Indiana State sentinel., 1848-05-11
Published every Thursday. I


scrpon to the stock Of this road opened at this
place, and on Tuesday evening o. H. Smith addressed
our citizens from the porch of the Washington Hail.
on the Importance of the work. We cannot, in this
brief sketch, give the remarks of Mr.. Smith at
length, as he dwelt at large upon the subject in its
different bearings. We only epitomize his main
positions He maintained that this road was Of great
importance to central Indiana; that il was but line,
of eighty miles in the great chain of railroad
munication from Boston, New York and Philadelphia
to St. EFes, Tpning through central Indiana. He
showed by the map which he exhibited that the rail-
road lines from Boston and New York. running north
west to Sandusky, being completed the immense tra-
vel and business from and to those cities, would
centrate at and pass that point He showed that the
railroad from that point Bellefontaine the d.
route, in operaton-that the route direct
from Belefontnine to indianapolis, distance of only
140 miles, and that when that link shall be complet-
ed, the great chain will be entire from New Yc'k and
Boston to indianapolis. Of this 40 miles he said
Indiana had only about SO miles to make, and Ohio
about 90 miles-that the route of the cheap
est and best in the west and through one Of the
most fertile countries in the valley of the Mississippi
He showed, by the map, that the route of the road
from Bellefontaine to St. Louis direct and al
most straight the line of this railroad to ST.
Louis through Sydney, Winchester, Muncie, Ander-
son, Pendleton, indianapolis, Terre Haute and Van
daa, and that il was greatly the shortest route be-
tween New York and Philadelphia and ST. Louis. He
showed the Chicago route, and the Cincinnati route
from Sandusky to ST. Louis-pointed out the position
of those Cities and their distance from the direct and
true route through central Indiana He said that the
routes through Chicago and Cincinnati the op-
posing and rival routes of the central Indiana route,
and he earnestly maintained that the time had now
come when central Indiana had decide whether the
immense travel emigration, and business Of the west
should pass around 60 through central Indiana.
He said the centre had the route, the country, the
people and the means, and it only required concert
and action, to insure, at very light cost, by pro-
itabIe investment, the extension from Beefontaine
of this route through the centre of the State. He
showed the policy of the people of Cincinnati, by
which they had built up that great City of the West.
and why it that they had abandoned the Terre
Hauts and Richmond route. Il was, he said because
Cincinnati had the road from Sandusky complet-
ed and she would favor no road that would divert the
travel from that road before reached Cincinnati and
therefore the Cincinnati policy was, favor direct
road from that place ST. Louis such would be their
course and central Indiana called upon, in self
defence, to give to her own people and to the
people of the eastern cties an opportunity, at least
of passing upon direct route between ST. Louis
and Sandusky, through central Indiana, and not
to force them round by either Cincinnati on the
east or Chicago the north. He spoke of the po-
sition of Indianapolis, the line, and said that 1t
vas destined, if proper policy pursued, to be
the great mart of business for the interior centre of
this immense agricultural region of country That it
was at about the same distance from Sandusky that
Cincinnati was, and upon the line. 100 miles
from the Lakes. and that goods could be brought at
as little cost from Boston, New York PHILADELPHIA,
as they could Cincinnati, when this road shall be
completed-and that there was no more reason why
the people of indianapolis and the surrounding
try, should 90 to Cincinnati to buy goods than that
those of Cincinnati and Ohio should come to Indian
apolis buy them. He dwelt upon the Importance
of ntersecting the great current Of western emga-
tion Sandusky. and opening the New York, Boston
and Philadelphia markets to our farmers; and he
asked those who had been talking of route TO
Wheeling, why it that Cincinnati had not taken
that route as Wheeling was so much nearer Cincn-
natl than Sandusky! He answered. that the Wheel
ing route would not meet the great current of trade
and business from Boston and New York, nor open
the markets of those cities to Cincnnat and he said
the same reasons should operate the people of GEN.
trail Indiana in selecting their He spoke of
the Philadelphia route by Pittsburgh and showed that
it a direct route, through Belefontaine. the
central Indiana route to 81. Louis-presenting the
map, and showing by the lines, that the New York
and Boston routes and the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh
route, intersected at Beefonaine so as to give the
west the choice of routes from Bellefontaine east
He said he did not design to disparage the Peru or
Lafayette railroads; he wished them all constructed
he of opinion that these works would aid each
other, while they would enrich the farmers of the
country. He differed entirely from those who be-
leved that railroad to indianapolis would make
the city, but that several would destroy he thought
the more the better. He earnestly called upon the
citizeFa of Indianapolis to take stock their ability
should enable them, enable the Company to organ
ze at once, and prosecute the work completion as
soon as possible. He maintained that the stock must
be good and referred to other works prove it. He
spoke of the Madison Rai-road-showed its import
ance and the great benefit it would derive from the
construction of the road north. He spoke of the
Terre Haute road, being another link of the great
chain, and carrying it TO the great valley of the
Wabash. upon the direct route to 81. Louis. He
spoke of the road from Richmond to Indianapolis
denied that if constructed it would be rival in in
terest Of the indianapolis and Bellefontane Railroad
direction upon the Wheeling route, and the
other upon the northern, and although it would cross
the road from Sandusky to Cincinnati, yet it would
be at point SO near to the Ohio, probably Dayton,