The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1878-03-19
Tho Situation

i The Situation
| VI our Railroad affairs is anxiously
! looked after, as we have had feycr. lea
way up into the ninet;cs, and the reaction
that had occurred was but slightly check
| ed at the visitation Of Messrs Wicker ant
Merchant to Canton, not on account fan,
unexpected demand Of these gentlemen
for they had no new proposition, and their
last is the most reasonable we have eve
seen presented to a community that wa
| to be benefited 50 largely as this will b
when the road reaches them, but when til,
i completing Of arrangements definitely
and as must ultim ately be done, involved
the showing up ofllands all around, dis
closed the unWelcome fact that more i'm
mediate cash or its equivalent was rcquir
cd than our people could at present com
mand, the prospect Of receiving the road
this season appeared anything but fatter.
ing.
! Frankncss in admitting inability is com.
menable, BIT perhaps may not by all per:
sons be considered polite.
But where the public is involved, and
its condition as public has to he consid.
cred it is in our judgement more than a
false modesty to refrain from stating the
! truth, it is for their own benefit in the end,
an absolute necessity that the true state Of
affairs should be disclosed, and to suppress
it will surely work embarrassment if not
serious injury ,a',so
These gentlemen who favored us with
their presence last Saturday are business
men, men who are accustomed to prompt
ness, and who do not premise on their
part what they cannot, or do not intend
to perform, and they look for and are en-
titled to a like response from those with
whom they deal.
There is quite a sprinhling of senti-
ment i'll this community as in others, that
Railroad men are sharpers, s0uless, and
given to selfish deal that results to their
benefit, and detrimental to the outsider,
and this class of men are no friends to
Railroads and no help can be obtained
from them. Another class also who have
no particular antipashy against these cor
porations, but think they are able and that
without help, they will build their own;
road when they get ready. Then we have
the public spirited man who, if he had
the means would divide literally: and also
those who are abundantly able but turn
deaf ear to any request for Md, believing
that those who always are liberal, Out far
lsss able than they,) will succeed ia get
ting what will benefit them, wi tlout their
contribution. These clements we hayc,
and worse than all comes local feeling,
and the incubus of debt that Successive
failures of crops have occasioned; and
being thus far exclusively agricultural,
but few men have capital aside from land
ed interest, Than can be made, available at
once
Now While this is our situation, the
Pemb,na officials after being induced to
conclude that our ability would allow the
acceptance, came to US with the PROPOSE
tion to bridge, iron, put on the rolling
stock and operate their road from Port
landville to Canton and Beloit, provided
the road bed and ties are furnished them.
The approximate cost of the ties as es-
timated by President Wicker, would be
$4,000 in round numbers, and to secure
them at that price for this seasons use re-
quires that amount Of cash Immediately,
as they are rapidly rising iu value owing
to the demand for them in other locali-
ties.
The grading estimated at from $500 to
$500 mile would cost from IL to SIG, 900,
which is the minimum undoubtedly. and
the probability is it weuld average more
than the above estimate. as the level may
disclose heavier cuts and deeper fills than
casual look at the line would indicate 4
Here is an outlay required of 10000, or
$4,000 at the lowest estimate that the
people Of Lincoln and Lyon counties will
have 10 shoulder if they accept the compa.
nies proposition, and $4,000 to be fur.
nished at once for the purchase of the ties
or the equivalent in collate1als that can
be utilized in bringing the cash.
AS for Lincoln County, the subsidy to
be given now could not be converted into
cash, although notes of good men could
] be obtained, but we unfortunately do not
haye any person that is able who is will
Hing to advance the money upon these
notes.
/ And as the Beloit gentlemen ststed Sat
urday, that all the assets they could Of
/ fer was the tax of $4,000 that was voted
some two years since, and this can not be
! made available until February 1872 II
| at all.
| This IS the situation as disclosed to Mr..
i Wicker and Merchant on Saturday NO
! other result or conclusion was reached
| further than the legal status OF the Iowa
| tax is to be ascertained by these gentlemen
| and if found collectable then to ascertain
whether the balance to make up the $s4s
900 can be obtained througha Sioux City
contributions. IF this proves successlul
then the company can arrange for the par'
chase Of the ties, with this subsidy, which
A leaves only the grading to be done to com
plete the peoples part Of the contracs ,
Il . = L -v.-I I~r Mnff