River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-05-29

FuIls-FUy Miles tn Shor'est
Route Bstues4t 50. Paul and Chica-
80.
EDroRs JorRSAL:-As citizen of
Pierce County, who pays taxes upon
property of much greater value than
/. forty acres ana a mule; as one who
has no " corner lots or wild lands
upon which to speculate, and asone WHO
recognizes the wide circulation
throughout our county of ysur fam
ily paper | would like to take u
clatter ut the railroad question
through its columns, as this just now
seems to be the current topic Of thought
and conversation among many of your
patrons.
The organization of the st. Paul
& Chicago Short Line Railway Com
pany was completed at Ellsworth on
Friday of last week, at meeting of
It's Board of Directors by the election
of Hon. Hans B. Warner as President,
and Selah Strickland, of Ellsworth,
Vice President, and Newell II. Clapp,
of Hudson, Secretary and Treasurer.
This corporation is composed Of resi-
dents of Pierce and st. Croix counties
and has been organized with a view of
interesting capitalists in the construc-
ton of railroad from River Falls to
tile south line of the state ut a point
vet to be determined upon in the coun-
ty of La Fayette; the project embraces
a st. Paul connection ria the present
Hudson & River Falls Railway and III
timately an extension from the State
line to Chicago, thus connecting ST..
Paul and Chicago by a railway fifty
miles shorter than any existing route,
giving it a decided advantage over the
more circuitous roads in the matter Of
freight and passenger traffic. This
consideration, coupled with the fact
that the contemplated line would pass
through country rich in resources
vet undeveloped and offeringno extra
ordinary obstacles in the way of rail
way construction, it is confidently be-
lieved by the OrigInators of The project
will induce the investment of capital
sufficient to build the road, should its
construction be encouraged by a good
send-off in the way of local aid. We
understand that this new company has
been organized in the interest of the
Hudson & River Falls Railway Com
pany whose road is to become in effect
the first section of the st. Paul x Chi
cage Short Line road should the con-
struction of such a road become real
| ity.
We come now to the consideration
of the proposition to issue the bonds
Of Pierce County 10 the amount OF
| sl0e, 900 payable in twenty years bear
| ing interest at the rate Of five per cent.
per annum, in aid of the construction
Of tie road we have suggested, which
| if built would unquestionahly he OF
great value to the county and give our
people the benefit of direct, through,
shorter and competing line to Chicago.
We are reliably informed that gen
tleman authorized to speak for the
company in whose favor the bonds
may be conditionally voted, if voted
at all. states that the same may be de
posited with a rustee who will be sat
isfactory to our citizens, to be by hin
held in trust until the railroad shall
have been built through the county
involving an expenditure on the par
of the company of 5000, 900 or double
the amount Of the bonds issued, be
fore delivery, which certainly evince'
: disposition to do the square thing.
The building OF This road would frs
give employment to q large force o
men and teams, who must be paid ant
furnished with supplies; it would opel
up i market for hundreds of thousand
Of cords of WOOD at an advanced pric
which would not HOW pay for market
ing. it would create a market for tn
large amount of fine timber in tn
couAty that would thus be made NOR
available for manufac turing purposes
it would induce the establishment 0
new Industrial enterprises in the "bit
2 woods that would require an invest
ment of capital attracted thither b
the advantages afforded; it would stim
ulate immigration and greatly aid i
the development Of the latent resourG