Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-03-07
The Chicago q Tomah Rail Road.
Communicated

recently issued and circulated By
President Williams, of said company
to which the attention Of sll parties
interested in this enterprise is es-
pecially invited.
1t is carefully gotten up, neatly
folded and stitched document of eight
pages, evidently intended as an an
swer to the urgent and repeated de-
mands for information made in the
Advocate and HERALD several weeks
ago. The answer has been slow in
coming, but it is not yet too late
to serve o useful purpose, by enlight-
ening, through the HERALD, parties
and localities now under solicitation
by skilful agents for large grants of
laid to the enterprise.
Mr.. President Williams has now
stated his case in its most alluring
guise (; and the suggestions we may
make thereon, shall be candidly, and
justly made without intent Of unfair
censure on the one side, or of creat-
ing unnecessary alarm or resistance
on the other-such, in fact, as gen.
tleman who respects fair dealing
should make to parties seeking in
formation upon matters which MAJ
terially concern their welfare.
1t will be- FIRST noted; that the doc.
ument has no publishers imprint,
that it is without date and official
authorization. II is not a report in
form, but prospectus bearing nc
certificate of authority, and that
therefore it binds no one by its state
ments.
The length of the proposed line
from Tomah to Warren is stated,
at, about, 160 miles without count
ing proposed branches. This, upon
The estimates given, would cost, COM
pIete, an aggregate of 1866, l20.
The estimates of cost in the table
being erparte and at variance with
all experience IN r. r building, must
be regarded as below a probable
minimum, and it would not be un.
fair, then, to add thereto margin of
20 per cent. This would bring the
road and equipment up to an aggre.
gate of about 81, 1853, 600.
A glance at the tables of produc-
ton covering z counties, claimed TO
be tributary to the road, will satisfy
any one, that but very limited area
of this territory can be drawn from
to afford business for it. Also that
the through traffic claimed for it to be
diverted from old, well kept liues of
regular gauge, is, in most part, CHI
merical.
Its connections are all to be of a
rull guage, which will require trans
shipment of all freight to reach a
through market, subjecting the ship
per therefore to extrs charges for
handling, storage and insurance.
These extra charges would amount
to the cost of at least IL miles of
wagon transportation. The one cash,
of which average farmers have so
little-the other, work, to which they
are no stranger.
We have come now TO the point
] most material to the proposition, and
| upon which all other considerations
| must rest-the resources; or, as
| stated the Financial Condition OF
the Road.'
1t will BIO first noted in this con-
nection, that, there is no announce
ment of the Capital StockEof the Co.
In this respect, it seems to stand
alone IN the history of r. r. build
ing. We have seen, that the actual
capital of the Go. represented by
stock certificates, should be over one
million of dollars. We are Informed,
however, that-"abou. $4,000 of the
stock has been sold"-to whom sold
and at what price sold, not stated.
Now, further on, we find state
ment of the names* of I3 several per-
sons who are ia official position in
the organization of the Co. who NOM
inally have absolute control of in
forests gathered mainly from others
OR TO be so gathered-to an ag
| gregate of over one million of dol.
lars, whose. personal responsibility
therefor does not exceed $4,000
sn average of about $1,000 to each.
This is the present extent of the
security offered by the managers
10 the towns and individuals from
whom credit and promise Of credit
nave been secured that this credit
shall be faithfully applied according
20 the conditions of the trust-$16. :
0O0--as against possible 81 900, 900.
Now, about this credit. Under
dc law which permits towns to vote
r. r. aid Ca partial and an unjust
law we maintain) it is reported that
about $4,000 has been 30 voted OF
which $4,000 has been paid. We
are informed, that in every case ex
cept one, this aid has been secure
through the active, repeated, and in
some cases disreputable solicitations
of agents visiting each citizen-and
not by a general vote of the people
in town meeting assem- Died.
And we are also informed; that,
there are now two towns in Craw-
ford Co. which by their officers are
making legal resistance to the issu-
ance Of bonds claimed by Mr.. Viii.
liams on account of an alleged ma
ority of signatures in his favor, and
resisted by the towns upon evidence
of unfairness in securing such sigma
| lures.
There are certain classes which
can always be relied upon to go in
for such aid Those who are prom
ised depot site and corner lots !;
those who are promised jobs in the
construction ; those whose line of
business is such that they may at 6
days thought escape from the load
of taxation they may have helped
to impose village bummers who
are easily pursuaded into anything
except work, and briefess lawyers,
quick to discover therein q mine OF
profitable litigation. As for other
citizens, euterprising and we'll dis
posed, induced upon the plea of
enhanced real estate value TO vote
such aid, they should have learned
ere this, that, in old, established