Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-09-23
Railroad Thoughts for Many
Citizens"

/ way. There are prOposltlouS ooh-
tanned in the article, however, which
should be well considered before ac-
cepted. And first the writer charges
insincerity against those who favor
the Dubuque route. He says they
are for il because they wish to pre-
vent a tax for any route. Now since
connection can be made with Dubuque
for less money than with Platteville,
and since more money can be raised
for the Dubuque route than for the
other, and since the Dubuque route
would make quicker time to Chicago
and the east than the Plattevi!le
route, and since the Dubuque route
would afford river and two railroads
competition, which the Platteville
would not, isn't there greater reason
for supposing that those vino favor
the Platteville route do it in order to
defeat any proposition whatever?
Next the writer says NJ. Y. John
son will build the Platteville road, if
Lancaster will furnish the required
money, and will guarantee $4,000 an
nual return on freights don't be-
lieye it. tie wouId no. make the
guaranty fuudable. If he would.
Who wouldn't invest III railroads.?
NJ. Y. Johnson would not unless he
made per cent. If he made s per
cent. besides paying Lancaster s per
cent, (Which would be 58OO0,) that is
saying that the road would be worth
IS per cent on the capital invested.
If that is corset why don't the Lam
caster capitalists at once put their
money in railroads ? But why do
some people have a hankering after
NJ. Y. Johnson ana hummer Bell and
other people who would take money
made out of building the road off to
GaIena, Pittsburgh or some other dis
tant place? Will their money buy
any more iron than yours Can the
laborers they would bring from the
slums of the cities shovel dirt cheaper
than Grant county laborers Here
is the cause of one of the curses of
railroads. 'NIr Bell, of Pittsburgh,
will bring us contractor y says the
writer. Yes, and he and his men
would pocket your 100000 and carry
them to Pittsburgh, and Lancaster,
like Plattevile, Mineral Point, and
every other town that has done the
same thing, would be for the next
age, cursing the heavy burden of tax
brought on by the railroad. If the
people here would keep all that work
within themselves, the money would
remain at home, and nobody would
feel the tax. Any suggestion looking
to outside help should be frowned
down
Two weeks ago said, let not Du-
buquc know what you are doing until
your road is at Spechts Ferry. |
know pretty well what controls rails
road men down there, and | have a
reason for calling upon the people not
to ask aid which | did not name. Let
this road be built to the Ferry and to
FcDnimorc and Wingville, and Ian
caster could not stop its going to
Duuleith if it would. The railroad
sharks ut Dubuque are watching your
movements. Mr.. J. +. Rhodes spent
Fair week at Dubuque. lie was but
tonhold by some Of those railroad
men aud by other Dubuquers. eyes"
they whispered in his ear, "buill that
road to Spcchts Ferry, and we'll put
a tracked barge on the Ferry, and a
third rail on our road, so you can run
your cars right down to Dubuque.
That would be very nice, but | do
noe think the people should even thus
compromise their interests. When
the read from Wingville to the Fer
nv is bui,t their will be three rival in
terests wanting the connection;
namely, the city of Dubuque, tie Ill.
Central railroad, and the Dubuque,
Clinton and Chicago railroad. Dun
leith is myth. Now if that third
rail is put on, that would be the end
Of it for several years.
The "Many Citizens" writer thinks
the Dubuquers last winter compre-
hended the absurdity of this PROPOSE
ton What they comprehended was
that the time had not come for them
to gobblc a hundred thousand for
building road ont of Grant county.
Give Graves, Rhomberg 81 Co, your
| Sl00, 600 and they'll do the liveliest
rail.uad building ever done in this
country. But they want no divisions
Of it with Lancaster ard Potosi
people.
Crossing the river twice is great
bug-a-boo in the estimation of "Many
Citizens : Somebody would have to
pay for this double, this useless cross
ing of the Mississippi" Does the
writer know that he can buy ticket
at Prairie du Chen for Chicago, by
way Of McGregor and Dubuque, for
less money than he can buy a ticket
at Dunleith for Chicago?
A. TIN, nau,,t,. e,,+ ,,,,4or hr;fI