoroughfare for travel on that route.

Second. The Chicago, Dubuque & Minnesota, a short line on the west bank of the Mississippi River, between Dubuque, in Iowa, and La Crescent, in Minnesota, its track terminating and its depot built on the Mississippi, at the point for bridging selected by the Milwaukee & St. Paul company, and hence an ally of that company in its location, although the year previous opposed to it.

Third. The Southern Minnesota Railroad, a road then 167 miles in length, had a bonded debt of $27,500 per mile; a floating debt of $1,000,000 in the hands of a Receiver since November, 1872; proceedings in bankruptcy pending against it in the United States Court at St. Paul; with no Eastern connection except via the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway; stocked for $25,000 per mile, its stock worth less; its bonds an unsalable drug; its reputation and credit bankrupt, and, where known, freely denounced.

In February, 1868, Congress authorized the Southern Minnesota Railroad to construct a bridge across the Mississippi River at La Crosse. That company had their road in operation for five years; they had built no bridge; their business neither required nor warranted it.

In 1872, the Milwaukee & St. Paul Company, having connected their road at La Crosse with their road to St. Paul, asked and received from Congress a charter to bridge the Mississippi, at such point as they might select, between the county of La Crosse, in Wisconsin, and the county of Houston, in Minnesota.

The act authorized the construction of several bridges, and provided "That the structures herein authorized shall be built and located under, and subject to, such regulations for the security of navigation of said river as the Secretary of War shall prescribe.'

This, it seems to us, was all that public policy or necessity required. It was more than the safeguards usually provided for in like charters. Under it the Government could descend to the most minute details in protecting the river, and in so placing the bridge with the stream as to secure navigation against any unnecessary hindrances If the regulations were disobeyed, the Federal courts had jurisdiction to cause the structure to be abated if it were found unnecessarily to obstruct the traffic on the water. June 4, 1872, a new act slipped through Congress. It applied solely to all bridges thereafter constructed over and across the Mississippi River, under authority of any act of Congress, and provided "That in locating any such bridge, the Secretary of War should have due regard to the security and convenience of access, and to the wants of all railways and highways crossing said river.'

Under this last act, the Secretary of War first assumed to control the location of the bridge at La Crosse. The Milwauke & St. Paul Company located their bridge in June, 1872, preparatory to building. They asked to have their location approved. It was referred to Gen. G. K. Warren, who reported on June 29, 1872, and the location was thus spoken of: "This location of the bridge and draw is not objectionable to navigation on the Mississippi River, provided the proper works are built to always maintain the channel through the draw." But that location, while it terminated in La Crosse, on the Wisconsin shore, was two miles above La Crosse on the opposite side, and the Mayor and Board of Trade of that city insisted that the St. Paul road should be drawn two miles out of its direct line to inject a railroad in the center of their city,