The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-02-18

the capital invested. 30 Tar as the
interest of the city is concerned, it is
not necessary that any Of her roads
should pay, although it would be bet
ter if they did. No railroad, however
poor, could be built to the city that
would not be great benefit to- it, 81
Our citizens may subscribe reason
able amounts to the stock of, or give
the money to any road that is sure Of
being built, with certainty that the in
vestment will be a good one. sdt ~
Whatican Evansville do2nalqqe 7fs-
She can show the people along the
line the way in which they can con-
centrate their means and their 'eper-.
gles in building the roads. which they
are not only willing, but anxious to
do. She can do what she is expected
to do. She can start these enterprises.
She can organize the companies. She
can Cher people CAM subscribe stock.
She can combine the means that will
build all the roads mentioned ,oithout
using dollar of her 0s0n money.
d The track can be put down on any
road out from Evansville one hundred
miles, grading and all, for ten thous-
and dollars per mile in any direction,
and in some directions for much less.
Why is it that so many of our citi-
zens who have made good fortunes in
Evansville have moved away to other
cities? 1t would seem that the place
where they had risen from the poorest
beginnings to most liberal fortune
would be the one in which they would
choose to invest their means, and
spend the balance of their lives. 1t
is not so. Some have carried away
one, some two, and some as much as
three or four hundred thousand dol.
lars of the capital they have acquired
here, and which ought to be added to
the money. power of our city, For
thisft are two reasons at least.
First-If man becomes wealthy
and retires from business, he finds
Evansville to- be an ont Of the way
place, and not the best his money will
enable him to enjoy9 1t is not.such
place as a person of wealth or a
stranger would select, in which to live
and enjoy his money. 1t is upon none
of, the great routes of travel. There
are many reasons that suggest them
selves to such an one, that the i'm
provements mentioned will remove.
Second-The men who have left us
al! remember the time when the trade |
of the Wabash as far up as Lafay- |
cite came to Evansville. They have
seen Indianapolis and Cincinnati rail-
roads, one after another, come through |
the States of Indiana and Illinois,
and with their coming they have seen
the trade diverted from Evansville
until there is nothing worthy of men
ton left this side of the Ohio but |
the river towns of Southern Illinois,
and the trade along the line of the E.
& 9. road. a They have seen the
trade of Green River sadly |
with by the Louis
vile & Nashville road. Indianapolis
is now proposing to take the South
ern Illinois trade. from us by build
ing road through Vincennes to Pa
dueah, When railroads are built
through the Cumberland and Ten
nessee River country to- other points
than Evansville they see that. we
must bid that trade farewell also.
Up to this time we have enjoyed |
great acknowledgements which rail-
roads, sooner or later, will take
away from us, Nearly, if not all |
of the successful enterprises that have
added tolthe population or wealth of
our city, have arisen Of their own ac-
cord, and have prospered because the
Ohio, Green, Cumberland, Tennessee,
and Wabash Rivers have furnished
the people of those Districts with the
only means of transportation. This
transportation will sooner or later be
superseded by the railroad, which, if
We lose our opportunity, will carry
the trade in another direction.
Our city has enjoyed great prosper
ity during the past five years. A
great deal of building has been done.
Large sums of money have been added
to the wealth of our citizens. Surely
we have gained some impetus; but
the causes that gave it us are removed.
Unless we renew our efforts in way
bifharkr 49,, ,,,,,ab ,,oolaa4od will mot