The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-12-31
The GRANVILLE Railroad.

AIn, etc.
The GRANVILLE Railroad.
We publish with great pleasure, a comma
nication from an intelligent and influential
citizen upon the subject of the GRANVILLE Rail-
road 1t would not be great undertaking in
the eyes of our citizens, if we had not been
accustomed to make mountains out of MOLE
hills No greatness was ever achieved in the
political or commercial world by timid and
narrow policy. We find by referring to sta
tistics, that the whole taxable value of the
real estate of Savannah in 1848, when she first
committed herself to her railroad enterprises,
was but S3,6OO,0OO. She Logan to issue her
bonds, and continued to increase her debt, till
it amounted to $2,8OOOC0; beside the pri-
yate subscriptions by her citizens which in
creased the sum to an amount equal to the
value of all the real estate in the city. She,
in truth, was so ''impudent' as to mortgage
every dollars worth Of the real estate Of her
citizens for the construction of railroads.
She is at present one Of the most prosperous
cities in the Union. In 1850 the whole tax
ables of Mobile-real and personal-were
less than S12,OOO,OOO. She incurred liabli-
ties to the amount of several millions and in
two years after, her taxable property was
valued at 17,670,O0O These are striking
illustrations of the results Of bold and en-
ergetic policy. There are many other in
stances of like success, but we have not the
statistics at hand to state them.
The cost of the road from here to Gray
vile, has been estimated by Mr.. KENNEDY,
the Chief Engineer OF the Straight Line Rail
road, at about $4,000 per mile, with a
rail sufficiently heavy for the business for the
first ten years. If built economically and
under the superintendent of men, whose
watchfnl charge of it. the work would not
cost over half million of dollars.
There is manifestly deep interest felt in
the enterprise all along the line Of the road
We have received..wthi a few days, several
communications from respectable and intelli-
gent farmers urging us to try to awaken the
attention OF our citizens to the Importance Of
the work We shall publish some of these
hereafter, and among the first, that from F.
P. at Cynthiana.
To THE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL.
Having read your articles, as well as those
of the Enquirer, some weeks ago, on the sub
ject of building Railroad between this city
and the town of GRANVILLE, on the Wabash
river; and after the able manner in which the
matter was discussed, proving the great al
vantages to be derived from the completion Of
Al. T To hy,O
citizens do not boldly step cut and do some
thing towards organizing company for that
purpose, under the general railroad law Of
the State?' 1t seems to me that our leading
men, who are deriving the most from the
trade of that region, are apathetic on the sub
- iect, although they all admit that it would be
the road for this place, and every business man
in the city thinks avorably Of the project.
There is, therefore, nothing wanting to a
preliminary organization, but to have some
of our leading men, who feel an interest in
the subject, to call a public meeting, through
the press, of all the citizens of both corpora
tions, and let all who can, furnish statistics of
the amount Of trade at present which we de-
rive from that part of the country, which
would fall to the business of the road when
completed, as well as the probable amount of
extra business which would be attracted
through its agency, and state the same to the
meeting. Then let US have some persons,
acquainted with the business of railroad build
ing, tell US the probable cost of grazing,
bridging and furnishing cross-ties for the road
as that would be all required to insure its
speedy completion-for Mortgage Bonds, on
the security of the road, can be issued and
negotiated for the iron and rolling stock
when all this information is given, | think it
will not look gigantic work for the citizens
of this place, and those residing in the yicini-
ty of the route, to undertake.
There is no doubt that on the completion OF
the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad, iii the citi-
zens here do not take early steps to build the
GRANVILLE road) large amount Of the bust
ness which we now receive will be drawn to
Cincinnati and the up-rver towns.
The farmers residing between here and
GRANVILLE are all anxious to have the road
built. and no doubt would subscribe literally
for that purpose, as they are losing annually
large amounts, on account of not having a
better means than our common roads to reach
market.
| hope, therefore, Mr.. Editor that you will
endeayor to rouse the slumberers and let all
embark right heartily in the good work. and
in the space of Is months or a little upwards
Evansville will have a Northwestern Railroad
tapping the richest points on the Wabash, and
tending more to her material prosperity thar
any other work Of the kind ever projected
Respectfully yours, &C.,