Constantine republican. [volume] (Constantine, Mich.) 1836-1838, 1838-04-11

not pronounce the word guilty. BY a pre-
vious action of this house, the southern
railroad was established permanently as fal
as Centreville. No objection to thar deci
sion now prevails, but the immediate cause
Of complaint is from that point to New But.
falo. The committee refer to the appear.
ance Of the map they are as tenacious
now of direct line on the western division,
as they were of departure far to tho
north on the eastern DIVISION No reason
or explanation can inform thsi. =" the
road should angle at Centreville.
condemn the st. Joseph River for m..
the same angle. Here are seen by IT,
committee two unnatural things--the river
changing abruptly from a western to a
southwestern course at Lockport, passing
by Constantine and Mottville, and thence
wandering and winding fur In the state or
Indiana then, as il satisfied Of all that
state can give, returns ashamed of its con-
duct to its own state, and buries itself in the
soft bosom of Lake Michigan.
The same map shows that the commits.
soners bore off from Centreville in south.
western direction, laying down the railroad
through Constantine to Mottville, here eros.
sing the river. This, to the committee,
looks wrong. and they ask what objection
can be urged why the road should not pass
through Lockport, Cassopolis and Niles to
New Buffalo. will endeavor TO answer
the enquiry. am personally acquainted
with that section of the country; | am
pioneer of the west; drove the first car.
riage into Centreville built the first house
there, ! have resided there ever SINCE
It WIS then the haunt Of the Indian and the
wild beast Of the Foresight lovely and fas-
cinating in nature. | lived on hope, vet
my friends believed that hoped against
hope; and found, often too, that future
prospects made but slender food for pre-.
sent necessities. Yes, sir, entered the
wilds Of st. Joseph in 1880, and | know
from personal observation, every place,
nearly every section; and here distinctly
call on the honorable members from tho
county of Cass, to bear witness to nv
statements, and if err, that they rise in
their places and correct me, know them,
they are honorable and high. minded they
will not vary from what they know to be
the truth, though they are against me, though
their anxiety might cause them 20 look the
hills away, TO look rough places smooth, yet
their anxiety in This momentous question
will not move them they are like their
constituents whom they represent. They
know that have crossed repeatedly ever
the ground where this bill contemplaies to
vary the road, and have testified that in
my opinion, railroad could not be kept in
repair ifconstructed from Lockport through
the hills in the direction Of Cassopolis. Sir,
the shallow cut near Ypsilanti, shows us
the necessity of avoiding deep excavations
through sand hills; and if the permanency
of the road is affected in that place by
depth Of twelve feet, what may reasonably
be expected from q cut through of thirty
and sixty feet, when at the base of the hills
you find quicksands of loose and moving
nature, and add to this grade Of forty feet
to the mile, what will be the fate Of the road
during our heavy rains; will any man say
that one thunder shower would not lay the
whole fabric far under ground, or wash and
gully it to pieces and utterly destroy it for
ever? Now, in order to obtain some infor.
nation which is tangible, and which sup.
ports my own statements, refer you to the
report of the engineer. He estimates the
whole amount of excavation and embank.
ments from Monroe to Centreville, dis.
lance of one hundred and sixteen miles and
one.eighth, at one million six hundred and
ninety.two thousand three hundred and
eighteen cubic yards, and this estimate is
from the survey by the way of Tecumseh
and Jonesvle, which is considerably more
than by Adrian and Hillsdale. refer to
page 18th, report A. of the annual report
Of the Board of Commissioners of Internal
Improvement. And from Centreville to
Cassopolis, which is twenty-five miles and
a half, you find the amount to be one mil.
lion sixty three thousand four hundred and
twenty eight cubic yards of excavation and
embankment. Now, sir, it is admitted that
the first six miles from Centreyille west, and
the last eight miles, are over comparatively
level ground, which requires little or no gra.
ding. Then what do we discover that
which should astonish the friends of this
bil--a country Of sand hills eleven and
half miles in extent, requiring for single
track the excavation and embankment of
one million cubic yards. Give grade of
forty feet to the mile on that eleven and
half miles, and can the expense Of keeping
the road in repair be estimated Is it pru-
dent for the statesmen of this state TO make
the experiment, If il can be avoided, and a
level route found Now wish it were diff.
fereht-t would be source Of great salts.
faction to me, il the country were level
from Centrevlle to Niles by the way Of
Cassopols but is unfortunately not so, and
great must be the disappointment of the en-.
terprising Inhabitants Of the northern and
central portions Of the productive county
Of Cass, when they shall have read the re-
port Of the engineers sent out by the state
to make the survey. They cannot doubt
the correctness of his statements, as they
were made by man favorably disposed
towards the northern route he was aided
ia his survey BY some of the oldest settlers
on the route. Yet, I am Of opinion that
better route could be obtained four miles
farther south, but the elevation aud range Of
hills could not be avoided.
The same repor, shows that the commits
sioners caused three lines to be surveye'
across this tract of country. II will be pei
ceived that the southern tier Of township
are fractional, and that the south half &.
those counties are but ten miles in width.-
| does IA look lka nva,;on nj, the art Of III,