La Crosse could have
bought Madison's stone crusher at a discount, but she wanted one new, with
the paint all on, fresh. Second-hand stone crusher? Not any for La Crosse.
So the city ordered a brand new one, right from the mint, at an expense of
about $5,000.
The idea was that it would be about as big as a straw cutter, or a job
press, and people were anxious to see it work.
Finally the city was notified that one train of cars loaded with the stone
crusher had arrived, with red flags on, betokening extra trains running
wild behind, and the city was told to come down to the depot and pay the
first installment of freight, and take the stone crusher away--that part
of it that had arrived. The aldermen went down and took an
inventory of the hardware, and some of them went and jumped in the river.
At a cent a pound one can buy a good deal of cast iron for five thousand
dollars. The city bonded itself, and paid the freight, and during the
spring all of the trains loaded with the stone crusher arrived. It was
argued that the only way to get the stone crusher up to the city building
would be to give the railroad the right of way up town, right through Main
street.
Some were in favor of letting the railroad company keep it for freight,
but the company threatened to get out an injunction on the city.
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