The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-04-24
Correspondence Milwaukee journal of Commerce.

Correspondence Milwaukee Journal of Commerce.
SHEBoYGAN, April 18th, 1878.
Why the people along the lake have
so long subjected them selves to so much
inconvenience by their indifference to the
project of lake shore railroad is GER
tainly beyond my discernment That
they have done so is fact Almost the
entire trade of Port Washington, She
boygan, Cenreville, Manitowoc and Two
Rivers, and intermediate towns, has
heretofore been thrown into your city
Yet the people allowed themselves to be
deceived by few interested persons, so
that every attempt to build line along
the shore was for long time defeated
During the navigation season, transport
tatlon was easy enough, but In winter,
merchants experienced much trouble
from the difficulty and the length of time
involved in replenishing assortments.
Consumers had to go inland for supplies.
| Again, merchant cannot pay 80 per
cent more for freight and sell his wares
for the old price. Here then you will per
celye that the consumers suffer the most.
Ii a customer can purchase his goods as
/ cheap in Sheboygan from his old mer
chant, he will not go fourteen miles west
to the merchant living on another line.
And if there are two lines of good run
ming a few miles apart and In parallel
direction, it Is apt to cause reduction in
freight tariffs.
A. B. aid G. have each attempted to
supply certain want of the people, but
all have failed to the detriment of the
latter. Finally ID. tries his hand and
succeeds. D. no longer needs the people
1 It,f kn l.,
of this ID. becomes a monopoly and
charges his Own rates. The people have
no other remedy and temporarily sue
cumb. However, there is time when
patience ceases to be a virtue; SO the
people agitate opposition. Il. not dis
heartened by former failures. now boldly
puts his shoulder to the wheel to accom-
plish this much desired end. La March,
1870, charter was granted to the newly
organized Milwaukee, Manitowoc and
! Green Bay Railroad Company. 1t at
once began survey on the line. 1t found
so many difficulties to overcome and it
met with so much opposition that grad
ing did not commence until 1871. In
spite of all obstacles, its manag perse-
Yered and built on Quietly-indeed so
quietly, that many residents OF Miwau-
kee did not know there was depot at
the foot of Wisconsin street, until it was
one day announced in the local columns
of an enterprisng daily. 1t may forever
remain a mystery why your Milwaukee
business men allowed them selves to be
prejudiced against the lake shore road
Do they know that there is no other inlet
into your city which will prove of SO
much benefit?
Milwaukee prides its self upon being
: I
! Very well. But did it never occur to
Milwaukee that the wheat business in
terests only q few? To be sure, the
many laborers What will you answer
when L assert, that two Milwaukee cloth
ing manufacturers employ more labor and
feed more mouths than all the elevators
in your city?
Is it not possible that it was the little
clique who are interested in the wheat
business that made such strong efforts to
oppose this route.
Do you want to know why? Because
part of that clique has road running
parallel to the new one. There are rail-
roads and taxes enough" they say to an
unsuspecting public.
Let US look into this matter. Some of
our most worthy merchants and farmers
live along this line A reduction on
freights produces reduction on uoods,
while profits remain the same. Milwau
kee has heretofore commanded four fifth
of the trade Of Sheboygan, Manitowoc
and intermediate townsville grocery
trade alone furnishing a quarter of a mil
lion year. During navigation the de-
mand could be supplied by steamers, but
in winter the merchants experienced
great trouble in replenishing stock to the
detriment of the consumer who is always
the sufferer. A packing firm once made
a shipment to Liverpool and received re-
turns before small supply reached Man
itoWoc by way OF the Milwaukee Il st.
Paul via. the Northwestern to Appleton,
thence via the Western Railroad to
MaDitowoc This very winter, goods
have been on the road from Chicago and
Milwaukee to Manitowoc more than SIX
weeks and rarely less than two. Do your
merchants believe that they need 10 rail-
road on the lake shore? What do we
care for d. when E. will carry orders
from Sheboygan to Milwaukee in the
morning and deliver to purchasers their
goods the same evening? Does it inter-
fere with wheat coming into Milwaukee
Not IN the least. But it does take away
certain amount OF trade from ID.
which is a calamity that the public can
stand.
Merchants and others wishing to visit
Milwaukee on business are no longer GO
ing to pass half way around the moon
when they can make bee line.
The road along the lake shore has been
running successfully between your city
and Sheboygan to the great relief and
benefit of both cities. No other road In
the state has fought such battle for sue
cess; no other road in the state has
proved or will prove of so much benefit
to Milwaukee as this one. The best re-
suits of a wholesome competition are al
ready manifested in the cheap rates Of,
freight from Milwaukee to Sheboygan-
which are only eight (S) cents per hun
dred, distance of fifty three (53l miles.
Here we have freight rates by rail about
one hundred (l00l per cent less than lake
rates.
The road is now in excellent running
order to Sheboygen, and by July lst the
people of Manitowoc can pay Milwaukee
q visit of a few hours and return again
the same day in time for supper
| might 20 into details about this new
feeder, but enough has been said to show
its benefit to your city. [ cannot close,
! however, without mentioning the name
of Vim. Elwell, the present superinten-
dent, who has done so much towards
/ completing the road, and whose efforts
have been attended with success that
may be pronounced remarkable in view
of the fact that he had not the least pre-
vious experience in rail-roading.
Let Milwaukee merchants be now alive
lest they lose the trade which has al
ready been gained by hard work. It's
present name is the Milwaukee, Lake
Shore & Western Railroad Company,
And now,
Let agitation come who fears
! We need flood. The filth OF years
! Has gathered around us Roll them ont
| What cannot stand, had best be gone"
OUTSIDER.