Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-08-30
ANOTHER NEW ROAD.
A Gilt-Edged Dream of Monopoly-How
Our MODERN Highways are Built
Improved Law and Finance.
Carson (Nev.) Appeal

| Yesterday Constable Stern discovered in
| the city jail map of the United States and
| some railroad connections which are entire
ly new to him. On making inquiries, he
discovered that the map had been drawn by
a couple of prisoners and was the ground
plan of big railroad scheme in which the
| two were interested.
"We propose" said one of them, to
start new railrord system, beginning at
Carson and ending at New York"
When will you begin operations 2"
gu cried the officer.
''Oh, as soon as we get out. Now let me
outline the plan. We start out with some
pins, chains and compasses and make sur
vey. We announce through the press the
proposed Carson, Arizona and Texan line.
Then we incorporate and let in lot of solid
citizens, appoint a committee to go to the
financial centers and lay in with syndicate
of bankers to place our securities. They
make satisfactory lay, advertise heavy in
the heightened papers, and the treasury be-
gins to bulge. We get the country excited,
the people subscribe for the bonds, and
they go like hot griddle cakes. Do you
catch the idea?"
The constable began to grow interested
and nodded his head.
| 'Well, then we apply for Government
|
stock around Congress, get some of the
oratorsto talk of the wealthy country about
to be opened up, great natural resources re-
quiring development, &c, and the things
done. Then we sell the land at five dollars
an acre, and push our road right through
| to Texas"
You get quite start" said the officer,
but who pays off the hands?"
''Oh, forgot one of the most important
accessories; of course we organize a con-
structlon and finance company; as directors
of the railroad company we vote unanimous
~ to give ourselves, as a construction COM
pany, fat contracts; then we sub-contract the
construction out to actual contractors at half
price. and they pay the hands or not, just as
they choose. But these are minor details.
Now our pext point is New Orleans. We
want more money, so we find flaws in the
original bill of SALE and as we take a hand
IN eleeting the judges they pronounce the
title invalid, holders haven't money to con-
test it, so we serve writs of ejectment ON
the fellows who have improved our lands
and sell 'em again at higher figures. This
gives us another rise, and then we freeze out
the original stockholders, sell the road,
buy it III, reorganize, water the stock like
the devil and give every body chance"
But the law steps in"
"Oh, d-n the law the law doesn't
cover railroads-railroads are too lively be-
sides, we are putting up job now to have
aJorlty of our own men In the United
States Senate (we'ye got all the State SEN
| ates now and the Supreme Court, and then
we can head off any communistic attacks,
you know. When we get our road to New
Orleans out of our own earnings, our lands
| and the taxes we should have paid the Gov
eminent, what we made on the construction
company and the reorganization, Uncle Sam
swoops down, calls for his money and
threatens to take the road Well, there s
nothing small about us; we say Take the
| old road it's busted concern, anyhow.
Then he won't want it so bad, you see, and
we continue business"
| But how do you freeze out the stock
holders!"
Why, we hire the Government commits
sioner to make report and bear the stock.
That shakes the holders. and we rake it in
III blocks Then he makes another one you
| see, and the market rallies"
| But this costs money you need good
| lot"
| 'Well, we've made good lot in back
| freights and sockin' it to the small slippers
and the com-competitive points to say moth
| ing of the construction company, our lands
ana 1reeZlnS out STOCKHOLDERS.
| The policeman had no reply.
" Then from New Orleans we go to New
York"
But have you made enough to build the
New York road ? The Eastern people won't
stand the back freight racket"
Maybe not; but the dear public there
are always keen to put up for railroads The
| bankers arrange all that, and if it's too thin
for the United States they have pals across
the big pond who are always ready to help
unload road on foreign investors, for a
divide. They are always ready to build the
road and let the company run it and we're
the company, you know"
| "One splen pid racket to work is when
stocks are low we buy, then form a pool
with other roads, show big earnings, stocks
advance, everybody rushes in, and we lei
'em boom it up till we think they are higl
enough, when we quietly unload, pass the
word to break the pool, we sell short ant
the lambs are sheared both ways
" Rallroading is a money making bushes!
anyway BY givin' the big shippers special
rates and sllngin' around passes pretty
lively, givin' free excursions, subscribin
literally to statements benefit funds, and
occasionally buildin' church-perhap.
owning a newspaper here and there tc
| DihSh udiu duLl-LlOuOpOllStS ana leau Du2u(
opinion by pussuing liberal policy like
this we can always make ourselves solid
with the ruling classes Of course, this
costs money, but as we tax both producers
and consumers we reassess all these little
expenses on the public, and more too, fol
,ne farmers and other small shippers neve,
a9ain Tor rates; steam transportation costs
t;6n'y little. and what with new inyen.
:, e.o.s ana the growth of the country it's
S So less every day. That enables us to
P"y uivloends On all the water put in. which
heePo investors quiet and everybody whose
Iniiuence is worth anything saws what a
great and glorious country we have, Sc
what free railroads and free ooyern,,e,t
have done for ~ 0ti'
But what about the free and coma,
PROVISIONS III the Constitution of the United
States 2" A-A'''
What do we care about the Constitu
tlon That was made before steam. cleo
trlclty and corporations came in. and i,
don't apply now if it ever did.
| we let the masses continue fo tbinl,
tnough, that they control everything. On
Inc Fourth OF July and at election time. on,
lawyers and the other fellows we pick out
70 represent us in the legislatures. take the
stump and give the workin' men a little
"a. .any ABOUT freedom and equality, the will of
.ne people, DC, and by the aid of brass
9anas' fireworks and beer, we get the poor
devils SO patriotic that they're willin' to do
most anything then havin' our own man
~ o'so parties to steer things we keep lem