Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1849-03-22
BURLINGTON HAWK-EYE.
PLANK ROAD-SIIALL THE CITY BECOME
A STOCKHOLDER.

PLANK RoAD-sIIALL THE CITY BECOME
sTOCKHOLDER:
Yesterdays Gazette contains for its leader an ar
ticle on the Plank Road which so fully and exactly
expresses our views on the subject that we
adopt il as our own.
It is with regret and modification that we &C.
knowledge ourselves disappointed in the he station
evinced to take mp the stock of the Burlington and
Mount Pleasant Plank Road. The books have been
open at this place for about three weeks and vet the
aggregate amount the subscriptions do not amount
TO ten thousand dOllars-about one sixth of the
amount necessary to the completion of the road
When the advantages which must inevitably result
to Burlington from the construction of the project
co road are taken into consideration, the meagre-
ness of this subscription tells badly for the enter
prise of our city. II falls far below what we had
right to expect, and far below the means of our cit
izens. We still hope that those who have been
. backward in encouraging the work will throw off
their indifference, and at once come forward as its
active patrons.
Burlington has advanced with great rapidity, and
is st advancing but will not do for her citizens
10 fold their arms and become silent and inactive
spectators Of her She has rivals and must
exert herself. No town or city, however great the
natural advantages, can hope to continue in career
OF uninterrupted prosperity, unaided by enterprise
and public spirit. A narrow and contracted policy
is sure to defeat itself. The selfishness which pre-
vents property holders from contributing to the
construction of improvements calculated to aug
ment the business Of place, is soon rewarded by
the depreciation of the value of their property.
In the present case the public are invited to en-
bark their means in no doubtful or visionary pro-
Ject. is emphatically work OF utility called for
oy the actual wants Of the country, and promising
remsneratlng profits. wherever similar roads have
been made they have been found to pay handsome
interest on the cost of constructions to say nothing
OF the influence they exert in creating business and
imparting value to property. The advantages of
having good road all the season through, between
the points proposed cannot be too highly estimated
Suppose, BY way Of illustration, that the road was
completed now; does any one believe that orr
streets, during the last two or three weeks, would
have worn the deserted appearance which they didp
Most certainly not. In consequence of the impassa
bic condition Of the roads farmers have been unable
TO employ their teams probably during the entire
spring; out 1t would have been far different with
'nose residing along the route Of the proposed i'm
proVement had it been completed. The plank road
Is as good in bad weather as in good; and herein
consists one Of its chief recommendations, When
all other thoroughfares are abandoned tho greatest
amount Of business may be expected 10 be done on
it.
Inc hardness Of individuals in taking up the ne
cessary amount Of stock has given rise to promo
son that the City, in its corporate capacity, shall
become stakeholder to the amount of $lo,ooo and
we understand that it has been decided to submit
ms question to vote Of the people at the April
election The proposition looks to loan Of Alo.-
900 by the City, to be paid to said COMPANY for an
equal amount of stock. Corporations interested in
particular improvement frequently resort to this
plan OF encouragement where individual enterprise
lails. The counties betwe en- Chicago and Galena,
lying along the route of the rail road that is to con-
meet those two points, are making handsome sub
scrptions to the stock Of said road and Chicago
and Galena, we believe, have both done the same
hing would not be difficult to demonstrate that
Wen constructed plank road, starting at Burning
ION and running thirty miles into the Interior is of
Importance to our city and the country through
which It passes, than rail road would be- for the
same disfdnce; and none who have properly advised
on the subject can doubt that it will pay
better interest on the investment than any wes-
tern rail road. There can be no question but that
the dividends on the stock would be amply sufficient
to pay the interest on the money borrowed.
We are firmly convinced that the prosperity Of
our city would be greatly advanced by the speedy
completion OF the work referred to, and hone that
oil who own foot of ground, or are otherwise in.
terested, will lend helping hand towards placing
us success beyond doubt. Now is the time for all
10 act. BY pushing forward in opening new ave-
nues Of communication improving old ones, and en-.
gasng to the extent ability in all enterprises
calculated to augment business, Burlington NAV be
advanced to city Of ten thousand inhabitants in a
very short period of time. But this desirable re-
suit can be attained through the practice Of no sell
lsh or nigsardly policy. We must labor to effect it.
Parsphrnse Of Gen. Shields Letter 10 Mr. Bree.s ~
the U. S. Senate.
BY my sowl now, what's that?
Dare We say Pm Pat?
Ye're a lying spalpeen Mr. Breese;
Pm the nate son of slaughter;
My blood poured "like water,',
Can stick ye before We can sneeze.
Say Pm fit for Senator
Spake It, or pen it, or
"l've sworn in my hearts yen be bled;
Twill be done in q trice,
And 50 nate and so nice,
YEN ne'er know ye're kilt till ye're dead.
CHrEL.
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