Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-04-27

About eighteen years ago the peopl
Of this part Of Iowa County were YER
much Interested in the construction OF
railroad to Mineral Point, and at tn
same time the chances Of retainin. Min
cral Point rs the terminus Of the r,a'
were freely discussed. 10 was theI
khousht, and as succeeding development
have substantially proved, that the ex
tension of the railroad is only ques
ton of time--now near at hand, At thu
time this road was built to Mineral Point
this town and also the county aided lih'
orally in its construction without which
The road in all probability never would
have been built
The practice OF giving aid to capital
ists in building railroads has now become
the settled policy OF the general govern
ment and Of many states, so far as their
constitutions will permit; and some
states have even gone so far as to con
template changes in their constitutions
10 meet this apparent necessity. Capt.
talists now come before the people and
ask aid to ex end our railroad north
through our county saying that we may
then receive the advantages OF a through
hue from Chicago to ST Paul, &c. We
cav capitalists, although thus far is ap,
pears to be Geo w. Cobb, Superintend
ent Of Construction Co Just who the
Construction Company is we are not in
formed, and as we understand the prop.
ositon made to the different towns that
may give aid, it is not necessary to know.
The proposition put in practical form
may be illustrated as follows: Suppose
it is thirty miles from Mineral Point to
the Wisconsin River, and the towns
through which it passes agree to aid in
the sum OF $4,000, or 5000 per mile
Cobb asks pay only rs the road is fin :
ishcd, when one mile il ironed he will
want 5000, and when ten miles are fin.
ished, $50 600, and so on to the river
and whenever he receives any money,
say 5000, he will return to the parties
paying the money five county bonds, or
thcir equivalent in judgment again t
the county Thus the railroad may be
extended and tho creditors changed from
nonresident to resident bondholdcrs.
j, seems now as it did eighteen wears
ago that The road Will not be extended
north from this place without aid, while
other routes may be selected whore aid
will be granted with a lavish hand But
to ask towns to give aid and pay their
share Of the county debt is too much of
\ burden to bear. One hand must be
made to wash the other, the aid boz
slowed must pay the liabilities of the
towns on the county debt, or the whole
enterprise is impractical. Each dollar
Oi ulu uluSt III eHtCt TeieuSc tue ubnnTS
from one dollar on the county liability.
When the lawyers and law makers salts,
fy US that this can be done we think
Cobb's proposition becomes practical, and
tho road my be extende l. and way
opened to rid ourselves of burden
that has been hanging "a milestone
around our neeks, retarding our prosper
ity. Capitalists shun rs for fear of
taxation, and although we prosper, it is
slowly, compared with what we might
do with this prospective taxation removed
It is becoming evident to all people that
the county debt must be met in some
WHY, 10y compromise or otherwise. III
this be true, the sooner the better In
rest and mandamuses and other costs
mere sc our liabilities, and it becomes
thinking men, who have the goou o
oar county and our city ut heart to con,
slder these propositions.