Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-03-05
Anti-Railroad on the Brain.


lands, DC, you premise and announce
temporary adjournment Of your ad.
vocacy Of aid by taxation in the con-
struclion OF railroads, with a piquan-
cy peculiarly refreshing Your hab>
It's OF prophecy seem to be inveterate.
but pray, my dear sir, after having
invited discussion, why not indulge
the versatility Of editorial talent
With at least plausible forbearance
to differences ofopinion? | leave for
the general reader to determine what
OF A0pifati0n or Of spleen is embodied
IN your remark that 200, 900 acres Of
our Grant County lands are "to be-
come useful and valuable onTy when
there comes to be a hiqher ciriltnation
and better devotion to public i'm
provement." | also refer to the pio-
necrs Of the said higher civilization "
such elaborate appreciation, as they
may have a desire to enjoy, of the
very delicate compliment rendered to
them by your 'vast lottery enter-
pcisa, and without stopping to ana
Iyze tho rare good taste and classic
alIusion in which you indulge in hav
lag "the present opposing ones appear
as (diots cut IN mar6le and dumb as the
Sneep at sheTlHg." ! must proceed
not SO much to define our parting 30.
sition, as tocXplain why it Is, dit such
be the case, )that what you Suggest
ed, "is now voted impractical and
the cmanation of visionary brain. "
I'm the session of 1868, our Leeislas
ture seemed to be fully alive to the
great danger of permitting railroads
to consolidate, end the first seven
sections Of the railroad act authori
zing consolidation were repealed
SO strong was the conviction Of the
danger at that time that the roads
were poWerless to stem the current.
and the offensive clauses were strick-
en- out III both Houses by overwhelm
ming malorities Is the danger less
now than then Do the rates we
are paying show the popular feeling
to have been erroneous Let us see
what has been done since that time
by the roads to concentrate their
power. There were then existing in
Wisconsin, as separate organizations,
and acting independently of each
ether, the following roads: The
Kenosha 4 Rockford Racine Il Mis- (
sissippi Chicago a Milwaukee
Milwaukee 4 WATERFOWL milwaukee,
q Prairie du Chien La Crosse Il Mil. |
waukec Milwaukee d Horizon :; /
Chicago 4 Northwestern. What is |
the actual state ofthese roads to-day? I
Why, the simple fact is, the Chicago |
a Northwestern, and the Milwaukee
& ST. Paul Railway Companies own
and control them all The Milwau.
kee 4 St. Paul Company has sw allow
ed the Watertown, the Prairie du
Chen, the Horizon, and would have |
done the same with the Milwaukee & |
Minnesota Company, but for the de.
termined fight that road made to pre-
serve its independence-it operates
$40 miles OF road and the stock and I
bonds Of the consolidated concern
arc about eighteen millions of dol |
lars
The Chicago & Northwestern is
probably the most over grown mann
moth in the railroad world 1t is
pushing IFS arms in every direction,
extending and strengthening itself
ii has absorbed the Galena 4 Chicago, |
the Dixon Air Line, the Chicago q
Milwaukee, the Kcnosha q Rockford, |
perhaps the Racine 4 Mississippi and
its trans>Mississippi branchcs-build>
ing and running-is operating from
1900 to 1900 miles of road. Thus it
will be seen that these two compa-
rics own and control the whole sys-
tenn ofoW State, ofNorthern Illinois,
Northern Iowa and Minnesota
This is not all, however. Having
raked everything into tro piles. these
controlling gentlemen find a want Of
1Mig, and have therefore decided to
roll themselves into one. This will
then accomplish their tavorite idea
doubtless Il villas the people of
vur State are likely 20 admit ON the
opening Of the spring business The
consolidation Of the Chicago & North
western and the Milwaukee Il St.
Paul Railways is all settled and ar
ranged, but is not to come out as an
established TACT, until the adjourn
meut OF the Legislature for various
reasons, yet deny it as they may, it
has been determined upon and will
be carried-S0 much is certain. A huge
monster will tLen take form and
shape, that may he stated in general
terms. rs q corpora ion OF some 1000
miles Of road, and some serenity mil,
lions Of dollars capital East OF the
Lakes we find 4 concern very similar
to this, with tern367j at both Albany
and Troy-comiug west, with various
ramihcati0ns. To Buffalo, Ne, and its
history, not only in commercial ex,
actions, but.poIitioal intrigue-man-
tanning controlling membership at
Albany year after year, as we'll as
making and unmaking Congressman
its motto being that ''it is cheaper
to buy than to elect them lis too
we'll known to demand detail or com
ment bus the Oshkosh 4 Mississippi
River road, which you proposed to
aid, by taxation, being pretty well
understood to be none other than
this same New York Central seeking
western extension, has probably not,
on that account. addressed itself to