The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-01-27
SHALL the BONDS Be VOTED.


That question is, shall we vote $780,
OC0 in bonds to the Colorado Central
RAILROAD company, or shall we refuse
to do so.
Our people in their consideration of
this question, should not fail to remem-
Der the condition of affairs, at the time
that the committee of twelve made the
agreement with the railroad authori-
ties-what then was the question?
1t was intended by the Union Pacific
railroad and Colorado Central Railroad
companies, to build a line connecting
the line of the Union Pacific railroad
with the Colorado Central line in Colo
RADIO, and it had about been determined
to construct that connecting line up
the valley of the Cache-la-Poudre, by
Greeley, and to connect with the Union
Pacific railroad at Pine Bluffs. 1t was
to prevent the building of that line to
Pine Bluffs, and to have it instead trib-
utary to Cheyenne, that the committee
agreed to give the Colorado Central
Railroad company S150,000 in bonds.
Was ii 4 wise agreement ! Let any
property owner ask himself what his
property would have been worth to-day
if the Colorado Central had been built
to Pine Bluffs, and he will be able to
answer the question, as it was present.
ed to the committee before the road
had been constructed.
But, say those who object to the
issuance of the bonds, the road has not
been built to Cheyenne, but to Hazard,
therefore the people are under no obli-
cations to vote the bonds, because the
company has not brought into the coun-
ty the amount of taxable property it
would have brought, had the road been
constructed to Cheyenne.
Let those who make this argument
reflect and see if it can be made in good
faith. When the argument was made,
it was not a question of taxable prop
erty, it was a question as to whether a
rival town to Cheyenne should be estab-
lished at Pine Bluffs, which would
lessen the value of our property and
decrease population ut least so per
cent. That has been averted and pre-
vented by the agreement-the railroad
authorities took the promise of our
committee and trusted our people, and
changed the line of their road from
Pima RlItffc nnI hniIt ~ 70 TTnvorI
making it tributary to Cheyenne, in
stead of building up Il rival town.
They are now willing, and the bill
authorizing the issuance of the bonds,
requires that they should enter into
bonds to operate the line from Long
mont to Cheyenne, as one continuous
line, and that no transfer of freight or
passengers shall take place at Hazard.
This leaves only II objection remain
ing, that there would have been more
taxable property, to aid in paying the
bonds, had the road been built to Chey-
enne instead of Hazard. The differ
ence in the length of the two lines, in
Laramie county, is believed to be about
two miles, the assessed value Of which
would be about $4,000, and the tax
upon which would be less than $3.50
per year. And for this paltry sum VT
are asked to break faith with the men
who a do more than all Others to
make or destroy our community, and
who, trusting to our good faith, have
invested their money in n n diff
ferent from what they would have done
had our committee not made the agree
ment they did.
But even this loss of taxable property
the company have agreed to make good,
and Messrs. Gould and L.oveland agreed
with Major Glafcke, to build shops at
Cheyenne, which should cost $25, 900, a
larger amount than we have lost by the
building of the road to Hazard. In
addition, shops cannot be run without
workmen. 1t is n moderate estimate
that twenty-five men would be employed
in these shops, and that more than one
half of the men would have families,
and that from this source alone we
should have an addition to our popula-
ton of from fifty to II hundred, who
would pay tribute to our merchants
and property holders.
Every dictate of honesty and good
faith, imperatiyely demands hat the
bonds should be voted. If they are
defeated our people need never expect
to see another train of the Colorado
Central run into Cheyenne, and we
at once and forever abandon all hope
Of any road to the Black Hills starting
from Cheyenne. We may not excite
any special luminosity against us in the
minds of the railroad officials, but we
certainly shall not commend ourselves
to their good graces, and need not ex-
pect them to favor lis at the expense of
other places.
Our interests are identified with the
Railroad company; with their aid we
can build up here a Magic City,
without their assistance and good feel
ing our growth and increase will be
small. Our old citizens cannot have
forgotten the unfortunate controversy
which did so much at an early day in
our history to retard the progress and
prosperity of Cheyenne. Let us not
repeat that mistake.