, 1874-04-13


maintain
A GENERAL sysrEm OF INTERNAL IMPROVE
MENT"
It projected improvements by wator In making
construction Of railroads. 90 that tho State might
have over. after O echemo adequate. for all itH
emergencies, md by Which Justice should
be done to oil sections. and tat
gil might rao on en even n ssae 4np to te hghes
Fund Commissioners was created, to raso
money, aud Board OF Commissioners OF Pucllo
Worka appointed, to Bpon1 It,. son,c thought,
from the result atterward that this former
misBonors. Tho Michigan Canal WAS placed
in Charge of another Board Of Canal Commits
6ioners. Tho Doard Of Public Works was required
to locute and supcrinteid aIl plans Of informal
improvements authorized by the Legislature.
And tho Legislature appropriated money for
tho first division Of wator and common road I'M
proyemonts, as follows:
First-For tho improvement Of tho Groat
Wabash, in conjunction with Indiana, to got ils
Canal s100,oo0
100000.
Third-Ditto for Rock River, 100000.
Fourh-Ditto for Kaskaskia, 250.010.
FiGh-Ditto for Little Wabash. 100000.
Sirth-On tho Groat Western hEail-rontc from
viuosnnes to 81. Louis (nncarth-road, which was
really tho extension Of tue National Road which
Aad boon authorized years boforo by Congress-
aud afterwards abandoned), 825O, 900.
Sepcnt|l-Arailroaa from point at or pcar tho
junction Of Tho Ohio and Mississippi Rivers
(now Calro), vim Vandalia, Slelbyville, Decatur,
and Bloomington, to cross the Illinois River ut
the terminus Of tho cannl, and thence to dalena
thiB will ho noticed ms the main line Of tho 1fi-
noiB Central Railroad}; and appropriated State
money for it, $3.600,U00.
EighM-A southern cross railroad from Alton,
via Edwardsvilo. Carlyle, &c, to Mount Cur
mol, on tho Wabash, with sundry projected
Of tho State; approprating 81, 1000 (rhiB
will bo identified with tho present Ohio Il His
aeBippi Railload from Vinconnes to st. Louis,
with the two onds left of.)
Ninda-A. Northern crogs railroad, from
Quincy, Oh tho Mississippi, to Alerodosia, on the
Illinois; thon, yin Jacksonvillo, Springfield, Do
catur, to Danvillo aud State limo, 81 0,00D.
(Ths is nearly the pathway Of tho Great Vest
ern Rai1road. North st that timo. it will DO OBJ
aorvedt WIS pretty we'll south III the present Sec
tionnl balance Of the 8tute.)
Ienth-A railroad from Alton to Sholbyvile,
Paris, ind State line, opposite Torre Haute, ST.
100000. (Yhis line, too has itB counterpart In
the running roads Of the day.)
EIeuen1teA railroad from Peoria to Canton,
Macomb, to Warsaw, to counect'with what is now
Burlington, Iowa, S700,000. (ThB line Ia par-
tally realized III other localtios.)
T.ee!fM-A railroad : from lb3lkononm,innston to
This act, seemingy that equal aud exact jus
tice might be dono to all tho people, Eayo
$500, 900 to each county through which no canal
or rnilrond Ind been ruiz (countioa then were
might help themselves to aucth improvements al
they needed. Undor that provision, number
Of short limos were proposed, Among thoee one
from Jacksonville to Naplea; anothor to VIM
chester, ono also from RuAhville to the Illinois
River, opposite to Bcardatown.
THE NORTHERN FART OF THE STATE, AND CHICAGO,
it will be seen, wero left in chilly position BY
tho scheme. Tho Yankoes had not then taken
posaession and tue sections north OF the Illinois
riy9r we're supposed BY tle nagnatqs M who con, m
borders OF civilization, mud woro left to the In
tliaus or other barbarous tribes who might como
n1,d occupy it. So not long afsor came tho tribes
from Now York and massachusetts, aud TOW
from Vermont, among thom Stephen A. Doug
las, and no took up his abode in tho sunny re-
gion nbout Vandalia and Springfield.
chicago had the cauA and tile canal lands on
which to found city, and the lake harbor, and
tho chance to be pottcd by tho General Govern
hoen contented, and doubtless she
was. But it is worthy OF thought just here, how
little the lenders of tile State valued tho northern
section. whcre corn aud pigs would not thrive;
seat Of power would continue ta march North
ward There aro signa Rtlil, cropping out in our
Springfield Legislature, that tho North is of Bmall
account yet. The GalenA i; Chicago Railroad
provoments, Though, I believe, it was first
thought Of as ono Of the appendagcs to como in
under tho 100000 bonotlts for some OF the
Northern counties that had not been touched by
a proposed canal or railroad. But it camo out
under! under . special charter gngl1eered by Y. 3.
mud survived the wreck Of tho system to become
tue first successful railroad Of tho Stata. Not
yitllstanding the stato WAS mapped with railway
iines and It. Louis bad had projects, for reach
Edward DateE, who canlo from that city
to attand the Harbor aud River Convention at
Chicago 10 18a6, and WIN made President OF it,
(thon quito al old mani. stated. in iis introduc-
This, however, did not dequalify him from be-
ing worry good Attorney General in Mr. Liu-
coins Cabinet.
The Fund Commissioners proceeded to obtain
the funds as tho Inv directed, by selling bonds.
and in tho various ways known to people to got
something out OF nothing and tho Doard Of
Public Works proceeded, aa in duty bound, 10
SPEND IT.
ass ssen .a from ro.np taG sa1dpant s{ tns Of s
real mead, this scheme Of internal improvements
docs not soenl as wild aud reckless al it appear
cd a few yearB after the work had been begun.
It WEB not by far 80 largo scheme III VIC hive
progrosa could got out Of tho way Of tho tido
thoY hupleas|y sat a-going by gotting into their
gruves. There waaa jealouBly among the. poo
plo that tho rul.ds would not bo spont equitably
for the benotlt of nll parts Of tbe State at once.
Therefore, tue Construction Board did not, Or
began ' their t"D' work H'' over ~ tie ' whols @
broad area at tho sano time. grading here aud
ditchlng tllero iu the most expensive mAn1lor,
ant Ut groat disadvantages, faraway Oh the open
rrairios. whoso they could hardly expect family
to aottlo for generation to como. Tho progross
waa marked by thoso ditellea aud broken placos
Of enrth TIL the maney was spont the State ran
in debt to tho oxtent of Sl6, ,dO0, ,000. AND nary
railroad yeti" mud 30 tho plan "busted." III
tho public mind 1t was rorortlud W
YlIE FOLLY or THE A0lt.
1t lind been aH deceptive ua the old btnking
achene to. nuke tile people rich. Plenty of
| money lad boeA spent, but mono earned; nnd.
in p!ace Of riches, thora wore enormous debts to
pay. ,:..
1t is very apparent that tho scheme WAS only
unwlse III icing pressed bafore itn time, and
in being attempted on too grand Il scale, which
far oyer-reaclod tho necossltos Of tho times.
The motto IL reversed, that thoy builtel moro
wisely than thoy meant. The fact IL, their WIS.,
dom waR better than tho!r builliug,-and they
!