Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1870-01-13
WILMINGTON 8 WESTERN R. R
Slowness of Subscriptions Along
the Route.
THE INTEREST OF THE FARMERS.
Wilmington won't Build the Road
Alone.


Mr.. EDITOR: noticed an article in your paper
few days ago concerning our Railroad and re-
ferring TO the fact that the farmers along the line
are Glow in subscribing 10 the stock of the en-
terprise.
My intercourse with these gentlemen has been
of pleasant character, and count among them
some valued friends on this account If no other,
l submit few thoughts that may be of interest
to them.
When the farmer on this line is asked to give
the fright of way TO the Company or subscribe
to It's stock If he makes objection, it takes inva-
rably this form: ~ live says he, shut five or
ten miles from Wilmington If want to go
there have only to hitch up my horse and drive
in. must keep horses to work my farm can
therefore drive to town when please and don't
need the railroad He goes further, and the
man who lives five miles distant says !" II
lived ten miles of should think a railroad q
good thing, aud would give the right of way,
besides taking some Of the stock"
The man ten miles off declares that if he were
manufacturer or If, being farmer, he lived
fifteen miles from town, he would think 1t very
necessary to have railroad, and would give his
| money and land to secure it,
| This is no fancy drawing, but Is precisely the
difficulty which is continually met in the country
when we essay to get aid for our enterprise, and
| is the obstacle propose to consider.
| Most men hate to be thought dishonest, and
| perhaps greater number resent being called
| fools.
| And vet the iaap, especially the farmer, who
in civilized community In this year OF the world,
professes not to appreciate the value OF railroad
crossing his place, provokes severe reflection on
his personal character-tither for integrity or In
teliigence. l suppose the majority of uusophis-
ticated school boys, over twelve years old, would
say - the man is a fool" But there isn't busi-
ness man in this ciyor any other for that matter,
who, alter listening to such language. would
| hesitate to declare: "thc fellows lying-he
doesn't mean what he says aud doesn't believe a
| word of IL himself he wants the company to
paw big for his land" And this is generally the
| truth of it. Every man on the line Of the Will
minpton and Western Railroad needs that road
and believes that he needs 1t. But there are some
who say otherwise; not many am glad to knoH
and they laughed at by rheif neighbors.
Now one truth is very apparent, namely; that
country does its full share the road won't bt
built. Ii is worth more to the people n the
country than to any one else II the man whose
farm il crosses choose to put himself in the way
to hinder the advance OF hls community, surely
we in Wilmington ought not to complain |; thai
is matter for his neighbors to consider. In The
came spirit is the claim made that we shall built
the road with bonds; not with stock. To built
the road On money borrowed by the sale OF bonds
will be TO put ourselves in the condition OF tht
mass of roads In the peninsula, which are drag
giug along a wretched existence because the earn
ings are exhausted iu the payment OF interest oI
their overwhelming debts. Good roads in excel
lent farming districts are made the properties
outsiders they are run with second hand loco
motives and passenger cars, and in most case
play second fiddle TO The z. W. u B. R. Co.
Our own Delaware Railroad is a case in point
We ought to be running the great Southern Ex
press over that rbad. 1t has the best alignmen
and the best grades and can carry through trai
fic without the severe delay encountered at Balti
, more 1t is the natural route between Philadel
phia and Norfolk 10 the South.
How Is III
Why it pays the proper penalty for betray1
of our credit ut the Etce OF thirty pieces aud
1t goes out and hangs itself.
There isn't respectable first class passenge
car on the road if we say anything in complaint
we are told, and truly no douht, they are In
beet afford. !"
If the people on the line of that road had sut
scribed ten per cent. of the subsequent appreclf
alton Of their f.rmsit would have been out {
debt; would have been owned at home; and Il
day would be paying dividends OF twelve pc
cent. and operating double track
, Aud in addition to these advantages, the road
, being our own property, would be operated /
our own interest. 1t would be worked so tina
|.
like to settle III our State it would invite imm
grafton. Su,h would b. it's influence on ou
| prosperity that our farms would be seTenty-fiy
Der cent. In advance of their present valuation.
Snch IL the general condition of the Roads !
the Peninsula. which t.il to properly accommt
, date their communities, because OF the glganti
debts they are staggering under IL was so cas-
to rint bands and sign Them that they have bee
thrown around like trash for any hgur: from
cents to 5J cents 10 the dollar
Shall we suffer the Wilmington and Wester
. Railroad to occupy position like these? .
0 shall we in proper spirit OF state pride put ou
4 hands INTO our own pt ckets, raise the cost Of
i | least one half our enterprise and then go upo
: the market sought by home capitalists, who war
safe investment, rather than as the prey oil ltlf
Grant eharpefs!
If every farmer on the line of this Road woul
s contract to pay five per cent OF what VIII be u
npprecaton of his farm within three years afte
= It's completon, for the construction OF this roa
; it would be built and running on the forth
, July.
In the last year new Railroad has been opent
: from Jersey Cityto Newark, nine miles.
e crosses Bergen Hill at three miles from Jerse
e City.
2 truck garden cultivated by German gardener
for the N. Y, Market The site OF west bergii
:. | covering sixty acres, was bought these gardel
! dcpers for twelve hundred dollars an acre aud la
ont as n viliiagn so as to leave about twelve 10
T per acre after deducing the space set apart f
y streets The first year of the purchase 1aO 10
v sold for 5000 each Last year 200 lots sold for
\ average of $1,000. That is to say. one.half Il
y tIact, which two years ago cost S12O 900 has Q
:. ready been sold for more than $500, ,0O0.
., Three wears ago a shrewd man bought larl
u tract of marsh land near the city Newark,
e j.. for SlO0 per acre After the Dutch gardene
e moved from West Bergen he sold TO some
is them at si00 per acre and is now selling to man
If lucturcrs, who wish to be near Railroad, a.
II for coal and lime and lumber yards at SlO0 l
o The town of Bloomfield near Newark, N. I
Ia was held as farming property five years ago al
?, now sells in house lots because Railroad ru
9 through it.
II Look along the Delaware hallroad ana reg
. the value of property in and about the south 81
of wilmington, before IL was built Pass
down the road and ask if the Cochrane proper
vi Middletown, held at $500 an acre and lying
the way of progress like the dog in the mang'
l. hasn't been improved by It's propmqulty 10
he town anu the Railroad?
is How about every little and considerable toy
of in the State? Consider for instance the vaiue
NJ property within five miles of Dover, which
=. advanced in value eight hundred per cent, sin
T. the Railroad was first projected. Think of
numberess stations growing up on the line oil
re p. w. & B. Railroad between Philadelphia
to Wilmington, in localities that don't compare
st beauty with our Red Clay Greek country,and
re- Hockessin Valley. Don't forget that whate'
Il, brings YOU near 10 Wilmington brings you ev
~ 20 nearer TO the great city of Philadelphia.
"a What do you think of the advance IN the vaii
q, ton Of property within five miles OF Coatesvi
be in the last year, and still more marked IN
present month? And the advance In prices
r. the Brandywine, near Wilmington2 Cross o.
to that neighborhood and ask questions, a
n. you'll be ready when you 20 home to set ab'
u bnildinp a road Yours truly.
u oui'u'ns io'
to
by More violence.
he -
IN ATTEMPTED MURDER IN CAROLINE COUNTY
IT. The Denton Union gives the following parli