The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-07-08

Appearance of Terre Haute I'M
prOVementS = Dull Times Street
Railr0ads-The Railroad Question
TIE City Threatened with Il Cut.
0G-The Artesian Well.
TERRE HAUTE, July Z, 1867.

spent in this, probably the most beau
tiful of our Indiana cities. 1t to-day
wears its usual neat and attractive
appearance, especially after the
drenching showers of the past twenty
four hours, which the parched earth
and thirsty verdure have gratefully
absorbed. The rains appear to
have been general, and have been
of immense service to the coun-
try. Terre Haute at this dull
season presents much the appear
ance of a quiet village, and yet it is
by no means dead. Quite a number
of fine store houses and a few good
dwellings are In process of erection /;
but the extent of building is hardly
one-hali as great as at Evansville.
In one respect, however, our prosper
Gus city could take a proitablerfesson
from the " Prairie City" viz: in the
substantial and attractive character
of the private residences. The large
mansions situated in spacious grounds,
and surrounded by luxuriant foliage
have an air of home comfort about
them which wonderfully attract the
stranger and lead to favorable i'm
pressions of the place. We want
more such in Evansville.
Merchants and business men here
say times are dull" 1t is the same
story which is heard almost every
where, and of which Evansville. for
tunately, has known so little as yet
trade is lifeless and a general stagna-
ton in all kinds of business. But
this is the dull term, and Evansville
may realize something of it for the
next two months.
The Street Railroad is all laid and
ready for the cars, extending from
the river on Main Street to the
Union Depot. 1t has only one main
line, and switches at proper intervals.
The cars will not be ready, or the
road in full operation, till zeal the
1st of August.
Among the business men and pro
perty holders the chief topic of con-
versation is the Railroad question;
but something Of a different character
from that which so recently agitated
our community. The readers of the
JOURNAL have already been informed
of a meeting of Railroad officers and
capitalists at this place, with a
view to the purchase of the
Road from this place to Indian
apolis, and Of their failure to
accomplish their object. The change
which occurred not long since in the
Presidency of the Road was, in a
measure, brought about by the desire
to make it decidedly a Ierre Haute
Road, and through the fear that Mr..
PECK might be tempted to sell it to
the Eastern combination. 1t is the
policy Of the Eastern main lines to
the West to buy up the small connect
ing Roads, and thus constitute large
monopolies. controlling the leading
routes of travel and freight. This
Eastern combination has advanced as
far West as indianapolis in the exc
cution of its grasping policy, and is
radiating thence Northwest and
South; and has obtained a ninety-nine
years lease of the Road from this
place to St. Louis. But it has en-
countered a very serious obstacle in
completing the gap from indianapolis
to this place. The Road is now under
the entire control of the Terre Haute
interest, Of which CHAUNCEY Rose is
the chief capitalist, and W. r.
mexican, the President. They claim
that it would be greatly pr~ejudicial
to the prosperity and convenience of
Terre Haute to sell the road to the
Eastern combination; that this city
would lose all control Of it, and that
it would be made entirely subserv;ent
to the interest Of the monopolists;
that it would endanger the remova! Of
the Offices, yards and machine shops,
which are the main industrial estab-s
lishments of this place. 80
The Eastern combination, foiled in
their effort to purchase the road. now
threaten to build a road from Indian
apolis via Rockville and Montezuma
to Paris, Illinois, TO connect with the
Alton anI s. Ionic rood MI g