Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1875-04-22
A NEW RAILROAD.

promptu meeting Of the ci:izeEs last evening
upon the subject Of building railroad from
Ashland on Lake Superior, to Omaha. 1u-
tcrmodiate and on n direct line between those
extremes, are situated Eau Claire, Wabasha
Rochester, Austin and Fort Dodge. The
country between Ike Superior and the Mis-
sissippi Riyar. is covered with timber. Be-
tween the Lake and tho Chippewa River is an
inexhaustible growth Of pine, and between
the two rivers is rs fms variety Of hardwood
a. can DC found west of tho State Of New York.
Tho country Immediately south OF Ashland,
extending over = distance OF fifty miles is I'LL
ed With the best quality OF iron ore. South
west Of US, in tho vicinity of Fort Dodge.
there ere coal fields Of great excellence and al
most boundless extent, while between that
point and Wabasha is one ofthc finest a.cicul-
tu:al regions on tki. side Of the Father Of Wa
tcrs This railroad scheme ContemplAtcs, tho
transfer of miuo:als and timber from the
mines and the forests, to tho agricultural! re-
sons to be trayarsel by the line; tho removal
Of coal from its deposits in Iowa to those Soc
tions Of the country now supplied BIZ Other
fields, without the benefit Of competition, and
tho transportation of wheat from this vast
country to point of shipmcnt on Lake su?e-
r;er. Such road cannot but be Of great val
ue to Austin and its vicinity. Manuf actur-
ing has become necessity to us. Eemmed
in as we are by outlying stations, our trade
il limited to a comparatively .mall area Of
country. 1t is true that the little villages
around US arc not growing rapid:y,-:hey do
not expect to grow. II is enough tor them to
have the advantages cf convenient market,
post Office, stores, school, AMI churches; and
while these things ars but little mora than
mere coavenicnccs to the respective localities
| enjoying then, they are just 80 much business
subtracted from what would otherwise b.
transacted here. This trade i. lost Inevitably
tn rs. five would coatiauo to grow, VIC
must BULL W manufacturing interests. No
fact can be more apparent than this. To do
! it We need lumber and coal these are indis-
| pensab'y necessary. What VIC buy now costs
a price not graduated by competing Interests,
; but fixed with sole reference to tao fact that
We have TO choice Of markots: although q
railroad centre, re ere not contrc. Tho H.
!;Eois Central only touches the S.ato line ten
II les south Of us. Tic Iowa Central GENES
F.! rlete its track to Minneapolis, leaving us 40
NJ lies to tho eastward. The 3, c. Il. l. II.
reaches US on Il leased track, which it viii! be
c.m PEELED to abandon within two years, Or
as to deprive US OF Ill the advantages now
enjoyed in the way Of coupction. The S. II.
Eoul does us no goods iI fact damage to
us by reason Of its crossing at Ramsey. In
y:sw Of al! this it seems plain that somcthin g
should he done to encourage any enterpr rise
which promises as tavora5!y to our interests
as tbs building of this road. Mr.. Cornell is a
SON Of Ezra Cornell, the founder OF the great
Ithica, New York. He represents 4 fortune
in his own righ:, and tho capital Of sevor..
nii!i"naires who arc willing to ad in tn,
building Of this read. lie is Il practical en-
|
take tie construction of the proposed liae i
the pcople along the route oScr tue nccessar,
inducements. Capitalists want to know tina
the people have faith in tho enterprise, ane
they will Put their money iuto it.
The day has gone b. in this country for Oh
tanning land grants in aid CT railroads. Thu
Government has no land, and if roads are tt
b. built through thickIy settled territory t.
meet the wants of the people, this people mus
help pay for tnein. Tho practical question il
will You vet ten per cent, some loss sun
upon ,oar assessed valuation to all thi.
schem? It is question which should b.
discussed cas'diAy and with special refer rene
to what we and may became by in
creased business facilities. II this road il t.
be built, and there is but little doubt that i
will be,--we cannot afford to have it pass t
ono sisc Of us We gave experience enougl
ofthat kind. Wabasha, Rochester and othe
principal towns have already pledged to rails
til. ten per cen, bonus, and if Austin tax e,
hold tho w"rk will soon commence with vic,
to its speedy completion between hero an.
Waba:ha, AMI to be extended each way as zap
idly as possible.
five formulate case it Will DO understoo
more clearly thar if presented in any othe
way. Suppose we vote $4,000 in bonds pay
able in twenty years, at ten por cent. I'll
Real Estate valuation of this city approx
mates half a million dollars. The annual in
teresr on $4,000 will b. $500, o. one Ia!
Of Que per cent on our assessment. prop
crty assessed u: $1,000 would then pay a tn,
of $500 each year, until tho boals m,ture
unless our valuation should increase frou
time to time. II it should, the ratio per cen
Of taxation will decrease correspondence
Twenty years hcnce the city may have doubl
perhaps quadruplc its present population an
! that too mainly as the result Of this new en-
! tcrprise, In that case our representative
+ will have % difficulty in paying of tho score
I and no occasion to find fault with US for max
ing them responsible for it.
| Piopor respect to the parties in charge o
1 tho enterprise requires that VIC should act wit
|. promptncss and decision.