The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-03-02


Engineer Of the cost Of the work, but from
my knowledge Of the general character OF the
country, through which it will run, e>ti-
mate the average cost Of the line, allowing
"for the increased price Of labor and iron, up
''tc the rolling machinery, including every
''thing at ST. 900 to the mile constructed in the
''most substantial manner, with heavy L. con- I
stinuous rail-"
Then follows your plan or policy to be pur-
sued in construction, as follows:
Il propose that the entire line Of the road
"irom Evansville to Union. be located with the
"least possible delay, the right of way secured
subscription books opened, and map Of the
''road and connections, be prepared and litho-
"graphed. In view of the fact, that there is a
railroad though longer than our own line,
"and of different guage, from indianapolis to
"Union, that will answer temporary pur-
"pose, | propose that the road from Evans
willie to indianapolis, commencing at those
points, simultaneously as soon as it can be
prepared for letting, be let to contractors and
"lnade ready for the superstructure and iron,
"before the graduation on the section between
indianapolis and Union, be commenced. 1t
''may be expected that should say something
''as to the means necessary to construct Tie
'road; have no doubt as to the means; such
'fine will command the means. With the lib.
''eral subscriptions of the cities Of Evansville
"and LamascO, the cheering intelligence have
''from the citizens on the line, as well as from
capitalists abroad" &c. And little further
on you add:
'It is not expected that we should DO more
ethan prepare the road for the iron by our
subscription. No company Of WHICH have
"any knowledge in the United States, has
"done more than this. With this road made
ready for the iron, (mind now not part of
the road, hut the whole line from Evansville
to Indianapolis) 1--WE shall have no difficulty
"in procuring that at the proper time. (That
sir, was sound policy, and on that policy alone
could you have got our stock you then add
40 prepare the road for the iron, inUulng
Everything, it will require not over $1,000 to
"the mile, or $4,000 for the 100 miles, be
tween Evansville and Indianapolis" Too
small an estimate confess; yet, perhaps, not
fatal error, Judging from your success, for
the few months during which you adhered to
your original sound policy. Such then were
your objects and your plans for accomplishing
them. TO complete great through railroad
to the Lake, to open TO Evansville the COM
merce OF the White river valley. The ex.
pense to US, to be small; the plan Of accom-
plshment, well tried and true; the whole line
to indianapolis to be at once located. Stock
for graduation, merely, and to be solicited all
along the line; when enough to prepare the
road for the rails should be secured, the whole
lhe to be put under contract, or to be begun
simultaneously at both ends. Under tn S
policy. your surveys and estimates, and your
!. stock subscriptions progressed contemporary
ously Had it been followed out, your Engi-
neer's estimates for graduation, would have
been an infallible index to the necessary stock
subscription, and the people being advised Of
what was necessary, TO effect SO desirable an
object, would have come up to your require
ments. Had they not done so, there would
have been left to you, the honorable alterna-
tive Of deierrng the work, till the town and
the country, fast developing, should have
evnced the strength and the will to GO or
with it.
You and Mr. Carpenter, our leaders, having
pledged yourselves to this policy, when you
asked and we subscribed and voted stock
having fixed the amounts which you desired &c
have from Evansville and Lamasco as corpora.
tons, and having told us that five would vo.e
those amounts, you would insure, with such
start the perfection of the necessary stock
list, and we having cheerfully, promptly. al
most unanimously voted you all you asked
and in addition, had individually subscribed
literally, more so than we ever did 10 any OH
er work, it was doubly due to us, as cities ant
citizens that this safe and agreed policy should
not be widely departed from without oul
counsel and consent.
Whilst this policy was adhered to your en-
terprise prospered as proposed to show. But
within a few months of the date of your adj
!. dress, from which have quoted, you gave evi
dence OF an intended abandonment OF this pol
icy; and soon aiterward, and without takin:
the voice OF the stockholders, or giving any
reasons, but for reasons known only to your
,, self, and left to be guessed at by US, you die
utterly abandon your early policy, and
adopted new one policy, both unsound ant
unsafe, as all unsound things are. Your man
ner ofdoing all this propose to show and | pro
pose with your leave to review the line o
conduct which you have since pursued; and t
show by facts and figures the net results o
/, this conduct. Then il peradventure, there may
exist any remedy for this disorder under
which the enterprise languishes, / may sag
gest one. And now to the testimony; to show
that you prospered while you adhered to your
!, first policy, L introduce your own exhibit,
which though not an annual report to stock
holders was made to supersede report fol
1854. 1t is dated March LIST 1854; is signeC
by yourself as President and Dir. Carpenter a.
Vice President, and with much other matter
it contains the following statement Of asset:
or subscriptions:
Subscription of city Of Evansville. $3.50. saoo ooo.'
=. = BamaSco,.........S - co.,
Lands at cash valae S4jO.OU0."
individual cash subscription. --s-s3jc,too"
" Total 81 Coo TO-"
switch, you add, will be largely increased
by stock to be taken by contractors, as wei
, as by counties along the line" This is fol
ten months work, certainly a good showing
especially in view of your statement ter
months before. that five thousand per mile oil
, seven hundred and fifty thousand would grad
uaie the road from Evansville to indianapolis
[ Plrlon me for callnr Your affenfinn mr.