The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-12-02
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ago, few Of our citizens could see
anything in it but 4 branch road
from one point on the /. S. E NJ. S,
to another point on the same line.
True, it would pass through good
country, and one not now favored
with Railroad facilities, but beyond
that and the incidental trade it would
bring our city, they could see no
chance TO make it available as part of
maig line. We pointed ont how
direct line it would make if ever
the A. d G. W. should seek to reach
Chicago by building westward from
Akron, or in the event Of any other
company doing the same thing, but,
although a company was incorporat-
ed, and books opened, there was not
enorgh public spirit here to take a
dollars worth of stock.
Time has in a measure demonstra-
ted, that such a road would have be-
come, Tor might yet, if built part
of trunk line from the seaboard to
the far west. There are great lines
of railway pushing westward, each
of which has or will, by some route
not yet occupied, penetrate the far
west as competitors for the carrying
trade of the Pacific States. One,
the Pennsylvania Central, has al
ready und er its control, a line of
road reaching from New York to st.
Louis, and its competitors must
reach the same point if they would
divide the trade with their more for
tunate rival. The same may be said
of the New York Central, which en-
joys like advantage with the Penn
sylvania Central. The Baltimore
and Ohio, equally strong, equally
enterprIsing, and equally determin-
ed, is seeking a similar outlet, and
during the coming year will have it.
The Connelsville and Pittsburg
Road, upon which the new move
ment awaits, will be completed
through to Cumberland, on the B.
& o. r. r., so that trains will pass
over it on the first of February next.
The work of building westward to
Chicago, will then commence in
earnest, and though the route is not
yet fully determined, it will soon be,
and indications point 70 Akron as
on the line. Had the projected road
from Fremont to Bryan met with the
encouragement it should have done,
there is but little doubt it would
have become a part of that line. l.
needs but line drawn on the map,
from Akron to Fremont, thence on
TO Bryan, and thence to Chicago, TO
show the feasibility of the project,
and to point out the almost unerring
certainty that such route would have
had the preference over any other
As it is, We shall propably have to
see the road pass US to the South, |
and behold our neighbors enjoying
the growth which might have been"
ours.
There is still, however, an oppor-
tunity of regaining by activity what |
has been lost by inaction. One of
the four great corporations referred |
to, has not vet succeeded in pushing |
its rails toward the setting sun, but
yet has been putting out its antenna
in search of a way by which to reach
the west. But just as sure as these
others have or will have, independent
lines through 20 the Union Pacific, so
sure will the A. & 6. w, accomplish
a like work, and this generation will
not be likely to see any other lines
completed, if even projected. Its
point of departure from the main
line now in operation, will most like
ly be south of Cleveland. at Akron,
Seville or West Salem. Should the
line chosen by the B. d O., run to
the south of US, as it will, doubtless,
there would still be chance for our
city if concerted action could be tax
en- and an effort made to obtain the
location of the new line. A road
from Fremont to Bryan would just
as certainly be available then as now,
and the promptings Of wisdom would
say build it and hold it as a means
of determining the location of
main line.
Failing 70 obtain the location of
road, what has the future in
store for US, is a question which may
we'll engage our attention Each J
road which passes Dear us, yet does !
not touch us, is a positive injury,
,hough it may not at first appear so. I
Yet the scope Of country from which J
rade is drawn is materially lessened Q
md the competition arising from
he growth of other towns, would I
end still further to dwarf the bust
ess of our c:tF. This fact is al p
eady realized, and but that the ia !
ilities for shipment which our pres 1
Mt roads give us, have tended to the b
rowth of manufactures, 1t would be n
luch more noticeable than it is.
manufactures, by employing so in
much labor, have added to the popu- er
alton OF the city, and all those ad ooy
led have become consumers Of the m
Tares OF our merchants and the pro- b
ucts of the farmer, and the loss in r.
utsidc trade is not seriously fcIt II
bat simple fact points a moral 6,' e.,
nj adorns q tale" We should ,
ave more manufactories-works ye