Western union. (City of Hannibal, Mo.) 1850-1851, 1851-06-26
For The Western Union
THE COUNTY SUBSCRIPTION.

THE COUNTY SUBSCRIPTION.
As in your last paper endeavored to show
some Of The more general advantages that will
result " the entire section Of Northern Nilsson.
ri which will be traversed by the Hannibal end
ST. Joseph Railroad, upon the completion Of the
proposed route, l will now attempt to evince
some Of the most important considerations which
should influence the citizens of Marion county
with regard to the contem plated county sub.
scription, in furlherence Of that project. have
been greatly surprised by the hostility, or, Of
the least, apathy, with which this measure has
been viewed, even by those who would unques.
tionably be beneftct in an eminent degree, BY
the success, of the desired system Of improve
men,. a spirit Of Jealousy and rivalry has
been excited for a considerable period, between
different portions Of the county, frequently
binding each TO the real interes, of the whole;
this contentious emulation should now he ear.
nes,ly deprecated, lest it again produce like eff
iccts. by tending to retard the completion of the
enterprise.
The earliest result TO be ioresecn, even from
the commencement Of the line, will be the rapid
increase Of this city in wealth pnd populations;
it will doubtless render Hannibal the great
central mari Cor all Of the State north Of the
Missouri river and will insure to her increasing
and uninterrupted prosperity. But the aIvan.
tages which will Immediately accrue to her,
are too readily perceptIble to require any argu.
ment to establish VI elucidate, and should com
maud the bes. energies Of oil Of her citizens.
to DO exerted in the promotion of her interests
in 50 material a manner. But the interests of
this city are completely identified with those of
the country surrounding; her interest is that Of
Marion county and any cause which will tend
to her advantage, is equally 10 the advantage of
the neighborhood Ii, from the effect Of the
contemplated railway, or by means Of any other
system Of internal improvement point Of i'm
por,ance is here created. the prosperity Of the
country around will be eightened in an equal,
or perhaps superior degree. The value oilands
will then be increased greatly and will receive
constant accessons in worth; by tho increment
Of the number Of consumers, the price Of mar.
ke,ing will be augmented; by the competition
which will be excited by the conilnx Of spec,a-
tors. who will be here attracted, the value of
every species Of staple produce will be en-
haEced; while, OF the same time, the price of
supplies and merchandise Of every description
will be inevitably lessened. The Hannibal and
St. Joseph Railroad will cause rapid improve.
men. in every respect, throughout, the countv,
wealth will be augmented, population will be
attracted hitler, and every species Of industrial
pursuit will be prosecuted with renewed fuci-
tiles. Such, at least, (for in this we can only
reason BY analogy) has been. uniformly, the
result Of all the experience Of the past for
wherever q city has arisen, tho country around
has been i'm proved. With the examples of st.
Louis and Quincy we are all familiar; and who
can doubt that Hannibal will become TO Marion
what Quincy is to Adams The cit, and coun
~ are mutually dependant, one upon the other,
and neither can prosper at the expense Of the
other; neither can flourish without advan-
tage enuring TO the other.
But, as by the charter, the route is directed
to traverse Palmyra, and as the work will be
of incalculable benefit to that place, beyond
question, we might expect to receive every CO.
operation from her citizens, to advance the cause
Of the road. Some Of them, however, have
expressed fears that the road would rather be
productive Of injury, supposng that the trade
and inhabitants would be diverted TO Hannibal.
Such think can never be the result. In the
article Of last week inserted an extract from
the report Of Maj. Garnet which conclusivey
demonstrates the influence which railways in
varably exert, not in inuring and destroying
the central towns through which they pass, but
in building them up. Certainly the contempa.
ted road. if it pass through the town, will draw
nothing from it which it possesses at present /;
il can only add to it. Palmyra will remain, as
it now is, y handsome country town; and the
centre and trading point, for ealthy and pop
uous neighborhood. As residence for per
sons of leisure, or country retreat from more
active business, Palmyra is by far the most de,
sirable place in this region. But tho Utopian
dreams which years ago were INDUCED, when
it was supposed that Palmyra would eventually
become the great center of attraction TO North
ern Missouri, have proven utterly fallacious.
Nevertheless. Palmyra will continue upon the
completion of this road passing through the
town, pleasant and ilouri.hing point; such be-
ing her destiny, does it not behuove her citizens
to exert every in iluence to promote the object
to be attained
In reality, there is no well founded reason
save the desire to benefit Palmyra, and to pro.
cure the assistance of that town, which could at
all operate TO influence the laying out of the
line TO traverse that place, Otherwise, it would
be detrimental, rather than advantageous, no,
alone to the interests of Hannibal, but OF all the
other sections of the route, thus to swerve
so widely from direct line. The experience
Of all the most skilliul engineers, cOncurs to
evidence the many and important advantages
which arise from making railway as near rs
is practicable, pursue strait direction. A
moments reflection will be sufficient to convince
any one Of tho truth Of this position; by this
mode money expended in a manner usee.sly
otherwise, is saved the time occupied in transit
is materially shortened; the charges of trans
portation ara reduced, ard the cost of keeping
the road in repair. and the incidental expenses
of fulfilling the enterprise, are considerably di-
minished. Such being tho result, would the
directory of the company, entertain any reason
able motive to desire the route thus TO be rem.
dsred crcuitous, in the event Of the refusal OF
L. l. -