Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1875-04-29


Quite early ii the period Of active rail.
road enterprises IL this State. Austin con
ceivcd the idea that she was destined to-
be tho point upon which an extensive rail
road system would converge. The loca-
tion here Of the Milwaukee s. St. Paul
or rs it was first called 1.-The Minnesota
Central Railway, taken in connection
with the fact that this was the county seat
served to convince some Of the then lead
ing men that no effort was required to
make Austin large city. They seemed
to think her prctlestined to greatness. Act.
ing upon that theory no inducements were
offered to the Southern Minnesota Rail.
road Company to run their line through
this city. 1t was asserted that it would
be more for tho interest of that company
to build their road to Austin, than to cross
the Central's line at any other point. No
one, not even the company doubts the
truthfulncss Of that assertion now, but for
all that the crossing was made three miles
north of us. Had Austin shown q proper
spirit, compromise could have been ef-
fectcd upon basis not at all oncrous, and
we should h ave been quarter larger and
more prosperous today than we are, and
a]l in consequences Of the advantage which
would have been afforded by y junction
within our immediate limits. The time
was when we could have secured the con-
struction of the Iowa Central to This point
had we been reasonably conciliatory aud
active, but we undertook to determine
what would be for the best interest ofthat
company, and We soon learned that the
managers thought that they knew their
business better than We did. They pro-
jected different route and we are com,
PEELED to he content with branch of an.
other road as our only means OF reaching
that great trunk line. They we're not
obliged to come to Austin.
The Burlington. Cedar Rapids & Min
nesota Company has been very anxious
to build to this point, and ultimately be-
yond US, but we persisted in an adherence
to that early adopted theory, that because
their interest seemed to nccessitate the
building Of the road to this point, it would
be done, and they have wcll-nigh if not fully
determined its location elsewhere. There
is chance left us yet to get this road,
but We can get it only by making a radical
change Of policy. The Illinois Central
road has been running its trains to the
State line, within ten miles Of US during
the last three years, and all that time Civ.
ing Us to understand that they were willing
and even anxious to extend their track to
our city whenever We will remove all ex-
traordinary obstacles, and let them come.
A new road, and one of great local and
general Importance, is projected to con-
meet Ashland on the shore Of Lake Supe-
rior, with Fort Dodge in Iowa. Austin
is situated on an air line between the ter.
mini, and will derive as much benefit from
its operation as any other city on the line,
but if we stubbornly refuse to aid the
scheme because We think the interest of
the parties in charge is sufficiently in our
favor to compel them to come here, we
shall ere long be conscious of having
committed anoter fatal blundcr. Neither
individuals nor cities are independent OF
influences. There is a mutuality of inter
est in all great enterprises which neither
party to them can ignore upon the assump.
ton that their contamination at q certain
time, or in a particular way, is necessity
to the other. High minded men will al
ways-disregard their own interest rather
than submit to that which they knew to be
unjust. Hence we have nothing 10 hops
for from q further pursuit of y policy
which commcnds itself neither to the
business interests nor to the consciences Of
men. The present is very important
period in the history Of Austin. five &C,
wisely We shall succeed in focusing hcrt
all the leading roads pointing in this di
rcction. We cannot expect to do it with
out giving them some material aid, bu
any effort which we make should extenc
to all companies whose lines are not ire
vocably turned aside from US. If we col
induce the Burlington road to come her,
the Illinois Central will be more anxious
to make the same junction, and the pres
ence Of the two at this point will be
strong additional inducement to the. Ash
land and Fort Dodge Company to com
even though we vote them only
small bonus. Let US accomplish all W
may through proper management ant
then We can determine what to do in til
way Of giving money.