The Van Buren press., 1860-02-10

the scheme Of constructing railroad from
this point to the grand American artery of
trade and commerce has haunted the brain
of few enterprising and far-seeing men.
The mass of the people have looked upon
it as a chimera--a project to rob the hon
est man of his had earnings That ster-
ling democrat aad tine patriot, Robert w.
johnson, without making great parade,
procured the passage of an act granting
public land sufficient for the construction
of a road from this. point to Little Rock
and for other roads. Ever since the pass
age of that act, and ths chartering of COM
panies for the snperintendence and manage
ment of the construction OF those roads,
there have been certain individuals working
and planning with all their means and abil-
ity to put on foot plan for the construc-
tion of the roads. | need not aliude to
those factious spirits who have been doing
all in their power to obstruct the wheels OF
progress they stand self-rebuked. About
the close of thu past year a contract was
made and finally closed between Messrs.
Waddell, Black d Co., and the Directors
of the +. S. and l.. r. R. r., for grading
the road from this point to the river, just
this side of Ozark. In pursuance of this
agreement the contractors have gone vigor-
ously to work, and have cut the timber and
underbrush from the tact one hundred feet
wide, from thiseity to Frog Bayou, and are
n ow going on beyond Frog Bayou. They
are proceeding rapidly with tho work. and
will, in short fine reach the spot deslgnat-
ed in the coatrkt- The grading Will I'M
mediately cofH3nsnce. A spirit of conf
dAnoo- o-aes.-. 70 5erEsde throughout the COM
munity-is freely SO expressed among the
friends of the enterprise, and the silence of
its enemies is significant of the forced con-
viction which il settling upon their minds.
The road will be built and before very long.
Every thing now required is for the opu-
lent citizens to take hold manfully, put their
hands into their purses, and fear not to
subscribe Literally to an enterprise which
will open the country, and enhancc'proper-
ty an hundred fold. There are hundreds of
citizens of our city and county who could
take one, two, five Or ten thousand dollars
worth of stock and never feel it. The per
cent calls will not be hard to meet, and no
one need be hard run on account Of his
shares in the railroad. We must step for
ward and manifest disposition and settled
to build the road before we
can approach the State and ask for State
aid. When we show that we intend to fin
ish the road, and that if aid is rendered US
by the State, she may not be loser on ac-
count of our lukewarmness in the cause,
then we may ask aid with a good face and
a reasonable expectation that it will be
granted us. And now, Mr. Editor, think
and doubt not majority of the WELL
wishing inhabitants concur with me-that
the railroad question should be made test
question in the coming elections for Gov
ernor, Senator, Representatives, DC. That
we should determine to support no man with
anti-railroad proclivities, any more than we
would rank know-nothing. We need
men in the next Legislature, especially, who
will work manfully for the cause of rail
roads in Arkansas and let us by all means
have them and no other.
Truly RAILROAD.