Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1853-01-14
RAILROADs IN WISCONSIN,

ofrailroad communication. Illinois, Indiana
and Ohio are pushing forward many noble
enterprises with all the vigor which the in
fluence of capital can command. Whether
the multitude of roads which are now build
ing in these States, will all prove good in
vestments to the stock holders, remains to
be determined; but whether good invest
ments or not, the influence on the business
and agricultural interests of the country are
pretty much the same, especially where capt.
tallsts abroad are the principal stockholders.
The aggregate rise of real estate in Illinois,
has been immensely large since the COM
mencement of the various railroads in that
State. The millions of acres of wild prairie,
which were before deemed comparatively val
uless on account oftheir remoteness from mar
kets and the channels of commerce. are now
being sought after and bought up at contin-
ually advancing prices
! In the construction of most of the roads
now under contract in the Western States
the people of the states furnish but small
proportion of the capital actually employed;
it is the money chiefly of eastern capitalists
that builds the roads. This is true of many
of the most gigantic railroad enterprises in the
west: the people of the west are not impov-
erished or Strengthened in their MEANS while
the Improvements are being made; on the
contrary they are enjoying the advantage Of
the circulation of foreign capital among them
the enhancement Of the value Of their real
estate, and securing increased facilities for the
transportation of the agricultural products
of the country and the importation of the
necessaries and Injuries of life. The ten
dency of railroads to increase the value of the
real property of state has SO frequently
been demonstrated by facts and statistics,
that it is superhuous to add any additional
testimony on that point.
The spirit of railroad enterprise appears
now to be as generally diff'used among the
people of Wisconsin, as among those of any
of the Western States. If we are behind IL
linois in the work of building railroads. it is
not because the people of this state have lees
appreciation of the advantages of these i'm
proyemcnts, but it is because we have but
just emerged as state from a condition of
comparative infancy to manhood. There are
now a large number of railroad projects ear
nestly spoken of in this state-some of this
number will doubtless be constructed soon
others are yet distant in prospect. The Lake
Shore road, Rock River Valley road
Southern Wisconsin road, the BeIot and Bel
videre branch, Milwaukee and Lacrosse, and
Milwaukee and Fon du Lac, are certain to be
built within a space Of from one to thret
years. There are Others, perhaps, which
: have equally as fair a prospect of construc
ton at an early day. Whenever either or all
of the aforementioned roads shall have been
built, real estate property in the interior dis.
trcts of country through which they pass
will be increased in value at least double the
cost of the roads. Stock in the roads a
bove mentioned, beyond question, will be a
good investment
Eastern capitalists will run no hazard by ma
king investments in any Of the roads in this
state, which are 50 located as to render them
the great channels of inter-communication
An opportunity is offered to capitalists abroad
to invest in Wisconsin roads with a reasona-
bic certainty ofrealizing handsome dividends
while at the same time the country will be
greatly advantaged in the expenditure of the
money.
There is danger, however, that too ma
nv roads will be undertaken in this State
within the next two years. and that eXtrava-
giant and ruinous expenditures will be incur
red on improbable and injudicious routes.
There is probably not village of five
hundred inhabitants in this state, that
has not some railroad scheme which is being
pressed with earnestness and zeal. Incorpo-
rated towns freely offer their bonds, counties
offer their credit and individuals are ready to
mortgage their property every little town
appears to see some superior merit in its own
prospective railroad project. In one county
in this state, there are ten townships, newly
settled, and in which there are no important
villages; vet these ten towns have offered tc
pledge their credit in the aggregate amount
of $4,000. 1t may be that the citizens o
these towns have weighed well the enterprise
in which they propose to embark, but SHOULD
some rival railroad happen to be constructed
rendering the stock in theirs below par, the
membranes would be too burdensome to be
removed-perhaps in alife time, Not all the
roads which are now in contemplation, can be
paying ones for years to come, should they
be built; yet disinterested observer cannot
failto discriminate, and determine as to such