Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-02-05


their bodies less than six inches long.
They are not exactly of size, the boy
being little the largest.
Another National Railroad Outrage
Proposed.
Certain parties in New York have
been for several years scheming to in
augurate grand continental airline
dead railway from New York to
Omahc, with prongs to Chicago, St.
Louis, e:c. They came out some two
years ago with flaming prospectus,
and then asked capitalists for the
triding sum of one hundred and fifty
millions of dollars ($15O, 600, OOO). II
might have been supposed that when
gentlemen having such q gigantic
scheme in hand asked for so small q
sum, that the bankers of Wall street.
and their friends in Europe, would
have responded at once, and sent the
projectors on their way rejoicing,
whereas they did not do anything of
the kind. Some old charters, and some
light grading through the level regions
of Ohio and Indiana, had been secur-
ed, and partial surveys and maps were
made of the entire route. The "dif-
cult country through Pennsylvania, !"
was admitted to he "difficnlt :" but
then, said the projectors, "look at the
many miles of easy work we can az
ford to have some miles of very costly
work." Still the bold bankers of New
York would not respond; and the
grand continental air line dead.
level railway from New York to Omaha
would not move.
Now this nice little individual pro-
ject OF few gentlemen of New York,
has gone to Congress, and the tune is
$175, OOO, 900.
Yes, Congress is the word. Con-
gress can easily push this great
scheme through the states of New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois and Iowa, to Omaha, on the
Missouri river-f0r the benefit of
Messrs: So and.so, Of New York. Why
not These bold projectors are not
particular they will take it in the
shape of subsidy, enough to build
the whole road, or in the shape of O
guarantee of the government to pav
the interest on the bonds, which the
company will then he most happy to
issue. And the q,4id pro quo OF this
magnificent paper company is, that
transportation shall be cheapened
thereby between the Missouri Valley
and New York. A cheap plea at all
events. They will make their road
straight, and so level that the locomo-
tives can pail bigger trains, and thus
reduce the cost Of carriage; and thus
this grand continental airline, dead
level railway company, will be the
finest stock in the land.
Now, how it ever seemed to these
gentlemen who ask Congress to give
them the money, or the credit of the
government, to build this road. that
the New York Central, the New York
and Erie, the Pennsylvania Central,
and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroads.
now great highways of commerce, were
built without Congressional money OF
Congressional credit These great and
valuable arteries of commerce were
built by individual efforts, under the
proper authority obtained from the
States through which they pass, with.
ont appealing to Congress for NOPE,
or credit. or the right to build them.
Has it ever occurred to these gentle.
men who control this promising new
scheme, that if it is to be what they oil.
lege, tina; they should do as other gen.
tiemen have done, and raise the money
for its construction on it's merits.
Such competition as that would be fai,
and manly; but to go to the general
government and, on the plea Of
"cheap transportation, to involve oul
people in an expenditure of several
hundred milliens of dollars merely ia
establish another rival railroad leading
o. New York, and to give these won.
derful!y public spirited gentlemen the
manipulation Of these several hundred
millions, is asking little too much.
We have converted with engineers
who are familiar with that part OF
Pennsylvania through which these gen.
tlemen talk so glibly Of constructing
an airline dead level railroad. They
pronounce it simply ridiculous. Nc
such line is practicable, at any admis.
sible cost. Allowing that their present
estimate Of $175. 600, 600 might be equal
to the cost, by items, of such q grand
railroad, it would require ten to fifteen
years oerect the magnificent structure,
several hundred feet high, across the
great valleys of the Delaware, the Sus
quehanna, the Allegheny, AMI othe,
important rivers, which it must cross
during which period the interest alone
would add to it's cost hundred mil.
lions or more. Meanwhile, what will
the good people do for cheap trans
portation z" Before these ten or fifteer
years of sauandering of the peoples
money would go round, some othe,
less Objectionable mode of ex
perimenting with our citizeLs' pockets
might turn up. Members of Congress
will probably look before they leap into
this we'll. They had better do SO. In
dividual members of Congress, if they
become infatuated with the grand con:
tinental airline, dead level railway
scheme have, of course, q perfect righl
to put their hands into their own pock,
cts, and pay over as much as they car
afford Tut when it comes to putting
Congressional hands into the pockets
Of the peopl,, for the benefit of an
airy corporation who have not had
financial strength enough to command
one-twent,eth OF the amount needed fol
their purposes, they may properly
pause. A project which has fallen
financially dead in New York, because
it has no solid foundation, is now to be
resurrected by means of forced contri-
buttons from the people. No, no! this
thing must not be. There is three
hundred million steal in this airline,
dead-level New York and Omaha Rail
way. 1t must be killed Us dead as Ju-
Illus Cesar.
Disputed Railway Lease in Georgia.
There is disgraceful railroad case
now before the courts in Georgia.
Before the war, one of tke most pros
ferrous and profitable railroads in that
state was the Western and Atlantic
Railroad, in which the state was a large