Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-09-30
Yours hopin you'll join us,
REEF ORMER
TIE RAILROAD QUESTION AGAIN

TIE RAILROAD QUESTION AGAIN
EDITOR HERALD:-Now, is your correspondent
''P" really in fay or of Lancaster building a
railroad to Dubuque, or did he write
to show that the whole project was visionary
and ridiculous?
1t is a holiday job, in ops view, to build
bridge across the Mississippi. Crossing the
river twice cheapens freight or fare one-half.
buy ticket at Prairie du Chen by the way
of McGregor and Dubuque to Chicago, for
less money than he can buy ticket to Dun
leith for Chicago?" What does Up" mean bv
railroad to Prairie du Chen or McGregor, so
that we can get cheaper freight and fare than
if we should build road even to Dubuque or
Dunleith In his view, the further we get
from market and the oftener we cross the
Mississippi, the better.
And some railroad sharks, at Dubuque,
button hoed Mr. Rhodes. They whispered in
his ear 'build a road to Spcchts Ferry, and
arc will put tracked~barge on the Ferry and
lay down third rail on our road SO that You
can run your cars right down to Dubuque"
This whisper worth having. What is to
be done in the Winter time with the tracked
bargc?" Will Dubuque build tracked bridge
across the river every Winter as Mr.. Lawler
formerly did at Prairie du Chen? VIII the
generous Dubuqucrs or her sharks undertake
this, in order that they may get bare smell of
the vast products Of Lancaster, that will tan
talize her folly in attempting to secure
trade that is on the wing to another market2
How much of our livestock, wheat and oats.
put on at Specht's, would stop at Dubuque
But Wingvic is seeking a market at Du-
buque. Wingville is going to vote large sum
to help us build our road to Dubuque up"
supposes that the Wingvillians don't know the
cardinal points, east from west, north from
south. We have understood that Wingville
is making direct efforts for a connection with
Platteville aud the Wisconsin river; and must
the Crmsuses of Lancaster build road to
Wingville out of their own bloated md mex
haustble purses.
Well it comes to this. Lancaster and Po-
tos must bridge the Mississippi somehow.
Can these towns furnish the frcights that will
pentoon t. bridge it, or get up 'ttracked-
ferry" in the Summer time and lay down rails
on the ice in the Winter? | think not. Our
farmers can now 90 down to Dubuque and
make small purchases on somewhat
better terms than they can get at home. But
the small saving in this way, win not Justify
us in building a railroad to chat place What
the farmer needs is to save, if he can, the
expenses and labor Of carrying and driving his
Il . Il
Depot,
Potosi is just as near Speehts now as we
could get by building a road to Potosi What
amount of Summer freights could be furnished
by that town and Lancaster for Dubuquers?
small steamboat tried to live between Potosi
and Dubuque the present Summer, but had to
give It up. For all the outward freights from
Potosi add Lancaster to Dubuque the Winters
ice is a highway that will beat any railroad
that we can build to that city.
What we buy at Dubuque is generally not so
bulky in quantity and in quality as to Justify
US III building road there.
But If Lancaster really desires direct railroad
connection with Dubuque and since that road
must be simply a feeder for more extensive
lines and depend for its support on the freight
from the farming country through which il
passes would 1t not be more reasonable to
bald such road across the fertile country hv
way of Plattevie. than to lay it along the
base of the barren bluffs Of the Mississippi
"P'' does not pretend that Dubuque will
subscribe cent to help US build our road.
He warns US, however, to beware OF Dubuou,
sharks who desire to get hold Of our immense
contributions, to enrich themselves ont Of
the lucrative job we are about to let out
But look at another matter We build to
Potosi. Shall we begin at Lancaster? Shall
we haul our iron rails here from PlatteyilIe or