The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1866-03-24
For the FREQ Trailer.
w hat WILL OffaMa Do?

lake ben Mr.. stQllOr, To call dttcHtioh " /
m enter,b rise which is all important 10 the !
people ahd property owners of Ottawa, with
the obett of arousing to action if possible.
A com pan7 called the Vermillion Coal Com
pany, wi III com plete its organization at a meet
ing to Id ssheld on the Goth inst. This Company
is strou5 in capital, energy and influence, and
brings ID the work Of developing an important
source of wealth in our County, the two things
most ueedful-capital and experience.
The company have purchased large guam
,ity of the best coal lands in the County on
the Vetmition River. The amount invested
in lands alone is $50, 600. By fall their works
will be in operation. The company is endeav-
ering to make arrangements for the immedi>
ate building Of Railroad from the mines,
CONNIE citing with Someone Of the direct lines OF
railway already in existence. or to be cons
structed, 10 Chicago. rr7' N2E5
Several liberal propositions have already
been submitted by different Companies. One
IS to build a track connecting with the Illinois
Central Railroad west, or to join with the
American Central Railroad Company in bull
ding the road from its crossing the Chicago'
Alton & ST. Louis road-the Coal Company
furnishing the capita. and ultimately when the
Eastern connections Of the American Central
shall have been completed to sell out to them.
This proposition leaves Ottawa out in the
cold.
The St. Louis, Jacksonville & Alton K. K.
is being built Northward as fast possible
This Co. proposes 70 build their road from
Wenona to he works OF the Company, thence
east to Dwight. This also leaves Ottawa out
in the cold. No proportion has yer been made
20 build road for the accommodation of the
Coal Co, but such as contemplates avoiding
Ottawa. The St. Louis, Jacksonville i Alton
Co. might perhaps be induced by proper eff
forts to run their road to Ottawa or The Chi
cago Rock Island K. L. Co., or the Chicago'
Burlington & Quincy might be induced to
enlist in the enterprise for the sake OF the
business 1t would secure to theic respective
roads.
There are several fine coal beds along the
line of the c. b. & Q. Il. R.-the nearest be-
ing at KewaRee, some 40 miles from Chica-
go. Coal from the Vermil!ion Coal Compa-
ny's beds could be distributed along the Fox
River Valley, and to the numerous towns and
cities on the line Of the C, =. ( O. r. Il.
between Mendo;a and Chicago. at much
chez per rates than from any other point. If
it " ere not for the ezra expense of q bridge
ovet the Illinois River, there would seem to
be 4 very fair prospect Of enlis;iag the en-
tern rising and wealthy Burlington aad Quin-
cy %. IN this enterprise. The ih-ueenent
to i be r. l. 60. to build the road - connect
with their road is not So great, IN cogSequence
of the fact tina: nearly the whole distance
fro n La Sale to Chleago this road runs oTer
Goa deposits, which are bein- Mined cxten>
siv4lY at dozen points on the road. II
roa b for tn~ ranspor alton Of the Yermi!ion
cos / is made from Wenoaa :, Dwight, the
dis ance traversed is 81 miles. The distance
fro In Wenoua to Ottawa is only p miles.
At Ottawa connection IS had with the canal
and r. I. R. r. for The transportation of coal
to Chicago. At Dwight connection is lad
wifi the Alton and ST Louis road only. 1t
i rue that Dwight Is few miles nearer
Chicago than Ottawa, UuI Sue UsIereGC. - -
suI all that it cannot materially affect the
gu stion. The nine miles Of road more from
W enona 10 Dwight than to Ottawa would be
rn5re than equal to bridging the Illinois river.
So far as tae coal company IS concerned, it
would be much better for their interests - be
able to distribute their coal along the Fox
River Valley for the plain reason that there
would be no competing coal bed in that
direction; very important consideration,
indeed while, by the way Of Dwight, nearly
the whole route to Chicago is through coal
deposits. The enlargement OF the Illinois
and Michigan canal wog!l aIpri the cheap
est and most adequate transit for coal to
Chicago; as the canal now is, no railroad
can compete with it on heavy freights. II
Ottawa becomes in the near future, as she
certainly is destined to become ultimately,
great manufacturing point, vastqIantlties OF
coal will be consumed here. All these are
/ important considerations for the Vcrmlili1n
Coal Company in deciding u?oa ,rsnsi:
route for their coal.
J The improvement Of the water power Of
the Illinois ana Fox rivers and the pro-
/ posed manufactures to be soon established
at this point, is an imp2rtan; consideration
for The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy r.
r. Company, as well as the prospect OF coal
/ freight.
II the people of Ottawa could be made
fully to realize the Importance of securing
road via Ottawa, or terminating here, run
ming from the coal beds OF tue Vermllion
/ Co., they would in some way find means Of
doing it. Ottawa could, if she would hold
out such inducements to the Burlington and
Quincy Railroad Company as to secure the
cooperation of that Company in building
such road. 1t is all important that action
should be had at once. We propose, then,
to the citizens of Ottawa, that they call a
M Getting at once to investigate and discuss
all these questions, decide upon the best
course to pursue, aid choose n comm ittee to
act with view Of securing the interests Of
opr cry III the premises we take the lib,
city of copying the following frcm private
letter, Just received from the agent and
attorney OF the coal company, Col. Plumb:
I l notice wlat you say in your first letter
respecting the railroad connection north ward
! from our mines, and have no doubt but that
! d road running northwarl to Ottawa so as to
/ reach the canal, and thence up Fox River,
| would be to The coal company as favorable
! an outlet as any one outlet could possibly
! be; but it must be borne IN mind that a line
from Unionvile to Ottawa, if made at all
Straight, would be very expensive 10 build,
and that a bridge across the Illinois would
also be very expensive-so expensive that u