The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1874-03-07

and to-day have not railroad con
nexion in our own State within 15O
miles ofus -
Here on Lake Superior are Three
isolated Wisconsin towns, each pos
sessing a most prominent CONNER
cial position, with harbors large and
safe enough to stow away all the
shipping of the lakes Ashland
Bayfield, and Superior; these are nc
mere inland village sites, but valua-
bic commercial points all on the line
of this road in the State of Wis.,
that may confidently expect to be-
come in the near future what Mil
waukee, Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland
and Buffalo are to-day.
Without this road we are from
$50 to 200 miles from the nearest
settlement in our State, separated
throughout this entire distance by a
pathless, trackless forest; not a post
road, not a wagon road, scarcely
the vestige of an Indian trail into or
out of this howling wilderness, al
most one-third in area of the entire
State. Even our Representative in
the Legislature in going to the State
capitol, have to travel near 100 miles
in sleighs, dog trains or on snow
shoes, as the case may be, to first
get to a railroad in another State.
Then after some 200 miles railroad
ing in Minnesota, they are about as
far from their journeys end as when
they started.
We make the above statements to
show how much policy there would
have been in the Governors with
holding these certificates, how much
to the interest of this neglected part
of the State it would have been, to
have endangered if not actually have
prevented, the completion of this
road to these admirable shipping
ports on Lake Superior.
Minnesota has no port of her own
on Lake Superior worthy of the
name Of harbor; but five years
ago her far-seeing and energetic
statesmen put railroad through
from their capital to Lake Superior,
utilizing and absorbing what they
could Of one of these Wisconsin
harbors, and are now busily engag-
ed destroying what they do not
need for their own use and benefit
The Wisconsin Central, a bold
pioneer enterprise, 50 deseryedly
known throughout the State as
George Reeds road, is the first and
only attempt to penetrate this vast
region, rich in mineral, timber and
agricultural resources, that has ever
approached success. And now on
the very eve of its perfect success,
ii. Il r Il, L i
override the law plainly prescribing
his duty, set aside all thesbest legal
counsel of the State, and like his IL
lustrious predecessor in the Duluth
and Superior Harbor controversy,
take the bit in his teeth and act as
ugly as possible. Firmness in indi-
viduals as well as in a Governor, is
an admirable trait, but stubborness,
selfwill and an entire disregard of
the rights Of others, should not be
mistaken for tirmness.
In view of the above facts, can it
be the people of the south end of
this road are SO ungenerous as to
desire, or would it be in any sense
polite for the Governor to inter
pose his power to arrest and per-
haps destroy the hopes of compile
ting this road, by requiring the Com
pany to turn back as it were and
commence building over again from
the point of beginning, leaving one
third of the State without the pale
of civilization for 20 years longer.
Such action a few blatant sheets
who seem to know nothing about
the question, would call good sound
State policy. Wonderfully wise and
liberal statesmen indeed.
Again it is claimed the Governor,
in giving these certificates, is favor
ing monopolies. Is half finished
railroad running $50 miles through
an uninhabited pine forest, a mo-
nopoly? Are we to have no more,
no new railroads in the State for
fear of monopolies?
Now let us for a moment look at