The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1854-07-29
CITY OF EVANSVILLE.
SATURDAY MORNING, ::::::::JULY 20.
The vincennes Gazetfe's Opposition 60
the Straight Line Railroad.


The vincennes Gazetfe,s Opposition 90
the Straight Line Railroad.
We had occasion yesterday to notice in
general manner an article which appeared in
the last Vincennes Gazette, against the Ev-
ansville, Indianapolis and Cleveland Straight
Line Railroad. Whatever may have been
the motive which prompted so extraordinary
an effort in the way of an editorial, the effect
does not promise to be very serious, and we
might be very excusable for saying nothing
further on the subject. But as the Gazette
has chosen to assume a parental care over
the interests Of our city, and in very feeling
manner sought to advise our ignorant people
as to what those interests really are, and how
they should act, we shall put ourselves TO
the trouble of proving that in this in
stance at least, il becomes editors as well as
people generally, to attend to their own bust.
ness. We should think our good friends at
Vincennes, and the editors Of their papers,
had quite enough to occupy all their atten-
ton in the railroads claiming from them
more liberality than they will probably ex
hibit, and more industry and energy than
they can possibly bestow, without taking our
railroad under their particular charge. We
say this in all kindness, as they may well
believe, after our numerous articles compli-
mentary to Vincennes and It's people.
But now to this matter. The Gazette first
assumes that the capitalists of Evansville
having invested largely in the E. and C.
Railroad, and il is a work of "bad faith" to
them to build this Straight Line Railroad
OF bad faith to "men who came up to the
work in the darkest hour in the history of Ev-
ansvile." The editor further says-"These
men, in fact, are the real enterprising men of
that place, and to them she owes her pros
perity-not to the clap-trap, gas and hum
buggery Of the shylocks of s;raight-line rail-
road notoriety."
Now, the "shylOcks OF the Straight Line
Railroad" are precisely these "real enter
pricing men" of Evansville! In other words,
the heaviest subscribers of stock in the E.
and c. Railroad, are subscribers TO the stock
OF the Straight Line Railroad! And they
have moreover taken from two to four times
as much stock in the latter as in the former..
And these citizens of Evansville, towards
whom the Gazette thinks so much "bad faith"
is being exhibited by the building of the
Straight Line Railroad, have of private stock
three times the amount in this Straight Line
Road that they have in the E. and Z. Rail-
road.! Utterly ignornn, OF these facts, the
editor Of the Gazette has the presumption to
pretend TO an intimate knowledge OF ali the
facts connected with the Straight Line Rail-
road. and to speak to an intelligent public as
though they were ignorant, and wisdom could
only be sucked from him.
But here is something exhibiting either
equally gross ignorance or very "bad faith"
On his part towards others:
This "air-line" scheme is an act of inlus-
tice on another account. Until a few enter
prizing citizens of this place and indianapolis,
projected the indianapolis and Vincennes
But when there was some probability of our
road being built, this famous (at Washington
in flnlous) airline was concocted as a rival
route, the line of which runs parallel with our
road some ninety miles. And n,twiIhstand-
ing a resolution of the Indianapolis and Vim
eennes Company. rendering partnership or
union in the construction and use OF these
: ninety miles, the 'air-lue' manager refused
all such onnections-which may probably
be explained by his subsequently obtaining
the contract for grading his whole road al
tiirty thousand dollars per mile. Ifthis thirty
thousand dollar per-mile contract was not the
object in refusing to cooperate with our
company, will the Evansville papers inform
Us why cooperation was refused.
In the fist place, the railroad we have
under consideration, was seriously spoken oil
long before the Indianar oils and Vncennes
railway was dreamed of. Again. the Princi'
pal reason why this company dill not choose
to avail themselves of the offer of the Vim
cennes company, to connect with that line
was because, by report OF Mr. Bail, engi
neer, to run the road dowL the West side a;
far as Point Commerce, which would have
been necessary, must have made an addition
al cost OF $4,000 to the Straight Line Rail
road-besides, ii would have taken it out Of
a straight line, ard destroyed its character
as straight line railroad. The company
were also satisfied, we presume, that they
could build their own road, and make it pay
aherward, without any such Connection
IL the Vipcennes Co. think the same as to
their enterprise, they will not thank the Ga.
zette for its volunteer grumblng in their be.
halt.
The Gazette can see no other reason fol
this refusal, but the fact that Mr.. Carpenter
could thereby obtain contract for grading
this whole road at $50, 900 per mile. Mr.