The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1853-11-26
THE MINI ES @ TIA N
saini yauI, Saturday, Hautmbtr Is, 1853.
n.i,r.ad Connections, South md East.

Minnesota would find her earliest means of rail-
We will now give our reasons for this belief:
The time has gone by, at least for period OF
years, when any new railroad schemes can oc
originated and carried through upon borrowed
capital. The great Pacific road may DC an ex-
ception to this fact but even that will hardly
be undertaken unless Congress prove liberal to-
wards,the company with grants Of either money
or lands. The business has been ovcrdone al
ready-,he capitalists of the world have : shut
down, on Railroad bonds and unless for the
completion of g-eat lines of road already part
" in operation, paying. and promising to pay
lbetter, this species of financicrng meets with
no favor in any of the great money marts. One
of the oldest and most influential commercial
presscs'f the West refers to this subject as fol-
lows:
-"Tkc signs of the times pretty clearly indi-
cate that the time for building railroads by
means of county and city bonds, and even mort
gagc bonds to limited extent is nearly past.
Lines already commenced. and which have dis
lposed of portion of their bonds, will get
through with heavy sacrifices. New roads OF
doubtful expediency. and which have but little
foundation in bona fde individual subscriptions
may as well give up the struggle. Ihcy cannot
succeed now whatever they may do hereafter.
The country has built enough of railroads on
borrowed capital the last five years, to make it
a healthy operation to stop and take long
breath and an accurate observation before rush
ing into new experiments We arc not sorry.
therefore, to know that city and county bonds
unless of the most unexccptionablc character
cannot be sold in New York, and that they can
not be showed of in Europe at any price. They
have enough of our bonds at the present They
wish to wait awhile, and see if all our fair pro-
misses are to be realized before they send us any
more of their gold for our promises to pay.
This being the fact, We of Minnesota, who are
too poor to build roads ourselves, must look to
outward means other than those referred to
above. We have demonstrated that the llli-
nois Central Company is fully able to continue
their road north from Dubuque to st. Paul, if
20 disposed. 1t is an enterprise every way
worthy their attention. Will they he likely to
make final stopping place at the bleak and
abrupt bluff opposite Dubuque? Not if they
arc the discerning and enterprising men we
take them to be. Will they continue their line
directly west to the Missouri river, and there
make final ending: Scarcely, inasmuch asA
parallel line has got ahead Of them, and is al
ready under contract and course of cOnstruc-
ton, connecting with the Chicago and Rock Is
land road from Davenport, through Iowa City
to Council Bluffs. This is only some sixty
miles south Of the line due west from Dubuque,
and would consequently draw from said road at
least one-half the trade of the intervening coun-
try. A branch may he constructed to divcrgc at
some point west Of Dubuque, and strike the
Missouri at or near the mouth of the Big Sioux :
but that is a work for the future, not the pre-
sent. To run south or southwest, through
Iowa from Dubuque, would be an absurdty, as
the numerous parallel lines from the East which
strike the Mississippi below that city, all being
more direct in their connection with the East
crn markets. will of course take that trade.
We see, then, that the entire trade of this
th-Western country is the prize within the
grasp Of the Central Railroad Company if they
but reach forth to take it. We believe they
have the forecast and enterprise to undertake
the work, if properly encouraged by the people
VI &>Oi AOWd anu .uiuucsOth IL tHcS uO
not, some other Company will strike the Mis-
sissippi north of them, and become possessed OF
this rich treasure. Perhaps it may be the Mil
waukee and Mississippi, crossing at Prairie du
Chen. But the Illinois Central will be the
most northernly road, connecting with the en-
treme East and South, that will reach the Mis-
sssppi within the next three years and by
that time the Company might have paying
road in operation, at least from Dubuque to til,
foot Of Lake Pepin.
We therefore come to the conclusion that by
north-westernly direction out from Dubuque
through those garden lands comprising North
ern Iowa and Southern and Central Minnesota
is the only route promising real and great pro-
At to which the Central Road can look for q
continuation beyond its present terminus. II
is hemmed in and blocked up in every Other
direction. We do not wish by these remarks
to be understood as intimating that the Central
Company is composed of men so stupid as moi
to have already perceived these immense adj
~antages which naturally fall into their hands
In fact, it would not surprise us to learn at an,
moment that they have made full preparation
for Selling and holding them. But our objec
m"snly is to show our people, first, that the,
cannot build railroad, at present, on thci
own credit second, that it must be built b,
the credit and capital, and in connection will
some OF the great companies South and East o
us; and thirdly, that from its position of prox
imity,fts immense and daily increasing wealth
and consequent ability, and the cnterprisins
and sagacious character ofthe men who have it.
management. the Central Company of Illinoi.
Is the most certain and available quarter t.
which We can look at this time for speed,
railroad communication with the great com
mercial centres of the Union.
Let us not for moment suppose, however
that the road will come to us if we sit with fo,
ded arms, quiet hands and idle heads, waitin,
for it. Our people of ST. Paul should have
full understanding, by correspondence or 9th
erwise, with those of our southern border AM