The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-01
sPxR1r OF T1xn PRESS.
Editorial Opinions of the Leading Journals
Upon Current TOpics-COmpiled Every
Day for the Evening Telegraph.
WANTED "FORTY MILLIONS. "

that we are all going to the bad, will find
strange problem in the financial columns of
the 1riJuHe. Calculating the aggregate of
money asked for good railroad bonds and
mortgages, we estimate that the bankers and
brokers of Wall street are now asking the
country to advance them forty millions of
dollars to build railways and improve the
country. Forty millions of dollars is goodly
sum of money. 1t is more than it took to
run the Government forty years ago. The
war has familiarized us with millions and bill
lions to such degree that our mathematical
conceptions are obtuse, and we do not
thoroughly comprehend the vastness of this
demand. There are good many second-rate
monarches that would be glad to be worth
forty millions of dollars. The Sultan of
Turkey would probably sell his harem and
mosques and retire for the remainder of his
DAYS into muezzins tower to chant praises
to Mohammed for half the sum. And yet, if
we lend this forty millions, Wall street will
probably ask forty times as much next year.
What do these gentlemen want with all this
money? Mr. Opdyke requests goodly sum.
He has noble enterprise in railway di-
recty through the heart of New York. A
better road was never planned-and, as
feeder TO New York, every bond is good. Mr.
Vermilye would like us to help him with his New
York Southern Central. We don't know much
about this, but are disposed to believe in any
bond that Mr.. Vermilye recommends. New
York cannot have too many railroads. and,
after we are. through with New York, we
naturally turn to the South. Mr. Clews has
road in Alabama, running from Selma, which
should be built. In Georgia, we have the
Macon and Brunswick-as good as any road
in the South, and destined to aid largely in
developing Georgia. We should put our bot
tom dollar into it or into the Atlantic and
Gulf which came along the other day with
balance of earnings showing an increase In
one year of II per cent. We don't remember
any fact since the war that pleased us more
When the Southern railways increase II per
cent in business, it means that we are coming
back to the good old days of prosperity and
peace.
After the South, we see the West with out
stretched hands. Twenty railways, running
hither and thither, all wanting to run little
faster-if they can have assistance. Well,
gentlemen, we wish you all success! and II
we had forty millions of dollars over and
above what we find necessary for our own
comfort, you should have all you ask. Money
put into railways in States like Kansas Mis-
souri,, Illinois, and Iowa is like the mustard
seed whose fruit was a hundred-fold And,
even as the birds of heaven nestled in its
branches, SO do towns and cities cluster along
these great highways, and grow prosperous
from their traffic. Long reaches of prairie
and hill, which have lain dormant for GEN.
turies, abandoned to the Indian and the
wolf suddenly become instinct with life
and grow into States. Who can estimate
the good that has been done to Illinois
City by the Chicago and Alton, to Iowa by
the Dubuque and Sioux City, to Missouri by
the Missouri Pacific? To-day the surveyor
trails along with his glass and measuring
chain; tomorrow a company of brawny Celt
or tawny Mongolans comes trooping will
axe and spade, tearing up native virgin sol
with ravenous fingers; next week the locomo
tive thunders it's warning to Indian and buf
falo and antelope; and in year we have cities
and newspapers, and shoals OF men anc
women who propose to till the earth and wor
ship God, and sanctify these wastes will
sweet and happy homes. Is there any noble
work in this busy, working country? No
gentlemen, you are not 'clamorous nor exact
ing Forty millions! Yes, four hundred mil
lions if we had them tospare, and four hundre
millions more.
Our old friends of the Kansas Pacific hav
been literally helped, and they seem to b
jubilant and earnest. 1t seems as if it wer
only Yesterday that they asked us to aid then
in building from Sheridan, Kansas, to Denve
CITY. And now they telegraph us, all the wa
from Cheyenne, that already they have bui
fifty-four miles from Cheyenne, southwarC
toward Denver. Being active men, and nc
content with small things, they are buildin
in two directions, and expect to have sixt
DSASA
many weeks are past. They have set the
enterprise on fire at both ends and we sha
not be surprised if they set fire to it
the middle. Mr.. Dabney, Mr.. Jesup, an
Mr.. Morgan will apply all the money W
give to that imperial purpose; and if an.
body offers a better security for goo
Yankee coin-with their six millions
acres, their iron, and coal, and gold-we hay
not seen it, From the far Pacific, Messr
Fisk Hatch come with the pledge that
we give them two or three millions, they WI
weld the last link between San Francisco al
New York Their Offering is good and pr
missing, their security the best, and so dow
the list. Mr.. Converse and Mr.. Tanner ha'
capital road running from st. Joseph
Fort Kearney, and reaching to Denver. The
only waRt q million and a half, and, if TIN
asked five they should not be grudged, fl
they have good lands, and sure business, al
offer frst-class security. Mr.. Shattuck has
splendid enterprise in Iowa, which cannot
too literally aided; while Mr. Tanner pi
misses to add another railway to Illinois, if
help him. We trust he will have all the he
he wants
Let our readers remember this;-A go
railway bond is the best security now op
to investors Let every man who has son
thing ahead contribute to this forty millio
The country will be richer and greater
shall feel the good results in our days, q
add to the heritage we hope to leave to {
children.
PROBABLE REOPENING OF III
ALABAMA" NEGOTIATIONS.
From the NJ Y. Times.
4 T., al, -