Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-05-21
DAVENPORT. IOWA. THURSDAY, MAY FL 1868.
The Coal Qaestion AGaia.

Inc AOmH 4AtUtAVA ma.
The following definite communication
from Mr.. Holmes in reply to Mr.. Cables
side Of the question, published in our issue
Of yesterday, will be read with deep interest
By oil our citizens. The people efthis SEQ
ton will heartily sustain him In the various
points and assertions he makes in fesssd to
the coal question, Mr.. Cables proposition
and ito practibility. the advantsgss sf the
route By Moline, and The necessity Of dsd-
mite action. Read every line oft, consider
we'll it's implications and suggestions. There
are thoughts in it worthy our most serious
reflection and strictest attention
Eplroas DEMOCRAT The mode taken by
Mr. Cable TO express his views in your is
sue 10 so non -committal should no. notice
it, for it is only repeating the burden o. the
same story, of selling the rosd, but keeping all
| its ralue to himssit, except that It does net
correctly state the facts, and as il 10 not .
communication from Mr.. Gable or signed by
him he may repudists any portion Of it ss .
Misunderstanding of what he said.
Mr.. Cable did not make any Of the state.
ments contained in your Issue Of yesterday
in reply to my questions, but they were
made in his volunteer speech to our citizens,
protesting sgainst being called . monopo-
list and explaining why be could not pro-
duce coal cheaper.
He did not maintain "that the public
would, have . perfect guarantee for low
price Of soal," &C., for il wsuld b too pre-
posterous On assertion to make in the face
Of any community who. before taking any
stock, wanted to be sure Of competition.
re-asssrt that under such contract 90
Mr.. Gable proposes. it would DO sffsctaslly
In his power to prevent others from making
| . single dime except they kept up rates to
suit him-and that would not benefit the
community,-and the railroad company
could not help it If they charged others
what in Justice to themselves they should, q
price which paid them . prsft on the use VI
| their power and track.
On this point, however, We have the a..
surance Of the President and two Of the Di.
rectors Of the Peoria L Rock lslsnd road
that no purchase would bs made frsm Nj
| Cable except an unconditional one, and will
not dwell on the snbject, believing them to
| be honest men.
The road will probably be built BY Mo-
| line
lst. Because The permanent general bu-
siaess Of the company will b largely TO-
creased thereby, and the stock worth more.
Cd. Because large majority Of the pso
| pie Of Rock Island and Davenport, whose
custsm the company will nssd, prefer thai
route in order to b Independent Of Mr..
Cable, Of any other man, for cheap ceal.
Sd. 1t 10 the interest Of the company to
have numerous mines worked aud large
supply Of coal transported, because their
profit comes from the tonnage and not the
price. II Mr. Gable will try this question
| practically, and really wants to rsducs his
erpsnses and increase his profits as a trans-
porter, he can readily do SO BY opening his
road to the use Of other miners, and charg-
ing them oil that disintsrsstsd parties will
say 10 fair price, and thus sssuring now
the increased market he refers to, and to re-
verse his argument and apply it to himself,
the price hs would receive from others
would be Just 70 much money towards
keeping up the expenses Of his road. So il
| Mr.. Gable wants to give this perfect 6 usr-
antes for low prices he can do it at once
As it stands, he holds his road under .
| charter originally given to promote public
| good as we'll as profit to the owners. but
wrssts it from the community, and holds it
locked against all use which would conflict
with bis interest as . miner.
1t is for this the people demand new out
let's Their interests and Mr.. Cables stand
| opposed. lie protects himself. They pro-
pose to do the same for themselves, and
| will do it-thoueh not perhaps immediate
ly, ard see no cause Of present alarm to
Mr.. Cable, for the people Of Davenport have
taken very little interest in the Peoria and
Rock Island Railroad, and IL dependent on
| them-and think it is-ths project will
fail, or ct least stand adjourned to some fu-
ture day, when the necessity for effort will
| stimulate property owners to invest . small
portion Of tho benefits to be received, in the
means to secure them. As it stands, only
few persons have taken any stock at oil.
and those few only in small amounts, and
there is not village or township between
Peoria and Rock Island but what has done
more than We.
The confessed advantage Of this road to
Davenport, would be mt asured BY hun
dreds Of Mousdnds annually, while the
whole subscription lacks much lcf $4,000
or on annual interest OF less than $4,000.
III RCVpiO VI oiO hot vSe eetSuB
| enough to build . whole road themselves,
and must rely upon the sale Of bonds in
distant markets, or else the aid Of other cor
! porations to finish road and stock it for
use.
No foreign corporation will build roads
to points which are too weak to furnish
business, or too Indifferent to take an in
tersst with them in the work to be done );
and no foreign capitalist will look with ia
vcr on bonds Of q corporation which runs to
an important point where it has no friends
or partners in intsrsst.
It is idle to maintain that Davenport 10
unable to take e50, 900 stock in the Peoria
road, and wc would resent such an impu-
tatiop, ifmads by any one abroad. II our
| citizens learned to-day, that unless we sub
scribed ESQ, 900. the road would be built
from Galva to Muscatine, aud not Daven
port. tho amount would bs spsenpsly sub
scribed By men who have noe heretofore
taken dollar. II the Peoria and Rock
Island X. r. Company offered to build from
| Galva to Muscatins. and not to Davenport,
| or Andalusis, that Muscatine would sub
scribe $50, 900 to elOO, 600, bsfors ssnset,
the wires would blast back the word-"stock
all taken, bring on your fGils."
Now word in behalf Of NJ. Cable
with whom - an individual, l have no
eontrovsny-if the property owners Of
Rock Island and Davenport who will b.
enriched, and the businsss men who will
b largely benefited BY THE sntssdriss, lail
for want Of their material cid, l will admit
that the present supply Of coal 10 ample for
oil our wants, that they have no right TO
complain Of Mr.. Gable, II they will not pre-
tese themselves, and win think bic prices
are not high enough to insure the true in
terests Of Davenport.
VIZ. H. HoLMss.
Tas receipts and shipments, per rail, for
two weeks ending May 10Th, were - fol-
lews:
SHIPMENTS: Corn, 10000 bushels oats,
1910 bushels wheat. l6e0 bushels; -four,
200 barrels; meal: 10000 pounds hogs,
240 heed cattle, 10 head lumber, 2e4 n /;
Mdse., 400 tons.
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