Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-09-09
For the journal.
Our Railroads.

Mr.. EDITOR You are aware of the fact
that the destinies of Muscatine are held by
a very slender cord; and it behooves every
one who feels an interest in her welfare to
do all in his power to rescue her from her
precarious situation and seeing the time
is near at hand when her doom may be un-
alterably fixed at ore blow, ieel it to be
my duty to do all my power to avert that
blow. | allude to the fact that on the first
Monday of October next, the question will
be submitted to each voter in the county oil
Muscatine, whether he will have q railroad
or not? The question is fairly before him.
believe in just so many words, and in tina.
shape, aud in no other shape could it have
been put more fairly. As the result OF
that vote will tell for veal OR woe, for OIL
against the future prosperity Of Muscatine,
the question narrows itself down into nut
shell. Muscatine must beup and doing,
and while railroads are being built on the
north and on the south, we must have rail-
roads. We have harped on our natural
advantages long enough; the kinks are be-
ing taken out of the Mississippi river, and
ere one year more rolls around that trade
which has enriched our merchants, and
filled our warehouses with produce, will, in
great measure, be taken from US. And it
behooves us to strain every nerve to retain
our present position; we can do it if we
but act but action we must have. 1t is
known to most of the voters Of Muscatne
county that the offer has been fairly and
squarely made by responsible company to
our people, that if they will subscribe one
third OF the stock necessary to build our
railroads, (the one to Oskaloosa, and the
other to Cedar Rapids,) they will furnish
the other two-thirds, and build them at
once and by building these two roads we
will be made more than whole our trade
will not only be retained, but will be in
creased three-folds. And this sum ask
ed for, with what is already subscribed,
will secure them both. Then who is it,
that will not, for a few years, be willing to
pay fifty cents tax On the hundred dollars
OF his taxable property, to secare such de-
sirable ends as these? That is all you can
IN any event be called upon to pay, for the
hrst two years. And when the road is fin
ished, the dividends will pay the interest
without taxing you one cent, and in a very
few years pay the principal. To prove this
fact We have only to show what has been
the result in one or two cases of thu kind,
some years since. Franalin county, Ohio,
voted like sum to railroad passing
ing through Columbus, which met with the
most obstinate opposition, but was finally
carried, for $250,000, and in few years.
the road was completed, and the stock was
so profitable that the county sold out her
interest in the road, and realized S3O. 600
profits. And Gre ne county also took small
loan in road running from Cincinnati tt
Aenia, and realized some SIS 900 profits OF
her bonus. And We may bring it nearel
home. The Chicago and Galena railroad
has lately declared in favor of the stock
holders dividends Of twenty-five per cent.
per annum. And what advantage could
that road have over ours? We pride our
selves in having one of the best agricultu-
raj counties in the world, and l believe we
may with propriety.
Now, it these are facts, who is it that
will be so blind and selfish as to cast his
vote against the railrord? The question is,
will We have railroad or not? Think we'll
before you make up your mind to vote
against the railroad. If there is man in
the county who has IN inclination to do so,
that one vote you are about to give may be
the casting vote; and won!1 NO" 10 ~: ling
to defeat SO important an enterprise? You
would not dare to do SO, if you could be
singled out as the man who defeated the
Oskaloosa and Cedar Rapids railroads, by
one fatal vote. If you would under the
hight OF the present age, you would be poin-
ted at, and Kissed out of the community !;
then pause aud think before you doit.
ALPuA.