The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1859-08-19
CORRESPONDENCE.


ings of peoples meeting convened upon
call of the President of the Village, for
the purpose of considering the proposition
of p. LATIMER, to contract with the Man.
& Miss. r. r. Co. for the building Of the
first division of the Road, and to discuss the
propriety of issuing the Village Bonds in
aid of the Company.
The Tribune says "the subject was dis
cussed BY Gen. CLARK for, and j. ID. MARX
HAM against the contract" This statement
is not true; for the contract was not the
subject of discussion, as the editor of the
Tribune we'll knows, if he paid any atten-
ton to the proceedings of the meeting
The question debated, was the resolution
reported by Mr.. MARKHAM and Mr.. LEE,
declaring against the issue Of the bonds of
the village to aid in the construction of the
Road, unless the Railroad Company should
first give good security to the village for
the payment of the principal and interest
of such bonds, and the contractors should
give the most reliable guarantees for the
completion of the Road within a reasona-
bic time. In explanation Of the resolution,
Mr. MARKHAM declared that what he would
consider sufficient security for the village
to demand of the company for the payment
of the principal and interest of the village
bonds would, and should be, mole valuable
than the bonds themselves, and more avail
able for the purpose Of building the Road.
Thus, then, the resolution as advocated
and explained by Mr.. MARKHAM, was sub
stantially "that the people of the village
were opposed to the issue of village bonds
under any circumstances, for the aid of the
Man. & Miss. X. R." Now, this resolution
was the subject of discussion, and not the
contract; and although the latter was incl
cidentally remarked upon by me, it was
briefly in the way of impartial criticism.
| have read that contract carefully, and
as | stated to the meeting, consider it loose
ly drawn, and SO worded that large open
ing is left for future disagreement as to its
provisions and intentions, and no sufficient
guarantee was provided for the completion
of the work, either at a remote or early
day.
But while many of the details of that
contract are, in my estimation, defective,
yet the main feature-that which recites
the kind of pay which the contractors are
to receive-must be satisfactory to all who
desire the immediate construction of the
Road. There may be few persons in the
village who do not desire the construction
of the Road-not because it will not be a
great advantage to the village, and the
source of immediate and continued pros
perity to our community as whole-but
because the peculiar calling, or business of
those fer will thrive best in small COM
munity, or in times of depression and gen
eral adversely. But the great mass of our
citizens feel the necessity for some great
channel of communication with the inte-
rior of the State, in order that our village
may reap the full benefit Of her unrivalled
natural advantages as Lake Uarbor and
a trading port.
While plank and gravel roads, if built
years ago into the interior, would have ad-
ded largely to the prosperity and popula-
ton of our village, and if constructed now,
would be a material benefit to our trade,
and their cost is within the available indivi-
dual resources Of our citizens, yet plank
and gravel roads are entirely inadequate to
the wants of our community, striving and
looking forward as we are to attaining at
some future day, high rank as CONNER
cial city-when through the proper e1er-
else of a liberal public spirit, we should
have placed our village in communication
with the rich agricultural regions and ex-
tensive mining districts, North and West
of US, and whose immense and valuable
productions, seeking market by the short
est and quickest route, must pay tribute to
Manitowoc.
How, then, are we to secure this exten,
sive trade, and to reap the golden harvest
which will be its consequence? Surely
not by sitting idly down and awaiting the
interposition of Divine Providence, or what
is as little to be expected, that non-r resident
disinterested capitalists will advance the
money to build our Road, simply to adj
vance the interest of the people of Mani
towoc for every practical, sensible man
must be aware that Road from Mantle
voc to Menasha will not for number Of
years be paving investment for stockhold-
ers; and consequently, if built, it must be
partly at least with the available resources
Of those who have an interest in the con-
struction of the work so great that thew
can afford to sink entirely the amount in
vested. Now, the question arises, are there
any who have such an interest in the bull