Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-05-24
Ra,,w sys in the valley of tho Mis-

after a temporary suspension, Uess go
draw the minds of the readers OF h'f ai'i :,
to the construction of aeic roads in ne "''I'
of the Mississippi. lie has already show. -
great capabilities of this wonde dul valley Ill
sustaining railways. He has shown that il
is yet to contain as dense population as any
part of the globe He has stated that, in
point of local productions, no part of the earth
surpasses IL, and rs the entire interior pro-
ducts. as well as all articles for consumption,
must pass over our railways, there cannot
remain a doubt as to the triumphant results
of the railways in the Valley, whenever the
county shall be developed. No temporary
paralysis; no croaking proPhesies; no misiep-
RESERVATIONS; No comparisons with the results
of roads in other parts of the world, can long
conceal from public view the inherent value
. of properly located and operated railway in
the Valley of the Mississippi; they must grow
with its growth, and strengthen with the
strength of the Valley. They are the arteries
of its commerce, and the life blood of its pros
perity. The portion of the Valley in which
they have been built is already fifty wears
ahead of those portions that are destitute Of
their benefits. Let the traveller pass through
our railway sections, and he will see the
country rising up as if by magic, the people
all life, new Improvements greeting the eye
in every direction, cities spIinging up in the
| Wilderness, the wood lands being cleared, the
prairies being bsoken, the mineral resources
of the country being developed, and pros
perity pervading every branch of industry
Then let him turn his eye to the sections of
our Valleys that are destitute of railway IA
cilities, aud mark the contrast; he will there
/ h. y, h. .;+l,o
asleep or just awaking, il the arms of nature,
lands in one section commanding from thirty
/ TO fifty dollars per acre, in cash, while in the
other from ten to twenty dollars could scarcely
/ be obtained--and why? Lands have an in
herent value, it is true, but the productive
value is in the ratio of the net value of their
products after paying the cost of transporta-
ton. If it costs double as much to take the
/ produce to market from one section of coun-
| try, as from another, owing to the want of
railway facilities, it follows that the value of
the lands must be affected in the same ratio.
These general views will not be questioned
at this day by many, and were all the rail-
ways already built, that are required to de-
velope the Mississippi Valley, and were no
ae,V railways being constructed, there would
be but one opinion OH the subject all would
be interested in sustaining the railway system
of the Valley, the stockholders would sustain
/ it the land owners would sustain il the
/ farmers on the lines would sustain it; com
murce would stand bv it, and the various
interests of the country would hail il as the
genius of II nations prosperity Why is it
! then. it NAV be asked that there is SO much
opposition to net0 railways in the Valley of
the Mississippi The answer to that ques-
ton, with some general remarks upon the
subject will occupy the remainder of the arli-
Gle, rs the writer deems II very important that
/ this matter should be understood WHY is it
that the moment a new road is projected, the
hue and cry is raised against it Why is it
/ that the builders Of new roads at this dav, in
! the Valley have to meet an opposition, and
I struggle with difficulties that were unknown
/ to their more fortunate predecessors That
it is SD is not 10 he questioned. Is il because
we have more miles of railway in the Valley
/ in proportion to our area than other parts of
/ the world Is il because our soil is less fer
/ tile Is il because we have less use for rail-
ways to carry off our immense products, than
other parts of the country Is it because the
/ destitute portions of the Valley have less
interest in such facilities than other sections
that are provided for Is it because the rail-
WAYS already built in the Valley give facili-
ties to the sections through which no roads
have been built Is il because the bonds
and stocks of the aeto roads viii not be as safe
as those OF the old roads Is it because the
new roads with all the lights of experience
and knowledge of the difficulties of old roads
before their bssii.less wall not be likely 10 be
as well located AMI constructed as the old
roads Or is it because the builders of new
roads, and the people on their lines of con-
struction feel less interest in their success,
than those who constructed the old roads,
and the people on their lines did in these
roads
These questions suggest their own answers.
I 1t is from none of these causes that the
builders of new roads meet their opposition.
1t is worthy OF remark, that the railways in the
Valley of the Mississippi, row in operation,
were mostly built in times of a buoyant
money market, when stocks and bonds COM
manded a ready sale at full prices. This was
known 10 their projectors in advance, and
hence it may be said truly without giving
offence, that there was not i'll some cases that
care in selecting the best route that should
have been taken, and hence some roads have
failed to meet the anticipations of the stock
holders Until recently all the roads in the
Valley were located and constructed under
special charters from the Legislature, fixing
the points in the location, suited the local
interests of the members, however zigzag
aud too often regardless Of the interest of the
general stockholders, but more recently spe-
cial legislation on the subject has been aban-
doned, and now our neiV railways, are located
and built upon the route selected under arti-
cles of association, and without disparagine
old roads, it is worthy OF remark that the
new roads in the Valley now being construct
ed without the restrictions of special charters
for direct alignment and shortness between the
termini. have great advantages over the spe-
cial charter roads. 1t may further be remark
ed that the new roads are run through dis
tricts of country destitute of railway facili-
ties and are demanded by the best interest oil
the people in the districts through which they
are located THERE'S mystery in the minds
of many, ia fact, that the opposition to new
railways in the Valley, move on to the as
sault of all new roads without discrimination
with the same cry, no matter how important
the road. The objections are stereotyped
and are rendered very formi liable by the
source from which they emanate. We have
railways enough; we have more than we cal
paw for See how we are indebted for rail
way iron.
Look at the price of our stocks our railway
, can never pay. Why talk of new railway
while the old ones are still in debt? All aea
railways must be built by the people on thu
lines that IS the only safe way. Ii Is a grea
misfortune that we did not adopt that rule
These and thousand other arguments ar
continually thrown in the wy of the con
struction of new railways in IT, Valley; the,
| have their effect upon capitalists abroad, an'
the timid at home, and have III too many in
stances defeated at least temporarily, the hes
, works in the Valley. Those who judge q
the sayings and actions of men, alone iron
what they say and do, would naturally be
lieve that these were the real causes OF III
opposition to new railways in the Valley
Not word of it, the oppositonrests m othe
ana distinct grounds. Few men of this G
any other country act without motive, an