Tribune and telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1855-1856, 1855-09-06
The Merchants end Business Men Of Keno.
sha

MIR. EDIToRs:-Being an old resident of Thu
County, and always having taken deep inter
est in the growth and prosperity of Kenosha
permit me to say a few words through the medi
UNI of the Press, hoping they may tend to disa
buse the country from complaint whichis made
by some farmers residing in this and the adjoin
ing counties.
When the claims of the Kenosha & Beloit X
r. are urged upon this class of farmers, they are
very apt to excuse themselves from aiding in the
enterprise by saying, % We have no confidence
in the business men of Kenosha." They are
in for some game 10 plumber or fleece US" 1--WE
don't want anything TO do with it, though we
admit the road would be of great benefit to us. :
Now however honest they may be in making
these objections, / cannot believe that all who
make them speak from any knowledge of thei,
own, but rather from prejudice induced by false
hue and cry that has been raised in some quar-
ters for Interested purposes. Most certainly, il
any such charge is made with reference to the
present merchants and business men of Kenosha
as a class, the charge IS most unfounded, for ven
ture TO say that in no city of the West, can more
honorable, upright set of business men be found
than the present merchants and trading men o.
Kenosha.
That some of her traders in former times may
have been unfortunate, perhaps dishonest ant
swindling, we viii not deny, and that the farm
ing community have suffered severely from theil
opcrations,i equally true, fact that is very much
deplored by the great body of her citizens, as il
should be- On the other hand, is the country as
willing to admit the charge which is made upor
the other side, {and which is undoubtedly true,
that for every dollar the country has lost by
these operations, the traders Of Kenosha have
lost three, from bad debts in the country; while
therefore, the country may have just cause fol
she must remember she is not free from
reproach.
The question, however, is not what has been
but what nO,o is, " let bygones be bygones. -
What is the character, stability and business in
tegrity of the present active business men of to
day! How will they compare with those of othe
cities East or West? 1 know them all more o.
less intimately. / have watched their course
from their first beginning to their present stand
ing. A large share of them are young men oil
middle-aged, enterprising and public spirited, en-
tertaining just pride of tic reputation of thei
city, and a still greater pride for their own.
know no firm, or individual merchant, grocer
clothier, lumbcrman or mechanic, whom have
reason to believe is seeking to do other than al
honorable, upright trade, such as will ensure
fair profit to himself and safety to his creditors
Our produce buyers certainly, for the last three
years, have paid as good price and in as goot
a currency, as any upon the Lake Shore.
Such, then, is the Kenosha of to-day-such is
her living, acting, controlling element of success
and with such activities she must and will sue
coed and win the confidence of the country and
draw her legitimate share of trade. Added to
this element of success, she has also most de.
sirable location, midway between Chicago and
Milwaukee, a country back of her to which none
can be found superior, settled by enterprisine
farmers, whose stores and grainaries are over
flowing with the golden harvest, harbor that
can be made the best on the lake-all she seem.
ingly needs is the completion other western road
to place her on the high road of prosperity. Will
not every farmer in the county and on the line
of this road, come forward with generous conf
dence in his co-laborers in the city, and add his
mite, however small it may be, to the uniirinc
and sacrifsing efforts of The city to push forward
this enterprise which is to benefit city and coun-
try alike.
AN OLD RESIDENT.
SnDtamhnr