The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1866-03-31
The Proposed Vermilfon ana FOX
River VALLEY Rail Road.

We publish in another column the report OF
public meeting held 1T the Court House IN
this city on the oath inst, to consider the
subject of building rail road to connect
with sor1e road south. and to run through
the Vernilion coal fields via Ottawa and
along the Fox River, connecting with the
Chicago. Burlington Il Quincy and the North
western Rail Roads at Aurora together with
the subsequent action OF the committee APP
pointed by the meeting.
That this is an important enterprise to the
people along the line of the proposed roac,
especially to the citizens OF Unionvil'e,
DAYTON. Milford, Newark, Bristol, IorkTille
and Oswego-towns hitherto unblest with
rail roads.-as well as to the citizens of OF
teWa,-giying the latter competing rail
road lire to Chicago as well as an outlet
north and south,-there can be no question.
judging from the indications at the meeting
referred to, and the prompt action OF the
committee, there certainly is no lack OF m
teres, in the subject at O.tawa-our leading
citizens having taken bold Of the work IN
earnest If the citizens of the towns and
cities above narned viii at once and ener>
yeticaliy move in the ma ter, and cooperate
nth the people here, before next January
the cars can AMI viii De running over the
road
We make this s.nguine, and some may
thiak extravagant prediction because the
L,- and
sach a necessity as will certainly pay, as We
III eudeavor briefly to show.
As stated IN the resolutions of the meeting,
there Is no coal so far as known, north OF
Cttawa and east of kewanee, On the C. b.
:. Q. r. r., which point is about one hun
ireI miles west of Aurora, and the coal
.,aud there is of an inferior quality. The
.oal beds of this county are within from fifty
.. , sixty miles Of Aurora, AID inexhaustibie,
:. j those on the Vermilion furnish a
ter quality Of coal than is found elsewhere
!: Tie state. At present the e. t. i T. X.
J. Co. transport all the coal consumed along
line Of that road. including the vast
antilles used by the Co. for running their
l. motives and extensive eng Inc anL car
works a. Aurora and Chicago, from kewanee.
re Northwestern r. R. Co. supply the
G con-umsd on the lines Of their several
ro4sl-, 10y transporting 1t from La Sale ana
X .auee via Mandota to FIeeport, distance
fr,ra the former place of over one hundred
II l,S. and from the latter, one hundred and
tIt-ly miles, over the Illinois Central and {.
B. 4 Q. r. Roads, and distributing it
fy1r Treeport east TO Chicago, and west to
ii Mississippi river, and Eorthwari 10 po:ats
" wood can be had chaper than coal.
T. amount of coal consumei b. the North
Y aern road itself is IMMENSE to say moths
l.. Of the vast quantities Us 8 in the manu-
f lure of gas and in other ways at Dixon,
{ .-Tort, Rockford, Beloit, GAINESVILLE and
A-ii.Cn. and the numerous smaller towns
SUI ned by the cars Of this CO. By the way,
IT, - remark IL this connection that the Yer
H...on coal produces, as proven by actual
ts.-s, oneeigh. more gas pc: given number
G. ~ than tie best La Sale coal.
The distance from the Nermiiou coal
feds to Aurora. is less than sixty miles, and
~ mile Of the route is through the best
g. most thick!y populated agricultural dis
:. -t Of the state, and along the banks Of
r.-sr which affords more cheapy available
r=- T power than can be found else where in
he same number Of miles, to say nothing of
. contemplated Improvement Of the Illinois
Ter power al Ottawa or the manufactures
adv established at Ottawa, DAYTON, Mil
tl-i, Newark, Bristol and Oswego, or of the
,piilv increasing population Of these towns.
from these facts it is not hard to believe
hat rot culy would the coal interest alone
lily warrant the c. Il. / Q. or the North
s,estern Co. IN connection with the coal Co
n building this road, but it is certain tn at.
aside from the coal question, ills road, when.
U1ilt. would pay well as any sixty miles
r,l road now in existence or that could be
instructed in the state Of Hi Dis.
The cost of constructing The road woull
b about the same as the average cost of
raj roads in the state, (which in ordinary
times is about $4,000 per mile,) with ex>
cep;ioa OF the bridge across the linois river,
which could be bull: at this poiat with less
than quarter of the expense &C The Illinois
Central bridge at La Sale
The Vermilion Goa! Comp. have already
iIyes.el in cash $4,000 in coal lands on
:he Vernilion river, and will commence the
work OF opening their mines Immediately,
and must and will have an cutie. TO market
for coal in some direction. l. is for the peo-
nav whether this outlet shall be across the
vast coal deposits to Dwight, on the a lton &
St. Louis road, thus literally carrying Goals
to Newcastle, or via Ottawa distributing coal
where it is needed anil where good price
can be had for it, up the Fox rivct valley and
along the lines Of the Northwestern roads,
The coal company hare already Indicated
preference for the Fox river valley route
This coal company is wealthy company,
and includes men largely interested in rail
roads in the west, and came think large
stock holders in the Northwestern, Cos, aad
is able and willing to aid in building this
road. From a survey Of the whole subject,
We are convinced that if the C. b. e. Q. R. r.
CO. or the Northwestern r. r. Co, or both
OF them are not the prime movers il this en-
terprise, they certainly should have been, and
will be blind to their own interests if they do
got at once secure control Of the proposed
road. Our acquaintance with the men who
have this matter in hand heie n Ottawa
terests viii. be enlightened if they need en-,
tightening, and thereby enlisted IS speedily
as possible, and that the road will pc built as