The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-07-26

How and When Evansville and Van
deFburgh County should Farther
Aid In Building the Straight Line
Railroad.
Evansville is just now aiding to the
extent of her utmost ability to com.
plete the Evansville, Henderson &
Nashville Railroad, begun twenty
years ago. She is also gathering NJ
and husbanding her strength to build
the Evansville & Southern Illinoi:
Railroad. Both 4hese roads are So
vitally Immediately important to Ev
ansville that she cannot even retain
the trade she now has unless they are
beth Immediately built. The Eliza
bethtoWn & Paducah, and the Vim
cennes & Cairo Railroads, both un.
der construction, will speedily take
our Southern and Western trade to
other cities unless we hastily complete
these two railroads.
Our wealthy citizens have lately
been called on to aid IN building the
Evansville, Terre Haute 81 Chicago
Railway, which, next to the first two
roads above named, is most vital to
Evansville interests. This road, to-
gether with the Chicago IL Daaville
Railroad, viii extend the Evansville
a. Charlottesville Railroad direct to
Chicago, and make the shortest line
between Chicago and the Ohio River
at any point, will at once double the
railroad traffic of Evansville, and
give to the f. & G. r. R., which has
hitherto only been able to pay its
bond interest, a reliable, paying bust
ness. But, notwithstanding the i'm
portance and necessity of aid by Ev-
ansville to the Evansville, Terre
Haute & Chicago Railway, but one
citizen Of Evansville has been in
duced to put a dollar in the enter
prise. They all acknowledge the i'm
portance of the road to the city, but
say the road through Kentucky and
the road into Southern Illinois will tax
Evansville and ali her citizens to
the outside of their ability to pay.
to complete them. But all these three
roads must be built speedily to save
Evanville from revulsion aud com
mereial distress. One thing at time
is an old and sound maxim. But
here we already have three very i'm
pOrtant things at time, and are about
to be asked to engage In fourth rail-
road When, then, and how shall we
build this Straight Line Railroad?
We have already paid for this road
more than three hundred thousand
dollars in bonds and cash, principal
aud interest, but do not own any in
terest even III its grade. This grade.
for which we have paid more than
$500, coo, was sold for less than twenty
thousand dollars and belongs to others.
Meantime. General Burnside has
built Us, without our aid, an extern
sion of the X. 4 @. r. r. from Vim
cennes to Indianapolis, making as
short and straight a line between
Evansville and Indianapolis within
from five to ten miles (almOs) as Mr..
Carpenter and Mr. Fellows can build
the road, which they call the Straight
Line. 1t is not now proposed to build
the Straight Line to Indianapolis bat
to WOrthington, between Vincsnnes
and Indianapolis, making e branch
/ road from General Burnside's road to
Evansville; diverging from that road
and cOnverging to the e. & q. II. r.,
where more than twenty miles, aud
generally not more than ten miles from
these roads already built. So we now
have two roads to Indianapolis. We
now therefore have two railroad routes
to indianapolis. One via ViBcennes,
which will open, in September. one
hundred and sixty-six miles long.
One via Terre Haute, open the past
fourteen years, one hundred and
eighty-twO miles long, heretofore do
ing all the eastern and northern
business Of Evansville, and earning
between Evansville and Terre Ha1te,
only four thousand dollars per mile
per annum, and only able to pay inter
est, with the closest management, OF
half its cost.
The proposed Straight Line Roac
is to be a third route, though likt
both the others, running part o
the way over the same rails with an
other route, and cannot be made mOrt
than ter miles shorter than the rout'
via Yincennes. Certainly, the trad'
IN that direction does not requir,
great haste in the completion of thi
third route as 1t does the roads soutl
and west of U.s. Certainly, when tht
b. Il. Z. Road has carried cotton ant
tobacco all the past season from Ev
ansville to Terre Haute at ten dollar
car load, and merchandise nearl,
as cheap, there Is no pressing
necessity for the next two or thre
years that We should divide ou
strength on another road in tha
direction, which cannot possibly pa
more than running expenses, if s
much, until after our Kentucky an
Illinois roads are in successful opera
ton. Even the 4. & @. Railroad
cheaply built, can scarcely live agains
the competition of the river until ez
tended to Chicago, and aided h
southern and southwestern connet
tions at Evansville. When thes
vital objects are accomplished, il
Evansville give what aid she is alb
to give to the Straight Line. Th;
route will then have no opposition
asking for aid 10 Evansville and tn
county. To ask this aid before IS
endanger the credit of our peOple an
all our other railroads, and IS to pr,
nlGtlgelg 0sb did to a acOr6 10hich a
aid tObdteUer, IN us p0t0tr. can ga
non gTUaHize into healthy action.
But II giving aid to this enteFprts
it shoult by all means be given aftt
our previous gifts, as stock not as
donatloIi we want voice In its mai
agement. We cannot be safe withol
thus mua interest Ia the road. w
do not amt mere branch of a gre
road, maaged elsewhere. We shou
also inst on the condition that n
road sIll run through Petersbu
and Wilmington. The latter is h
hest LEGISLATION on the o. & M. u.
and Ev@ville could there divide 4
busipessf Washington with Cipci
naG anSt. Louis. Without goi
tbroughr close to Washington. /