The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1856-11-15
Touica and Petersburg Railroad.


Tonica and Petersburg Railroad.
The following communication, from a
source of the highest responsibility, address
es itself to the business men of Ottawa in
such forcibls terms, that we hope none of
them will fnil to give it careful perusal.
Mr.. Editor-Thc very recently projected
enterprise, known as the Tonica and Peters
burg railroad, scarcely four months old,
and vet pushed with so much vigo though
noiselc.sy, as now to be recognized n. a
fixed and feasible project, has been so little
thought of at Ottawa, that you will excuse
me for bringing the subject prominently be-
fore your. business men. Surely there has
no project been started in which our citizens
have deeper interest, yet in the furtherance
of which they have taken so little part.
Any person acquainted with the topoera-
ply of that portion of Central Illinois thru
which this road is projected, knows that it
is region whose agricultural resources are
unsurpassed by any district of equal extent
in the Union. Occupying middle posi.;on
between the Illinois Central Railrn,l and
the river, from thirty to six'J miles j., ,.,,
it has arrived at thu stage .ner. h... 1911
'nuia'c" productions demand an outlet com.
.ensurat. with their immense aggregate.
Under the stimulus Of this want, the peo-
! pie OF the region in question, some thre6
/ years ago, organized what was known as the
! Jacksonville and CarrOllton Railroad COM
| pany, proposing to terminate at Alton or
! St. Louis. The organization was effected
under the general law, but at the meeting of
the next Legislature, it was found that more
enlarged project was needed, and the road
named was merged in or extended by what
is now known as the Tonica and Petersburg
J Railroad, to which charter was granted.
/ legalizng the orr inal organization of the
Jacksonville and 81. Louis road and extend
/ ing it from Jacksonville nOrthward to Chica-
go, if the company chose to 90 SO far. I'm
der this charter the company thenceforward
commenced operations, directing its efforts
mainly towards the southern half of the
road, until last spring, when it was reused
by new stimulus into more vi yorous ac-
tivity by the formation of the company
having for its object the extension of this
road from its northern terminus, which was
Jacksonville, to Chicago. This last compa-
ny is composed Of citizens Of Morgan, Cass,
Menard, Mason, Tazewel, Woolford, Mar
shall, Putnam and La Sale counties en-
bracing line Of one hundred and thirty.
three miles in length. The company was
organized about the first OF June, and books
opened for the subscription Cf stock; and
certainly in this the citizens Of these COUNTIES
have showed muniiicenc in their lherality
which has rarely been surpassed in the his
tory of Railroads in the west
On the 9th Of August last, the Company
elected Board of Directors who have since
that time, by their company Of engineers
caused to be made a careful survey of the
whole route together with maps, profiles,
and estimates, in order to have the whole
line prepared for contract al as early period
as possible.
Al the first and formin. stage of this com
pany, without knowing our means and the
resources Of the country, and airing TO en-
counter the river, 1t was proposed TO limit
the present northern extension Of our road
by connecting with the Central. Hence
Tonica, for the time being was considered
as the terminus, until We were fully pre-
pared for the extension.
At the last meeting Of the board, however
on account Of many advantages not ueccsSa-
~ TO state here, it wa. thought desirable, If
stock could be raised, TO extend the terminus
to Ottawa, and connect with the Rock Island
road That the public may see the available
condition Of our company ! VIII transcnbe
from our subscription list Of stock, as fol-
lows IL commc noes with the Morgan coun-
" corporate subscription, being one fourth
of two hundred thousand voted by the poo
pie to be divided equally between four roads
BOW building to that place, one Of which is
ours. $50 900
individual subscriptions in Cass.... $4,000
Corporation subscription of Menard,
} voted .................. 100, 600
Individual SUBSCRIPTION of Mcnard. $4,000
in Mason, -. 240Og
=" g Tazewell, -. $4,000
in Putnam and
portion of La Sale. ... $4,000