Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1866-01-31
Straight. Line RaIIroad.

council has ordered an election to be
held on the 9th day Of February next,
for the purpose of ascertaining by q
general vote whether a majority of the
Taxpayers and voters Of the city are, or
are not, in favor of aiding in the COM
pietion Of the Straight Line Railroad,
from this city TO the Ohio & Mississippi
Railroad in Daviess County-a distance
of about ffty-seysn miles.
1t behooVes all friends of the meas.
ure to be on the alert and bring out
every vote that can be secured in its
favor There will be an organized and
systematic opposition by the same set of
men whose influence was exerted to pre-
vent the construction of the road in
1S57-men. who have direct individual
interest in the business of the Evans.
vile Il Charlottesville road, or have an
axe 20 grind, and will turn the grindstone
for that road now, in consideration that
that road will turn the grindstone
for them when their axe is to be ground.
No doubt opposition will be found
amoug men who are not setusted solely
by selfish views, but they will act inde-
pendently. The organized opposition
will come from the quarter above indi-
Gated. II is not to be expected that
men generally win do that which is det.
rimental to their private interests. /
make no pretense OF doing SO myself in
this instance But it is always best to |
take that course which is calculated
to promote the interests of the majority
of the citizens where no absolute wrong
is done to the minority, and it is always
wrong TO favor the minority to the injury
of the great body Of the people / am
thoroughly convinced that, independ
emily of all past transactions, it is essen
titl to the best interests of the great
majority of the Inhabitants of this city,
TO complete the straight line road imme-
diatelyf from. here to the Ohio & Mis-
.ssissippi road II will give US direct access
to district from which inexhaus ible
supplies of wood, timber, stone and coal,
of the best quality, can be procured at
the cheapest rates, and secure to US an
amount of trade sufficient of itself to
sustain q city of tenthousand inhabi-
tants---a trade whichgwe have not and
i never will have until this road is finished.
Within the last few months large quanti
ties Of cotton have, by the order of our
own merchants and others, been carried
on steam boats past this city to New
Albany, to there be put on a railroad,
because there vas no prospect that il
could be forwarded from here by rail
road within reasonable time. 1t was
understood that there was at oae time
10 this city, to be forwarded by railroad,
as much cotton as the Evansville and
Charlottesville road could move within
from seventy 10 ninety days The wharf
vas covered with it and the warehouses
we're full. Boats we're running regular
" between this city and Mem
phis There was plenty of cotton to be
brought up and they wanted to
bring it, hut they came up sometimes
comparatively empty while other
boats bound Tor Louisville and New AL
bany passed up heavily laden with cot
-. - 80 Whv waa ihfa2 u was for no other
reason than that those who owned or
controlled the cotton and were anxious
5 to get il to market, (among whom were
soEle of our own merchants,l were not
willing to have it discharged at this city,
with the prospect of its remaining here
from two to four months, awaiting the
convenience or ability of the Evansville
& Charlottesville road to take it forward.
The consequence was, that citizens Of
New Albany pocketed thousands of dol
lars, which, if we had had another rail-
read running north would have found
its way into the pockets of our own la
horers, adraymen, wharfbcatmen, ware
housemen aud forwarding merchants,
and owners of stock in steamboats, and
railroads So much of the receiving
and forwarding business which ought to
have been done here passed to New AL
bany, that one of our leading firms found
it necessary, in order to retain the Gus
tom of their friends, to establish an Of
fee at that place. +. r4e, TTngg A
'@ The indianapolis and Jacksonville
Railroad Company availed themselves
of this increase of businesI by extending
their track down to New Albany, and
have purchased an entire block, OF
g square, of ground fronting on the wharf
at the steamboat landing, for a, depot
and intend to erect machinery and
construct railroads down to the
surface of the wharf, by means oi
which goods will be taken to and
from boats without the use OF
drays, or the employment of extrt
hands. Their hope is, that the drayage
storage and commissions thus saved vii
be equal, at least, to the cost of carriag
BY steamboats, from this city to New al
bany. Upon the score Of charges the
will at least be on an equal footing wit
us; and besides, if goods can be trans
ferred directly and Immediately fror
B j the boat to the cars on Ake contrary
there will be as great saving of time b
sending goods to New Albanys unless W
have the means of forwarding then
promptly-within twenty four hours, o
most, after their arrival here. A fe'
hours of timeis very frequently of meE
Importance to the merchant than man
dollars in money, and trihing differ
auce In cost will not deter him from &c
iecting the route which affords the moi
speedy transie. bas -
Any "old railroad man of fifteen year
standing" knows that where there is
given amount OF business to be doi
lsI during the year, it is more profitable
keep q small amount Of rolling stock al
q small number of men employed CO
stsntly during the whole year in doii
il than to employ twice as much m
ehiuery and twice ss many men al
have them idle half the time. Thel
fora such an 80 old railroad man" ha
inc control of road in the eDjcyme
monopoly, will, of course, nur
the job, and exten4 ;. - q M M
REGARDLESS of the interests OF the :
chant, who may loseiten or hnndr
times the cost of the transportation
The delay of single day
An old rail road man SAID on
$3.50 tain occasion last fall, that with 81
daTs notice, the Evansville and Crs
fordsviIle road could be prepared