New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-08-12
INDIANA ENTERPRISE.
A NEW PATH TO THE BLOCK coh-FIELD.

OPENING OF THE CINCINNATI AND TERhh hAolL
RAIIwAY-A LARGE CoNCoURsE FROM
Nn,CUnnp,Nc CITIES -ENTHUsIAsM ALONG
THE pouTE-sYMPATHY AND GOOD Will
FxTFNpEp TO THE UNDERTAKING FROM
EVERY QUARTER. .
IPRoN A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF TIE IhiboHh'i
TrRRE HAUTE, Ind. Aug. 6.-When the an
ro,s 90 this most enerprsng city OF western INDIANA
nv tho historian the proceedings OF this
dow viii no found beginning separate chapter' 10
d, Trre Uaute In celebrating the opening OF the GIN
cinnot and Terre Haute Railway reoiced IN the exc
cution OF new OF prosperity Tor IN her case inc
stor Of civic progress its own commentary ana points
is own moral. During more than third OF century
the town was nearly stagnant at least the currents Oh
life in IL flowed scarcely faster than tue river beside
a, and boatmen have never accused the Wa
hash Of boisterous vivacity. Tho population was
but 1000 when the long arm OF railroad was nrst
stretched out the State capital toward Tcrre Haute
Under the Jtoueh Of an iron rail- II influenced by
magic wand, tho town sprang up with new vitality us
destiny as a railroad center became apparent. new
ratio OF Increase Immediately established, and its
population doubled with decade Of the
census Where a patch Of woods had marked the outer
line of settlement wide street cut through, sub
stanta buildings lined It, and in due time structures OF
more than usual size and beauty, among which hand-
opcrahouso specially worthy of note, character
lied this young city,
More recently Terre Hsute has Indicated her recog-
some assistance TO new railroad enterprises which are 10
bring prosperity TO her gates. As TO tho proproV OF
such assistance, room has however been Iouhu ior
difference of opinion. In all communities thcro arc
those who ready to decry improvements lh'oNins
expenditure indebtedness, and Terre Haute mas al
share of such citizens There were people here VINO last
week. doubted whether the Cincinnati and Terre Aaue
Railway existed except on paper. There were others
who scarcely hoped that anything more thah sho" Vi
bnildng il would be made And there was no ncoh
siderable number of citizens who had no nope OF ses
railroad that any man would risk MS hIe upoh'
The period limited securing the aid OF the city 10 te
project had nearly expired There is not the slightest
doubt that the had passed. aud the railway hau
NOT been opened great many wiseacres would tO7ay
have been shaking their sagacioas noddle ana croakne
the chorus Of " / told you 80"
Such at least gather 1t from conversations WIN
tbe peope who assembled to take the ears at MahsI'
this morning. was the temper OF the town Dut Ie"
DAYS ago Not trace OF this remains to-day oeVera
hundred gentlemen and adiesI use the terms ADVISED
eame TO town last night and this morningt to assist
IA the French would say, at the ceremonies Among
them there many individuals OF local emiheoe'
and prominent railway magnates representing o'Noi
roads Mark TO begn with, that all these peope cao
ON railroads to which the enterprise must DC COM
petitor and yet brought from distant cues oh
nasse furnished by the officers OF these older railroads.
Extra cars were needed TO accommodate eohcourSe
larger than had been anticipated ana, moreover soo
new cars belonging TO the Cincinnati ana Ierre hau'o
Railway did not arrive in time for the celeorauoh
the rival roads generously lent their cars.
But of this kind OF liberality, peculiar TO-
and characteristic of the people west OF the AeSha
MES shall have to say hereafter At least l'o"
people we're slowed away in the two excursion 'ainS
Perbaps some city reader who has had the misfortune
10 he an invited guest ut railway or areal estate
son around NewYork, is thinking of the crowd ta Is
drawn together-Heaven only knows whence ON sneh
| Tho mpfr
avery of this 800 10 mako such comparison
doubt whether Emerson gathers at his lectures more
respectable and weldressed assembage than the peoe
who filed the cars. An equal, or perhaps nuch arEer
number difficult to estimate in such surroundings gain
cred IN the woods the end OF the route to receive US
they were OF some what different sor-the homeSIuh
Clay county their unbrowned wives
and daughtersbut they were just as welOehaNeu' anu
moro interested than the rest III the speeehes
There was absolutely nothing of the rowdy eemehtah
what seemed to most remarkable everybody talKed
| railroad"
OF course politics moro or less discussed ana
olca are the prominent topics here with all men-and
| vonen The Hon. Dan. Voorhees, and Gen. Morton g.
Hunter are very active respectively IN pressing ther
own claims and discussing those OF the Presidential can
ddates Gen. Hunter said that he expected to speak at
Grant Republican meetings 20 within the next %
DAYS But it won't help him, though he Is personally
| popular, for Voorhees,, the tall sycamore of the
wabash sways his followers with equal personal eo-
quence and greater tenacy OF party TIES ana the uiS
trct used to accounted certain OF not less than lO
Democratic majority Although even casual observer
cannot fail to be impressed by the fact that the prevail
ing sentiment here largely in favor OF the Liberal
movement, tho asperity of the wordy controversies
| that are carried on in the streets, and shops,
| and Railways indicate that both sides are
! battling in grim earnest. Owing to THIS
condition OF public sentiment the services OF both Gen
| Hunter and Mr.. Voorhees,, who had been engaged as
speakers at railroad celebatonwere dispensed WITH
for each OF those gentlemen was OF opinion that his adVo
cacy of the road might to njure II in the estimation
of the part of audience that was politically opposed
TO him. But although politics were discussed on the
trains 10 extent and there was the usual amount
Of chchat and talk about tho weather and the crops
and though the young men aud maidens found oppor-
uny for Irritation In the proximity Of the carseats as
they always in any circumstances that bring them
together there was yet subject constantly upper
| most and that was this new railway.
Not only to those present from other cities but
| 20 the residents OF Terre Haute. the road seemed
novelty They evidently had no idea beforehand that
40 much of it was finished. To stranger. the most
striking feature is location OF that portion Of the
road which is In Terre Haute. The part within the city
limits is nearly two miles long; 1t Is In wide street
naturally devoted to commercial and manufacturing
purposes, running parallel to the Wabash River. and
distant from perhaps 200 to 800 feet Large buildings
such as stores factories facing the west side of the
street. have in the the benefit Of water frontage
Give to any business the pick of position for rail
road In river town. and this is just the location he
would at once select There acute surmises by the
Terre Hautans, doubtless with eye TO real estate
speculatons, as TO whore the Companys shops would
| be placed; and the comparative advantages OF
different parts OF the street for such structures found
partlsans But strangers and residents old and young
az the trains proceeded began talking about the road
itself and the current remarks OF surprise at the
smoohness and excellence of the track The fact Was