, 1864-01-01
FROM SOUTHWESTERN WISC0N-
SIN.


[Cor,csrondence OF the Chicago Trituno.]
LANCASTER, Grant Co., Wis, Dec. 81, 1868.
II may not be known to your readers that
The Rim Van Wiukleites of Milwaukee seem
to have at last awakened to tho fact TINT Chi
caro- is live city; that her business men are
cnferprieipr: and that she is and will be the
rrcat emporium of the Northwest-unless
Milwaukee builds few railroads, defeats
the Michigan Slip Canal project, and Works
several miracles which will deprive Chicago
Of her natural advantages. There Is i plan
now on footto build rai1road from Monroe,
Green county, Wisconsin, the present termt-
nus Of the Jancsvillc brunch Of the II. d P.
du C. Railway, via! Calaminc, on the Mineral
Point Railroad, and Platteville to Dubuque,
On the Mississippi River. 4 preliminary
surrey hes been made by the Chief Engineer
Of the Milwaukee q Pra1re du Chen Railway,
who pronounccs the route feasible and Of
comparatively casy construction. The
Afilwaukceans hayc engaged in tic work
with ,igor, (for them,) and tho prospect Is
that the road will be built I think, howey-
er, that Chicago should oppose no obstacle
to the building Of the road, If it be true, as
alleged, TINT when built it will afford Du-
buque another route to the latter city, via
the G. & N. Railroad, ten miles shorter than
tlat via tho !. G. Railroad and the G. g.. G.
U. Railroad. The object Of milwaukee, in
aiding the enterprise Is to cut of the busi-
ueEs Of Iowa, which now goes to Chicago by
the last named two roads, and direct 1t to
their city, the Enccess of which seems to me
doubtful, at least. Milwaukee has always
attempted to make up for its want Of enter
Prise BY appealing to pride which the peo-
Pic Of this State have in that city as the COM
Ecrcial emporium Of the State, but which in
fact LAS no existence. 1t Is matter Of busi-
nees only, and the people Of Wisconsin, out
side Of a small circle, the centre of which Is
Milwaukee, are disposed to favor that city Of
the two (Chicago mud a1ilnaukee) with which
they layc tile best means Of communication,
and which will pay them tho highest prices
| for what they haSe to sell. That is the ex-
ect state Of the case. They take no ac-
| count Of the natural advantages which Chicago
| possesses, aud eeem Eangulne that they can
reverse the regular order Of things. Sill,
the business men Of Milwaukee havo always
| been ptnutious Of their means, nnd slow to
embark In any enterprise for tho benefit OF
their city and themselves, which involved q
large outlay with 10 prospect Of a direct and
immediate return. How much this las had
to do with forcing Milwaukee into position
subordinate to Chicago is difficult to say !:
but this much is evident, tlat it has pre1u-
diced the people Of the State aggainst them !;
while the enterprise Of Chicago business men
has developed q eorrespondingly favorable
feeling towards that city, Ailwaukcans could
never understand how tho business men Of
Chicago could in few moments raise the
| stock necessary to build u railroad which
would benefit the city and increase its trade,
as vas done by the Beard Of Trade, not long
since utter speech by Mr. Ogden showing
tic advantages which would accrue to Chi
cago By the extension Of the c. d N. VI. Rail
way from Green Bay to Lake Superior. B1t
the world moves, and SO does Milwaukee
for she has at last undertaken to build rail-
road which will ruin that little village ut the
head Of the lake, known as Chicago. go that
in coming years travellers to and from Mil
waukee will be pointed to q level plain at tue
outlet OF Chicago River, with the remark
"1.hat is tho former site of Chicago, city
which undertook to compete WITH MIilwau.
kee, but was ruined in tho attempt.
| HlnnrB