The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1851-02-15
OTTAWA, ILL, SAiURDAY, FEBRUARY Is, 1851.

! tG,) to no less per mile than "a $50 s2-wbich
IA the fall cost of the road complete according to
! the data herewith submitted for or exnmina.
! ton
/ H by s'rct economy aud inferior execution Of
some parts Of the work the original cost of III.
road With single track should b- reduced 10 SeS.
600 per mile the cost complete, with double track
would then amount to about S35 100000
| Whether any man in his senses would desire
10 contract for more tlan $50 miles of such road
al any one time, may perhaps be Judged Of by
the simple inspection Of table H. where it M.
pears that for that distance oniv, single tract;
road will cost EIGBIEFN AND HALF Millions and
double track TWENTY SEVEN MILLIONS Of dollars
according TO the data of the previous tables.
Never before has such boon been offered 10
any state or nation rs is now offered to Illinois
The railroad is the most powerful instrument. for
the diffusion among the whole mass Uf popua.
tion, Of the blessings of civilization. which the
ingenuity OF man has yet invented The United
Kingdom Of Great Britain an8 Ireland which
has expended more wealth m railways than all
the rest Of the world together, has but one mile
Of railway TO every five Thousand inhabitants
Should her Central railway be added 10 those
now IN process Ui construction Illinois will have
one mile to less than a thousand inhabitants
The system Of railways of Belgium ~ the adull
ration of the world Belgium constructed 3lT
miles OF these lron canals for her five millions of
people. Illinois will have more than one thous
and miles, to less than one million Of inhabitants.
II Is OF more importance 10 the people of the
state OF illinois, that this most magnificent of the
work ofhuman art, measured by its benefits
and not Jy its sLlendor, should be completed in
four years rather than in ten years than ten times
thc value of the lands donated by congress. II
ia pt 81.
that an avenue which 10 compete with the Mi,
slssippi, no mean competitor should be well
built, and well equipped, rather than wretchediy
built and scantily equipped than ten times the
value Of the lands donated by congress. This
Central iron river, Crossin. the whole breadth Of
our national territory, and opening the basl. of
the lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, and recprocnll,
the gull to the great internal seas, will do more
to rryct together the general and permanent n
tcrests OF the north and the south, the east and
'he west, and thereby to strengthen and confirm
the durability of the North American Union.
and that fabric Of government on which the hope,
Of the world repo>c' than all the defamation on
the yaluo Of the Union, with which the lpgisa.
tive halls Of the several states Of this coafedera.
cy have resoundcd.
While the road which we propose to bud be.
sides It's social and political influence on the na.
ton will add two hundred millions of dollars to
the wealth of the people Of the state of Illinois
III the next ten years no obligation of duty or Of
patriotism develves on US, to build it Mt our own
loss, or without the prospect Of reasonable rcmu.
neTaton, 1t would be 80 Judge unworthily Of the
nIasnanmIty Of great and generous people to
suppose for moment, that they would desire or
even consent, that the memorialists whom | have
the honor to represent, should prepare for their
benefit. the nltlWay over which th. b,,p1raJ