Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-10-11
The railroad Question.

Col. Jones comes at me again, in
your issue Of the 9th, and an doing so
seems greatly troubled 10 relation to my
identity. He ptetends 10 think tbst !
am connected directly or Indirectly Fitn
the Z. & @. r. z. assure him that be
guesses wide Of the mark. *t* is not
an atteche OF that road, ituet depend-
ent for bis income on its earnings or the
gooI win Of nS MANAGERS, nor 10 he an
der any necessity Of defending il from
attack or becoming its champion. He
is interested in that road only 20 far a
he-has 40 interest, as taxpayer, in the
stock Of che city ia The road. ] an 40
humble Taxpayer Of Evansville, and an
under no obligations 20 tie e Z CIR
r. Co. have no preference for thAi
road over other roads Sseesssrys 70 ID,
citys prosperity. I have no preiudics
aEaihss the road proposed by Col. Jones
unless my unwilIingness to 600 Our ei6
zens loaded down with debt Of $780,
900 on Ice account, when their money
can be spent TO far better mimnaags
can be called preiudicaa Ishase mona
but kind feelings for Col. Jones' person
ally, and would 90 aeon sec him make
a big speculation of the pEblicas "any
other man. if such o. spSe6lation bg
our " manifest destiny" =
IavertbaS thepablic good 10 my object Ii
fasnfing the building Of Southernfseder
before we build an unnecessary road
Northward. The Colonel does not seem "a
think that person can be aeluated b.
any more noble sentiment than d big
fee, for be says: "If be . = is an
humble taxpayer on small scale, why
does he freif There must be some
other motive than lbe public good i
| fret, Col, II that be the proper word 10
describe my course, because, az . tax.
payer according 10 my means, don'i
| like 70 see our city sink $4,000 in adj
dition to the other 100000, With a
strong probability that all there will be
to show for this quarter Of million OF
dollars win be a hole through the woods
| inaccessible 10 man or beHst. ST. Al
Col Us allusion to "the firm mem
toned by Willard Carpenter 10 his card
is dnfortnnste. The only /" fEm" |
find mentioned in that card iAthat Oh
Field, Merritt q Co, OF New York city.
II ! am not mistaken, these are the gem
| tlemen Ia whose interest Col Jones IL
trying to foist upon the city an uu-
productive railroad bed, that coat them a
email amount compared with whatthey
expect to realize from Il, fodHhich ser
vice the Col. Is laboring 80 ardently and
so disinserestedly (See his professions
Of opposition to all monopolies, which BIO
says is his "objeet in thisB leohtro-
versy.l 0L sipsa hHa cad
In this connection wish 10 callsaten-
ton TO one significant circumstance.
Throughout the whole OF Col JoDea's
controversy With Mr.. Ingie and myself,
he has not, to my knowledge, stated tho
amount that the owners Of the roadsbed
expect to realize for that work. This is
on important matter, ne explainina the
earnestness with which the bubble 10
being blown. 7hey paid, il my recoIr
lection serves me, in the eighborhood
of $1,000 for il. What do they expect
10 get for itf A faint nt thrown. out
by Col. ]. in bis last communication IN
reply to mine, gives M q clue. he
says, 10 his new Estimate Of the cost OF
the road, Subscribe IS, 700 per mile.
and add the value OF the work already
done--say Cat much lees than il coatJ)
o., 900 per mile, and we have "A Ebasis
of credit 20, 700 per mile Now the
road is fifty-four miles long, and" the
value Of tbs work already done az
81, 900 per mile would be 81 go, 900 as the
amount which the ColonerA firm
expect to realize out Of their venture
Perhaps they would graciously coneede
little and call Ii .&l50, 600, ,Dednet
cost cit 600, and The Colonels fees, and
make due allowance for engineering 4
and "contingenciaa,' and there would
still be left large margin for psoRsto
reward the " firm for their faith 10 the
eullihihty of Evansville, and IN the
facility OF emptyiuga" The Pocket" OF
il surplus green backs. And Il might be-
barely possible that they would consent
TO take The Citys bonds for the $3.50, 900
and call III an even trade, rather than to
miss Tho dicker 1NNNgU
Col ]. has made aaofAer estimate Of,
cost BY. his 6rst one there would abs
Sc, ITO to be subscribed by indiviH1hls
By bis second, the, en- oubtSe Increased,
10 $79,s00l This remArkable ciphefina
would be wonderful did We not know
that this is sructifyinR weather. Vexe-
tation grows repidly-why should not
~ 1TrI%-Ala ,aans -h;ok -. -. .......
in railroad matters, also gtowR, The
danger Is that they will continue TO grow
until nipped By an untmely frost, before
they ripen.a @+ ~
$ Col. Jonss need not attBmpt to uader-
estimate the hane6t Of Railroad into
Kentucky and Tennessee, BY inqairing
skepiicAliy how wood, timber, lumhay,.
coal, lime, stone, iron, are TO be pro-
cured by building roadiu Kantackyy
Would such a road run through desert7i
Is the country. threngh which the road
would pass so poor that il raises no anr,l
plas producer Is there nothing vaiu.
abls under or above gfoundf Do the
inhabitants consume no commodities
which are kept for sale here ~ You'd i
road running northward 6fty-four niles,
nearly parallel 10 another railroad end
a canal, be Of more benefit than rail.
road running sonthward twice As Ear TO,
a junction with the Southern system Of
railroads, fhrongh section of country
havinx neiahar railroad nor canal7 Col
Jones's sneefs at the Kentucky road are
unworthy OF his capdor and good, sense.
He gives il IS bis opinion that abe
nower 10 authorize muniei pal corpora.
lions 20 build roads and levses in Anosh-
er State never was nor never will be
given them. 1.-The Colonel.swere q judge
on the -benchyend should give this a. q
decision, il would be entitled TO respect
as I" authority bat ! cannot forget that
be speakssas . hired attorney, and there
fore presents mere "cpInion in bis
clients interest," Thisopinion 10 entitled
20 weight, of course, bns ought not 10 be
held 90 conclusive without question: ]
Colonel Jones repeats, Theeity can
help TO build the Straight Line road. and
4 >. l.-.Lm~l - kahn m hn IL eAh n