The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1856-10-30
The Straight Line Railroad.

The Straight Line Railroad.
We publish the reply of the President of
this road to the vote of the City Council, re-
ouesting statement of it's affairs and condi-
ton. The position assumed by the Railroad
Company, may be the proper one for parties
standing on their legal rights strictly, and re-
lying On the law to compel the city to comply |
with their contract But we believe more
conciliatory tone would have been more po
litc. The interests OF the road and city are
So completely identified, that there should be
perfect unity of purpose and feeling, and an
entire mutual confidence; and whatever
would disturb this harmony, should be view
ed as calamity by both parties. To permit
n contest to arise about the paltry sum of
100000 in an enterprise of such magnitude
involving so deeply the future prosperity of
both parties, seems to us, a faulty of which
the city nor company, governed as they are
by shrewd, sagacious men, cannot be guilty
It is fortunate for the community that it has
mon of the energy, public spirit and capital, Of
those who have undertaken to carry forward
such an enterprise as this road Their char
acterS are guarantee for all their undertake
ings; and even in apparently desperate enter
prises, this community, who know them, would
have no misgivings of their success. But in
this road, every prospect is fattering; all has
been accomplished that reasonable men should
expect; more than any other company has
done under like circumstances; and so much
Aoz III Ill o+F.,oI 4boA a.
is certain. # the present contractors fall
there will be many others ready to begin on
the foundations already laid, and carry it for
ward to the end. The influence of this road
on the prosperity of Evansville, is incalcula-
BILE; it will be worth all her 0therl improve
ments completed and projected; it will make
accessible the richest district of the State, now
sealed to all the avenues of trade, and will
create new resources and trade that would
build up OF itself city wherever its outlet
should be. No one can estimate the enhanc-
ed value of property, and the increased bust
ness it may bring to the city. If its success
was doubtful, our citizens ought to do as the
people OF Boston did when their Great West
ern Railroad was struggling with embarrass-
ments and difficulties during its construction,
and when it's stock was at ten cents on the
dollar, the Directors boldly created new stock,
and appealing to the people, every mechanic,
trader and property holder took of it accord
ing to his means, and paid up its par value,
when the same men could have bought the
same stock in the streets for tenth of the
- ;IIy ;oI
by every man upon himself for the public
good. And the result amply rewarded them.
The Stock is now worth $130 and $40 for
hundred paid. The citizens of St. Louis
have been appealed to contribute $1,5OO,OOO
to her railroads, and her bonds being now de-
pressed to rs per cent it has been determined
to raise the money at once by taxation, and give
the Roads the cash in hand, instead of allow
ing the companies to suffer the discount; and
yet she has no guarantee as good as ours that
either ofthe roads will be completed, and when
done, neither of them will be of half the i'm
portancs comparatively to her that our road
will be to US. 1t would be the interest of the
city if it were certain that the amount of her
bonds issued to the road would be irretriev-
ably lost, with no prospect that cent of the
same would ever be repaid to her, to come
promptly forward and give the further sum Of
$10O000;-for the distrust evinced by hesita-
ton on the part of the city is g greater injury
to the success of the road than the loss oil
100000 1t would have been far better for
the road, that the city should never have
subscribed at all, than having subscribed. to
discredit the road in the worst pinch of its
managers, by an appearance ofdoubt and a lack
of confidence and in its final success. But
some say, we may pay our 100000 and then
get no road. That cannot be. The advanta-
ges of the route-the interest already enlisted
in it, and the work already done on it, renders
it certain that it will be completed by some
one, and at an early day. But there is no rea-
son, that we can learn or conjecture, for doubt
that it will not be carried steadily forward by
the present contractors: and the propositions
made by Mr.. Carpenter are sufficient evidence
to any man, Of their own confidence in the un-