The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1853-04-16
For the Free Trade
I'll, Illinois River Brid.e.

Msssrs Editors -ln looking over 'he Ottawa
papers notice that arrangements have been mad'
by"trn gentlemen" Of your city 10y which We aT'
ohayc bridge across the Illinois IVrt IN cours'
OF the ensuing year, provided the people OF Qua
wa will couScut to lending the credit OF the ciiy IL
those ten individuals Tor go eco
By"lcnding the credit OF lac city understand
thar the CITY !. not To borrow the money, orcNrl
To- pay the intsre>, upon It, but SIMPLY 10 consen
that these ten gentlemen" shall use the Ra'nc u
m, eng as security They taking the bonds %
ofrh- civ snd IN them borrow the mour, nn'
nj, Tong the bridge to the CITY for their payment
Farther than his, the city ~ 'uhh' tSN' MS q
certainly lair enough -.
should. however ike - asc, r'ain, '''''e -''
arrangement J, concluded, whether tn,~i- we '''
plan by which tins bridge can be built, orb, w. '.
the requisite amount at means can be raised, a''a
II is solely with 4 view Of c,ciuug information up
ON tbs point that ASK YOU to give tins place IN
your paper
The inhabitants Of this side otIlc r,cr feel me-
need OF bridge probably mo,r than the citizens ct
Ottawa do The iyrIy has been source oi u.o,-
lrrahlc ANNOYANCE to ms, 50 that We have frequent
" preferred taking our produce to la Sale and
Peru. some sN orrrsht miles farther, and ,rIhog IL
Their. at lower ii cures than we're then paid IA o.
tawa. simply because We drprsrd patrouEing So
contemplate a man rs Mr tlradruhurgh, who
seems to own The privilege oicJoSSing the uNeT ~"
miles above and below hisprca,ant irrN and who
hjng advantage Of this right has been ruorung
from us from 20 ceute to 81 ~ an stmIuance Re
inn, yopr town. whenever we have Icit disposed TO
,r,3- with yonr merchant, aud ,Iadesmen, OF have
desired 10 haul 10 YOU our grain. Then, too. not
untrrourntlv. when We were willing to ray ihiseN'
orhi,ani tax iut the purpose ct obtaining some M
dlspcusah,rs IN Ottawa, We have been DELAYED
enough m crossing the riysr, 10 have justified Ms 10
gong 10 Peru or even farther for them ond-''
then. with " l. matter M which every man, wo-
man and child iees a drep interest, andauy posi-
blc means by which ono can he secured vi. have
our cordairo-operaion ottawa has goodman.
ket, probably the b,s, brtweeu Chicago and ST
Louis and / noticed, during the .a~,wlu'er that
gra.> Of yor,ou. kinds hulfrr,sg &c frequently
brouahtmorr IN your market Than The same arr-
cles did in Chicago. The people here know 'hI.
yet. there exists sncha feeling against your ferry,
that We cannot allow ourselves 20 pnlrou4e you
a. lou- as wr are obliged To reach year market.
your stores shops and manufactures AZ the plea
sure and pace otsuch man s., now conro.ss the
uanct OF The uyer.
For as. tlsa, % 10 oar trading in Ctgrr rr
must hIss bridge! and such bridge rs viii
give US access 10 your markr, and trade a, as Tor
lar as can possibly be ofJrded | have no taul.
10 find with the panpropu,ed by the zen althO'
il does uoteSac'Iy suit me The following Plan, /
;n,nk, would be more popular on this sii~. and
somewhat more advantageous 90 youryoung
Let Ottawa take sI0Coo Of he stock. Aud Jet
the towns Interested ON this side take 81 eco each.
as contemplated 5y the charter There are SIX
towns on tbs s.lr 'ha,are directly interested, and
,~wa. 3D.. -r.- 100 g..e .- ,r~ 90 Them,
.-r- &c.. -. Thu, you'd make SO Gee
ise .1- would co.t $4,000, 81 even
more, A. there .ucontemp.auon an amendment
OF the pres,B, charter the company thus iorm,d
might he authorized to borrow the balance. With
such resources my bridge builder would inkc the
lob. aud il all the balance could the raisedLy a
loan, BE- would trust TO tie tolls Tor H.
But am confident ;hat ID this amoun: was once
su1scritcd by the WINS there would be no t!oUJ.s
IN obtaining the rest.
This arrangement would give on the south
side hand in the management Of The bridge and
in fixing the rate oftolls Sc, which would 20 iai
to keep down that prejudice WEIGH pcop'" arev-'
~ apt to nursh against establishments ct this kind
no matter how great terir utility, for the usr -
which they are required 10 pay reasonable con
sidera'on. Ourpeople, lrereNt rant a. ohr0p
crossing as fieycna possib'p get, and doubles
the same feeling obtains in Ottawa, tor,hs lowe
the tolls upon the bridge. the greater the induce
ment for Us to cross on it and TO give our trade Il
your town in preference o nny other
II then this plan should be adopted, and IN
towns hare aud orcn the bridge and oil Ihe stock
they could at any time reduce the tolls 10 so low
hgur, as to MAKE It almost equal TO free brcg'
The inhabitants of the towns and city being m
mutual advantage TO have a ,rse bridge the
might. as soon as III, bridge had paid for iisrI
makeitso, with The exception otralslng enough {
keep i, in repair.
But should the bridge 90 into the hands of
company, and they have the entire control {
IT. and having a monopoly OF the CROSSING
they will put on good stiff toll and keep
on as long as the bridge STANDS. In the hands
n company who build It for speculation, on
whose object is TO get land they have pcrte,
nigh, to- the most they can from their money il
vested II will be OF bot little more good TO both
and the City Of Ottawa than the ferry IS llg
tolls or even reasonable ones, will soon give dr.
satisfaction among a certain class OF men, an
from them II will spread TO othes, and IN a ie
years there would be genera! dislike to the bridg
and the trade OF Ottawa would, TO a certain c;
tent would have 10 suffer for It, but ilthe tow
owned ii, then the inhabitants would have an il
, teres in it and would feel more willing to patrol
lzs H. As they would be the recipients Of its profit
As,o this towns that take the stock. they Won
probably not be required to pay the interest upo
|, II more than one year. Those taking 81 OF
would only have TO raise 3 lO0 allowing that the
aua,S could not be disposed Of at lower rate TIA
, ten per Get. For this purpose a small tax on re
estate, which woclG fall equally on non.resden
and residents. might be !el,cd by the towns I
one year, ot-r that the bridge wUu,@ pay Tue int
estani nee round sum towards ligUda'nS u
principal,
h Such are few remarks which lwsh you to Ia
before the citizens OF Ottawa and OF the south 81,
for their consideration before the subject IL entire
Opposed oiby vote in favor olthe plan OF the"t,
gentlemen" A SOUTHSlDER.
T,,,,,,. ryyr,,t u amman -Colnncl Mac