Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-02-04
ELLENBoRo.
COMMENTS ON TIE MEETING OF
LAST SATURDAY.
W. A. MCDONALD, Secretary.

EDITOR HERALD: 1t appears that
the citiz9ns of Potosi are willing to
tax themselves to the very limits Of
the Constitution to build a railroad
connecting their town with Ctber
parts of the County, and with Ian
Custer While this scheme ought to
be, and must some time.or other, be
undertaken, either befIre or after the
connection with Platteville, we deem
the latter ought to receive the eaill-
est attention. 1t is most pressing
The n arrow Gauge viii doub l,ss be
extended from Plattevll Q, and its
first extension from that place will
depend on the action of the towns of
Ellenboro and Lancaster, as the
narrow gauge at some time is TO run
north through WingVills, Hight and,
&C., and it woul seem that Lancaster
might reach its track by building O
road about due east, some II or ID
Mills in length. But there is at pres
ent willingness on the part OF the
citizens of Lancaster TO unite with
z lenboro and bull the road from
Platteville through that town on
one of the routes surveyed by Col.
Clark. But we are much surprised
and grieved tc hear that soma of the
leading citizens Ct that fortunate
town talk in this way "If Llncas>
ter wants railroad, let her have
one; we want her to have one" But
the question is whether E2Ienboro
wants q RAILROAD or not. Lancaster
was supposed to enter that opulent
and wealthy town for the purpose of
begging. Some of the gray haired
fathers of that "Arabia Felix" SEEM
ed to regard it as derogatory to it's
reputation, happiness and prosperity
to argue that a railroad coult help
Elsnboro; that town enjoyed now
more of this worlds advantages and
fortune and prosperity than it knew
what TO do with.
They have arithmeticians there
who can prove that the broad gauge
railroad at Plattevile has run down
the price of cord wood by buving up
4 or 500 cords under q singl, cor.
tract taken by the lowest bidder. Il
would seem that the big contractor
would have to paw the wood seller al
lssst as much as hs couli get from
private parties in Piattevi'le. They
did not think P.atteville better eff
now than before the railroad connec-
tions. But was E lenboro better off
on account of what PlatteviIle had
done? Platteville had saved them
from driving their hogs, and halllng
their grain to market at Dubuque or
Galena. and had they any gratitude
towards Platteville. or were they
wiling TO see the world around
them make sacrifices and involv Q
itself 10 taxes for their benefit, and
they do nothing? Had they con-
tributed in building the railroad to
Platteville? If the citizens of Platte.
Vile. all of them, had taken the
position of the anti railroad men in
E lenboro, the latter town would
this winter be compelled to break q
road to market over % miles of saow
and ice.
1t was agreed their timber would
be of less value than now, although
two railroads as WI II as an iIoress-
ing population would demand fuel,
and the railroad wonli require 2 700
ties per NIL, for the 6 or 7 miles
through that town. The laws of
trade inform US that Doubling the
demand and market for an article
must enhance its value, but all this
logic was overthrown by the expert
mental fact that somebody, at some
season, at some time, had sold wood
higher ia Plattevllie than it can now
be sold for.
That hoop poles are now drug
in the market is charged against the
railroad. E.lenboro does not want