The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-23
sums, or about 81 per thousand, which is at least
three dollars more than the work could have been

penry wise and pound foolish economy OF military
supervision. When Capt. Meigs took possession OF
the work on the Capitol there were employed to do
| the hauling about the work several poor men who
| owned horses and CARTS Their wages were 81 so
per day, and they were paid only for such days Is
they could work. In bad weather and when not
needed they were not paid. To economze, these
men, who depended on their wages for daily susten-
ance were dismissed, and q number Of horses and
| carts were bought by government to supply their
places. Capt Meigs pays drivers for these horses
81 rs per day. and the actual cost to government for
every working day is not less than SO. The horses
have to be fed and attended TO in bad weather well
| as good, and that burden is now upon government
| This is q small specimen of military ecoDomy-in
email way, con essbut it is admirably illustrative
of the whole system now pursued by the subOrdnates
| of this economy loving administration.
The Land Schemes In Congress
WASHINGTON Jan. 10, 1854
JAMES GORDON BENNETT, ESQ,
| EDITOR OF THB INV YORK HERALD.
DEAR SIR-In the HERALD of the 18th inst m
article appeared headed 1.-THE Land Spols-Land
Jobbng Schemes in Congress- in which you cha
racterize the applications before Congress from
the Western States for grants of land to aid in the
construction of railroads, conspiracy to plumber
the public treasury for the benefit of few landed
spectators and monopolists and you characterize
this Western System Of Railroad Land Jobbing aud
Land Robbing" as more Objectionable than Benefits
bill, or even the Homestead bill sweeping off all the
plblic lands at once. Now, sir, being myself West
| ern man. and interested in building q railroad
through the State of Wisconsin, from Mil waukie on
Lake Michigan to La Crosse on the Mississippi river
and, moreover being in this city agent Of the
company with which am connected to ask Congress
to aid us in the construction of road by gran
Of alternate sections yipg along the line Of our road
and not liking to be characterized as land plumber.
err have to ask of you the publication Of this letter,
that the readers of the HERALD may our side of
this question.
will not charge upon you an intention to misre
present the people Of the West this question; but
will merely say, that this, ike most other Subjects
appears different from the position from viii ii It is
viewed; and, after having looked at side Of this
question, if you do no. see it as we do will only
say you would, could you spend few Years in the
interior of one of our Western States or Territories
raising wheat or other grain for living, and cartng
it from fifty to one hundred miles bad roads to
a market. The farmers of the interior of State
have to haul their grain from fifty to hundred
miles to the lake ports to market. Suppose farmer
living, say seventy five miles in the interior, raises
Thousand bushels Of wheat or barley which must seek
a market at the East, be valueless on his hands
he has to draw it seventy five mles-forty bushels of
wheat, or fifty of barley will make load for
one team, and it will take week to make
a tnp to market and return. Now, it will
take twenty-five trips, and consume twenty
i've weeks TO draw off his crop, and II the |
weather is wet and roads bad, much longer, and
this must be done in the fall OF the year when he As
his fall crops to put in and summer crops to secure.
Thus you see be must either neglect mis- farm the
marketing of his crop at that season Of IT, year
which experience has demon: trated his crop will
bring the best price, 1t costs the farmer thus situated
as much TO market his crop 1t does to raise it and
prepare it for market.
This is no fancy sketch, but the experience of
every Western farmer, thus situated, who has tried
raising grain for living. The necessities of the
case prompt the people OF the West to seek TO obtain
some more ready avenues and cheaper, to transport
their products to the lakes Hence the public mind ia
aroused to the subject OF railroads as the best and
only remedy, and when we examine State and
lind that Its area embraces near thirty6v million
acres of land, the ownership OF which is principally
in the national government, having yet sold only
about seven and half million acres, the question
arises at once ought nos the government the chief
land proprietor to contribute towards building these
roadsI And we say at once 1t ought to, especially
where the road runs through large tracts Of govern
nent land.
The La Crosse and Milwaukee Railroad Company
incorporated by State Legislature in 1852, |
and authorized to build railroad from La Cvosse to
Milwaukee The company was duly organized, and |
sleek taken along the line of the road by the citizens
to large amount. The road surveyed and located
from Milwaukee to Portage City on the Wisconsin
rver, distance of ninefy-eght miles, has been put
under contract for construction and fifty miles Of the
eastern end Of this division of the road will be
graded ready for laying down the superstructure by
the first of June next The western division from
Portage City TO La Crosse has been surveyed and
found highly practicable for railroad. For the con-
strucon Of the eastern division Of the road farmers
living along the line Of the road have mortgsged
their farms for half the appraised value thereof
and taken stock In the company, and these farm
MORTGAGES are being negotiated to raise funds t,
struct the road. More than eight hundred citizens
mn rfunU cd
farms These reside along the eastern division, from
Mn"aukie 10 Porto~ CITY. Beyond Their. to La
Crs ,re road runs through part Of Columbia,
Sank, Adams and La Crosse countes, which are prin.
-'-ally government land The government has unsold
ct ---'as on the 30th June, 1868. according
IN those couh..- 80 oekeral Laud Gaice, more
tIa ,I two million acres of land VII. average
more than one hundred and fifty miles from -e !
nearest lake port where the productions o. these
lands when brought under cultivation, must seek an
outlet for market consequently, without railroad
these lands must for long period remain unsold
and unsettled The estimatsd cost OF our road and
equipments is set down at "a 400 O0a. The grant
asked for of alternate sections lying along The line OF
the road amounts to us $50 acres, which, If ni1e,
will enable the company 10 purchase their iron for
their whole road which is really the great eubar
rssment TO the western railroad companies; and the
amount of iron required for our road If oreign iron
is bought under the thirty per cent advaorum duty
will bring into the national treasury sum exceeding
one-iouIth the value OF the public lands granted
ard also, this road terminating on the Mississippi
river east of the southern portion OF Minnesota, must
serve the outlet for very large tract of country
lying in that territory will constitute the near
est outlet to the great lakes from Minnesota by more
than one hundred miles over any other line Of rail.
road in that State or south Of it. Now sir, In ad
d,on to the action Of the citizens living along the
line Of this road in having taken stock and morgaged
their farms before stated, the city Of Mil~
has agreed to issue her corporate bonds for 100000
10 aid in the construction Of this road and also
have meetings been held in several OF the counties |
through which this road passes, where they have |
unanimously resolved TO issue both town and county |
bonds TO aid the company These, sir, are the peo
PIE who are ready To tax themselves in every way
they TO raise TO construct their Dad; aud
shall it be said when they ask Of the general govera.
meDt who is the chief land proprietor to aid in i'm
proving and enhancing the value Of that same land,
that il is "ssheme OF land jobbers to plumber the
treasury"
But you also appeal to members Of Congress who
~ fnrur rA and