Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-05-06


owns along its line. The company
lad assurance that the town ofRidge-
way would subscribe $40, 900; Blue
Mounds $4,000 Verona, $4,000,
ind it was thought that the city of
Madison would put down $4,000.
rhc distance being about 81 miles,
his would amount TO little over
$1,000 per. mile. The benefits to
he city of Madison TO be gained by
he early completion of this road
we're d@elt upon at considerable
ength and with great force. Besides
opening up a railroad communities
lion with Iowa, Grant, La Fayette,
Y ernon and other counties, includ.
ing some Of the richest and most
productive portions of the State, 1t
would doubtless make certain the
construction of an air,line.road be-
tween Madison and Milwaukee,
upon which a partial survey had
been made.
Mr.. Williams was followed by |
Col Il. w. Keyes, who said he had
long regarded this as most favor
able project for the city OF Madison,
that he had talked it up with its
citizens, as we'll as with Mr.. Williams
on many occasions. He felt certain
that the taxpayers of Madison
would be making o good investment
by contributing s25, 900 to an enter
prise that promise 50 many ad-
vantages to them. The narrow
gauge would make our city place
Of transsnipment which could not
but extend its business and promote
an increase OF trade and popalsasitios,nIs;
objection that railroads cut off local
trade, showed how this would help,
instead OF injure, such trade, and
demonstrated the advantages which
had already accrued to the city
from lines now centering here; and
his conclusion wasthas this proposed
line would be of as much benefit
to Madison az aDy line now esta-
blished here.
Col. w. f. Villas was called upon
for remarks and spoke of the in
fuence which live business men
have in building up town Madi-
son had many such men, who had
contributed, at least, to make it an
important political center. 1t could
not be regarded, he said, as o com.
mercial point Of much prominence,
though he was sure, that within the
past few years, it had steadily in
creased in population and business
enterprise. He maintained that in
no view could business, in city of
the size of this, be injured, but must
certainly be increased by every in.
crease of railroad facilities. Madi-
son has materially gained by being
a conspicuous railroad center, and
now the people of La Fayette,
Grant, Iowa, Vernon and other
western counties, who have long
wished for railroad connection with
the capital city, are asking for the
carrying out of this project. These
counties are rich in farming and
mining resources, and we ought to
meet them. 1t would be for their
and our mutual benefit. He said
the contemplated Northwestern line
to Milwaukee might start from here,
or it might start from some other
point, but nothing would do so
much TO fix the terminus here as the
building of this narrow gauge line
here. The aid to the Baraboo line
had been rendered by Madison Just
in the nick of time to have it come
here. A little delay 10 granting aid
to this enterprise ~ould have been
fatal to US, and now was the nick of
time to secure both this line from
MonSfort and that to Milwaukee.
He showed that Indianapolis was
no more favorable situation in q
commercial point of view than
Madison, but by securing important
railroad connections it had grown to
be a city of 100, 900 Inhabitants, and
was most thriving, prosperous and
important town. The increased
tax to secure this road, he claimed,
would hardly be felt, and it would
ensure the building Of the line to
Milwaukee, for which 20 aid would
be asked. He had talked with the
officers of the Northwestern Com
pany, and he felt it no betrayal of
their confidence to say that they
had resolved, if this narrow gauge
road was built to Madison, such fact
would ensure the building of the
other line from here to Milwaukee.
Hon. J. G. Gregory said that the
completion Ct this line would make
onr railroad system pretty nearly
perfect. 1t was the duty of Madison,
as ca educational and political GEN.
ter, to furnish every railroad faculty
within our power. Grant, Iowa
and La Fayette were rich old coun.
ties and they had always stood by
and been friendly to Madison. She
had pro6ted by her friendship, had
received from them large accessions
to University catalogues; they asked
US to aid in furnishing better facili-
ties for reaching hers; this line
would furnish them way of easily
getting to Milwaukee, and we ought
to do all we could to meet their
wants.
Mr., Frank made some remarks to
the effect that he had always looked |
upon through railroad lines as be-
ing an injury to local trade, but he
had no doubt about the general ben.
efits they secured to the eommuni. |
" at large.
This is but q mere sketch of the
remarks made at this important
gatbering,but it is perhaps sufficient
to indicate he position of some of
the prominent business men IN favor
Of the proposed enterprise. The de.
liberatioos of the meoting closed
By the unanimous adoption Of the
resolution, offered by w.
$. Main, Esq:
Resolged, That is the sense of this meeting
that the city Of Madison should aid the Chi, |
nago 4 Tomah railway company. in its extern
sion to this city, to the amount of S25, 900.
There will doubtless be further
action taken Immediately 10 the di.
recti0n of this important enterprise. |