Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-04-18
TWENTY-FIVE yEARs,N IOWA.

y |
lived in Iowa we never knew more
han two wet seasons in succession.
On the contrary, however, we have
frequently seen two such seasons to-
yether. This .cxperienc leads us 10
EEL next to certain that this summer
will not be as 1t were one almost con-
inuous flood, but will be seasonable.
II is plain to every one that good
crop season is what we want 10 bring
m era of prosperity. We shall have
it, we are quite sure of it. Again,
though it brings ruin and misery to |
those upon the scene of action, yet the
war in Europe will quicken the COM
mercial pulse of a nation like ours,
so far removed from the conflict.
Amid all the stringency of the times
one glorious thing has attended our
hard times that was never before the
case in the history of an era of finan-
cial embarrassment in this country,
viz: the fact that we have hada sound
currency, though irrcdeemable. The
sound quality Of our money, in the
face Of national panic and the daily
bankruptcy Of commercial, manufac-
turing and banking houses, has gained
for the present money system the
very highest credit,
We have lived long enough to have
q boyhood recollection of 81 and
learned much by some dearly bought
experience as young man, of 81,
both of which periods were seasons
of great financial depression. We
wildly remember the wild cat money
of the latter period. From each of
these eras of depression the country
sprang rapidly up toward a season of
prosperity.
4 The situation to-day is nothing like
lit was, either in '37 or 81. Good
money has made it impossible to have
such wide spread ruin in this year,
Il ia, as at the former periods we have
mentioned. There was far more
difference between gold and western
currency in 81 than there is to-day
between national bank notes and gold.
The fact is, practically, resumption is
almost consumated. An era ofpros-
lperity appears plainly in view, 1t is
right before us. and very easy of ac-
cess. Good crops, rest from
extrcmc political agitation together
with the rigid economy now en-
, forced by close times will quiet
the public pulse, cure it of its fcverish
anxiety, and good times will follow
in spite of us.
ouRNEW RAILROAD ENTERPRISE
The move has fairly commenced to
build a road north from this city to
interscct the Central Railway of Iowa
at Oskaloosa, or at some point be-
tween that city and Eddyvillc. 1t is
proposed, among other efforts to pro-
vide means to build it, that the people
of Center and Richland townships,
in this county, shall vote tax upon
the assessed value of the property in
them, to the amount of one per cent.
in 1877 and one per cent. in 1878, in
Center township, and two and one
half per cent. for each of the same
years in Richland township. We
publish, to-day, the law entire au-
thorizing such tax. We invite the at
tention of every voter and every tax
payer to it. Read it carefully, and
notice particularly thatno money can
be paid to the company until the road
is built and running.
Petitions to the trustees of each of
these townships are now in circula-
ton, to obtain the signatures of a
majority of the resident freehold tax
payers, SO that an election may be
called.
We most unequivocally favor this
project, and we do hope the people
interested will see it as we do, and
let the petition be signed by two
thirds, if possible, of the resident
freehold Taxpayers of each town
ship. Our reasons for fayoring this
project are many. We have already
given some of them, and we have
only space now to say few words
more in defense Of the enterprise.
We have not examined particular
lily our assessment list, but
we think we are correct in saying
that, ordinarily, a good farm in Cen
ter township, of one hundred and
fifty acres, is only assessed at from
$1,000 to 1900, while in Richland town
ship it is from ten to twenty per cent.
less. One per cent on these sums
would be So and SIS, and two and
one-half per cent would be $50 and
:. $45. Now these sums, yearly for two
J, years, arc not payable until the road
l is completed. Itseems to us that each
farmer having this amount of tax on
his farm to pay will realize all the ex-
, ira tax he has to pay, while the road
is being built,over and above what he