The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-03-07
Railroads in the County.
Roscoe, Mar. Sd, 1877

Roscoe, Mar. Sd, 1877.
Frtend Toung:-I am glad to see
that you are advocating the building of
railroads from Red Wing into this coun-
ty, to afford US convenience for ship
ping our wheat to market and getting
supplies. Last summer, when talked
with you about the proposed Midland
railroad, l could not believe your as
sertion that Red Wing was likely to be
the best market for the farmers Of this
county. I was strongly indoctrinated
with that prevailing fallacy that the in
terests Of the county and city were an
tagonistic. It would be better to say,
perhaps, that I accepted the popular
opinion that its business men worked
against the interests of the farmers. I
have thought about it since, more care
fully, and confess that cannot an
swer your question: ''Why should the
Red Wing merchants be more likely to
oppose the interests Of the farmers of
this county, than the merchants of 9th
er cities, such rs Wabasha, Lake City
and Faribault - I cannot see why
they are not as likely as the business
men of these other localities to want
Jour trade and to take measures for get
ting it. In short, am convinced that
they are more interested in the pros
perity of the county than the citizens
of these other places, for if we grow
richer we will have greater share of
the taxes to pay, and that will tighten
their share. 10 this extent they are
interested in our welfare, at any rate,
more than are the people of Wabasha,
Faribau!t, &c.
/ am, also, converted to the idea,
which you then advanced, that what we
really need is railroad running from
some point near here, Kenyon or Zum-
brota for instance, to Red Wing; and
that it would be of no advantage to us
to have it extended to form a connec-
ton with any other road westward of
US. We should not need to ship our
produce nor procure supplies from the
west, and, if those west of US want
road to give them access to this region,
surely they ought not to ask US to build
it. Those folks who object to building
railroad, unless it is to connect with
some other line and form through line
IN time, do not seem to appreciate that
one end only Of such u road is an &C.
commodation to any locality along its
route. The other part beyond that is
for the benefit Of places farther along
in that direction. For instance, a road
from Red Wing to Kenyon, would nev-
er be used to convey produce from
Goodhue or Minneola to Kenyon, and
the part of it this side of the towns
named would be of no use to them.
further than what it might be used to
accommodate occasional passengers.
1 have likewise made inquiries as to
the probable cost of such a road as is
needed for the accommodation of our
local trade, and am satisfied that it
could not exceed $4,000 mile, COM
pleted and equipped in the very best
manner with the best sort of locomo-
tives and cars. With proper economy,
$4,000 per mile or less would answer
the purpose. This would make the
cost to Zumbrota from Red Wing from
100000 to 100000; and to KENYON
from Red Wing from $4,000 to
$4,000. Now, why could not local
company be organized to build this
road? If we would give our town
bonds to aid nonresident company,
why not give them to aid resident com
yany? Certainly if road would paw at
all, resident company would be as able
as nonresident company to make it do
so; and if nonresident owners of road
could be expected to run it in the inter-
est of our people living along its line,
resident owners would assuredly have
as much inducement to make them man.
age it for the benefit of their neishbors.
And, lastly, if we aid local company
we contribute towards euriching our
neighbors, who will spend their wealth
here where we will all derive more or
less benefit from it. -....
|, Of course, premise that the aid OK