The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1849-12-03
From the Fincennes Gazette
What is to be dOnel,

|
seldom answered satisfactorily. What is tC
be done by Knox county. since the refusal o
the Illinois Legislature 10 grant the right o.
: way through that State, to the Ohio anc
, Mississippi Railroad2 The idea of waiting
perhaps for years before we get the right Of
locating the road, without the permis sion Of
our sister, to fix the terminus Oh the western
borders OF that State; and that too, at a
/ point where no rational man would think OF
locating it, with the slightest regard for the
interest OF the stockholders, is preposterols.
Ii Illinois believes that any man or set of
men will advance capital to improve that
state by railroad or otherwise, leaving to the
caprice OF the legislature to fix its termn US
from Galena to Cairo, wherever sectional
feeling or private interest may dictate, she is
much mistaken, and her own citizens, as well
as all others, will have to wend their way
over forest and prarie--through sand and
mud-as has been their wont in times past.
unless there is some little spark of public en-
terprise and national feeling manifested by
those most Interested in the introduction of
foreign capital, 20 give them an outlet for
their present abundant surplus individuals,
whether corporate or private, when confer
ring favor, feel but little disposition to have
their actions OF benevolence trammeled by
| those Tor whose interests they are willing to
advance their means. Such is the present
feeling OF all who heretofore have felt dis
posed to aid in the work of creating II system
| of improvements; which would ultimately
make Illinois one of the most favored States
of the Union. A spirit of supreme, selfish
ness seems to have actuated her law9ivers at
/ the late called session of her legislature; and
! for the present at least, all hopes of connect
ing with iron BANDS the commerce and trade
/ of the Wabash with the Mississippi are end
ed. We must look TO other means and other
interests to aid in transferring to the proper
market our immense and valuable agricultu-
raj products. The prize is a great one-the
benefits and gain to those who get it, invalu-
fable.
What is to be done? We answer Let us
communicate with the Ohio in our own State
where neither private interest nor public sell
itishness will prevent US from obtaining those |
advantages, which in other quarters we had |
hoped for. The Railroad from Evansville to
Princeton has been surveyed and will shortly |
tie placed under contract. That IN less than
tao years it will be completed there is no |
doubt. The whole dlstance is twenty six |
miles. A charter was granted last winter,
extending the road via Mount Carmel To o. |
ney, intersecting The Ohio and Mississippi
Railroad at that place. The completion oil
the last road, by the action of the Illinois
Legislature at its sessi on, must, for the pres
ent, be abandoned; and some new route taken
Tor the continuation Of the Evansville and
Princeton road. What continuation can be
more natural or more beneficial than to con-
meet the rOad sciM the Hd6ash at JinceR-
mes, thus opening an easy access 10 The OHIO
and making iace7n1eS the depot for the
1ehOte HGddsh trade including the rich re-
glon OF country west in Illinois, and embra-
eng the whole eastern section of that State
Tor fifty miles from the Wabash?
Make the road here-and to do this we
have only to complete about fifteen miles in
our own county to White river and aid in
the bridge across that stream, connecting
Gibson with Knox, and the lo0rk arW be con-
tinued here. Vanderburgh ana Gibson will
complete the work to White river, provided
our people will extend it to Vncennes, and
aid in the erection of Il bridge across White
river. For 1925 000 at the highest calcula-
ton, we can construct our portion of the work.
We subscribed 100000 to the Ohio and
Railroad Tor the work i'll our own +.
county. feel no wish to discredit that
work. | should like, above all things, to see
il completed, but, locally | doubt whether
the completion of Il Railroad to the Ohio at :
Evansville. would not be much more benefi-
caI to us, than the other could be, if compile
ted. 1t Is idle 10 suppose that the Cincinna-
tlans will extend that road to terminate here
until the right Of way is secured through =
Illinois, the road will not be made. The
100000 subscription Of Cincinnati may be.
and no doubt will be, applied to the creation
OF that part Of the road lying between Yer
non and Cincinnati, and connecting the Mad
lson and indianapolis Railroad with that city; Il
but this once completed, Cincinnati will afford D
but little aid in its extension west. The d
counties west will have to complete the road Il
if ever made to the Wabash. Can they do u
so? Have they the means? and, il made,
would the road, terminating here, and extern
ding no farther, pay? These are all ques-
tons worthy of note, and unless answered
we have, for years at least, no I
hope from this quarter. What then is to be y
done? Liestill-asl for ''little more sleep,
a little more slumber, little more folding Of b
The arms to Sleep" as Vincennes has done for o
the last thirty years, and see every town, of
which, in that time, we were the superior in
wealth, population and power-not now our
rirGts but our 1tperiOrS--marching ahead =
Of US in all that constitutes cities, and leav
ing Us far behind in the race Of improve A
ment. We have our dCstinies in our own S,
hands, and we shall be wise indeed if we so u
control them as to give us that character and v
rank among the towns of the Wabash that Il
should be our own. 1t is for as and for as il
1Ione to say. whether we shall be the Frennh IL
village of the 20 Post" or the commercial '
emporium on the Wabash of western Indiana ;,
and eastern Illinois. i,
lNbnt coN- XOI2 KNOX