Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-09-16
A RAILROAD TO LANCASTER
Address to the Citizens and Tax
Payers Of Lancaster.

build road from this village to Platte
vile, calm and candid discussion Of
this measure will be IN order.
To begin, it viii no, be disputed
by any one that railroads at the
present time must obtain the money
for their constructions on an entirely
different principle, and from a wholly
different source from what was availa-
bic six or eight years ago. The Por
tage Register, a well printed journal
declares that not a shovel-full of earth
has been lifted the present year in
the construction of the many schemes
with which the newspapers abound
Why is this ? The obvious aniwer is
there is no monied man in the State
or out of it who will put his money
into railroad project as an inUeSt
ment. That is, with the expectation
of realizing cash dividends on his out
lay to any amount.
In former times irresponsible com
panies could find capitalists some
where in the financial world who were
willing to invest their money in this
way, expecting to realize as certain
amp as great profit in such enterprises
as any other.
Since no one will put money into
a railroad project expecting to realize
cash dividends therefrom, what in
ducements are there to build railroads
at present in this State, and how are
the means TO be procured?
Take such a city as Milwaukee.
Its merchants, manufacturers and pro,
duce dealers are al deeply interested
in the extension of their railroads,
thereby cheapening freight to aud
from their emporium, and opening
longer areas of country to be tributary
to it. They do not expect to realize
anything from their stock as an invest
ment The advantages to be realized
are summed up i'll the increase of
their business. But large investments
where no tangible dividends are ex,
pected are seldom made unless in
cases Of great urgency, and where the
indirect benefits are large and sure.
The truth is palpable that hereafter
whatever community needs railroad,
must furnish the money to build it.
Foreign capital is no longer avala-
BILE.
Again, take such community rs
our own. What inducement have we
to build railroads. Let the farmer
count up how much it costs him
yearly to market his crops at the de-
pot nearest Lancaster; the merchant
how much he pays in carting his
goods from such depot. A market
here would save this immense and
yearly outlay. Here, in part, is the
dividend and profit the farmer and
merchant realize on the stock they
sui scribe. Let us add to this the in
creased value Of real estate, the vari.
Gus manufactures that the railroad
would start into lite, and the satisfac-
ton of being placed in communication
with the human family in every part
Of the world, and certainly we shall
be the gamers if we should give out
and out 10 or Is per cent on our as =.
sessed taxation to any railway COM
pany that would build a road and
operate it.
In reference to the connection we
shall make, Lancaster has hesitated
between Dubuque and Platteville,
like the unfortunate animal that
starved to death between two hay
stacks, not knowing which to choose.
On thorough consideration of the
different projects projects noted, we
are perfectly satisfied that the only
railroad connection Lancaster can
reach with certainty, for years to
come, will be with Platteville, either
through the broad or narrow gauge.
Our valiant railroad directors were
bold enough to make raid on Du-
buque by storm, and IN a storm last
winter They reused the!whole city
into a fermentation as violent and
evanescent as you might witness at
Doctor Bakers soda fountain. A
railroad company was formed instan-
ter. A delegation from that city was
to examine the route to Lancaster in
two weeks. Subscriptions were to be
opened; each ward was to be can.
vassed. Well, the narrow gauge, the
Aurora Dorealis that our delegation
so wildly painted before the eyes of
the entranced city disappeared about
as soon as our delegation got home.
Dubuque regained its wonted calm
ness, and the people there comprc-
hended the absurdity of the whole
thing. Were the heavy, raw pro-
ducts of Lancaster to be pontooned
across the Mississippi at Spechts
Ferry, shipped thence to Dubuque,
and then made to cross the river
again on their route to Chicago?
Somebody would have to pay for
this double, this useless crossing of
the Mississippi. 1t was thrusting un
necessarily that great river between
ourselves and Chicago, not only once
but twice. This utter defiance of all
the laws of trade was too much for
the Dubuquers' They saw that our
road, if ever built must run to
Dunleith, and help build up rival
city there. And we saw too that
from Potosi to Dunleith there are
some Il miles along the bluff where
our narrow gauge would not get a
handful of freight. On the other side
of the river between Spechts and
Dubuque there is not single depot,
and so it would be on this side. A
narrow gauge depending on local
business must run through country
where farms on each side for miles
away contribute to its freight
Wood, pork, corn and oats are hauled
to Dubuque from that part of our
county on the ice. And for such
products of Grant county as seek a
market at Dubuque, the Winters ice
is as good a railroad as the people