The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1882-02-09
And here is another lecture. A
mother for her iewelry.
An Open Letter.

hdfC III pass O11 etb leiliAOes~i' = AAN'
had passes in former years, but | never
had a free pass, or dead-head pass. l
always paid full value for my annual
pass. The last pass l had on the M.
& C. road was only used once, to go to
Portsmouth and return, while the ad-
vertisement kept in the STANDARD for
one year, with changes and correc-
tions to be made frequently. would
have cost one Of our business men $50
for same space in the paper.
| know some mean editors; | pre-
sumo that you know some mean Leg
islators; but do not think | know
an editor mean enough to sell his in
huence for so small sum as railroad
pass is worth. You, Of course, know
your brethren Of the Legislature bet
ter than | do; but I do not think you
will lind many even Of them who are
low enough, or mean enough, to sell
out for such price.
Now let us come down to arguments
and facts. My father came to Jack
son county when 1 was two years old
more than 81 years ago. This
county was then a bowling wilder
ness. Wolves were abundant. There
was no way to get to market with the
produce Of the soil. | lived on the
farm until was 80 years Of age. The
only way to get few goods at the
store. was to dig ginseng. take it and
few 'coon'' skins to Gallipolis.
twenty-four miles distant, that being
the nearest place where there was
store. As child, boy and man. / be-
came somewhat Of a geologist. ]
knew that Jackson county was vastly
rich in iron ore, stone coal, fire clay.
and other minerals. It was folly to
think Of developing these resources
without railroads.
The virgin soil was productive, and
farming would have been profitable, if
the produce could have been taken to
a market. In order to show you how
we were hampered, I will state that l
once hauled a wagon load Of potatoes
to Portsmouth, thirty miles, taking
three days, and the entire load only
sold for $6.
Thirty years ago it was proposed to
make a railroad through this county.
provided the taxpayers would take
100000 stock. A vote was taken. it
carried, and the the people paid $240.-
900 interest and principal, before they
got through with it; yet it was the
best investment they ever made.
Furnaces were erected, and population
and wealth increased rapidly.
A few years ago two more railroads
were made to the great coal fields of
this county, and now money is pour
ing in by tens Of thousands Of dollars.
Shall these railroads be destroyed? IF
your bill should become law, and be
enforced, it would stop the cars on
every road in the State. The ques-
ton as to what would be reasonable
charge, would be left to jury, or COM
mission. If your bill had fixed some
limits to charges, it would not be so
utterly unreasonable. Suppose it had
said that passengers should not be
charged more than one cent per mile.
and freight should not cost more than
ten cents per 100 pounds per 100 miles.
railroad officers would know whether
they could pay running expenses at
these figures. Under the provisions
Of your bill, if charges should be put
at one-half the present rates, there is
no assurance that jury or commission
would not say that such charges are
extravagant. Suppose train should
stop at Jackson, and fifty men should
get on and go to Columbus, and each
would be charged S2 It could be de-
cided, under your bill, that this was
too much, and in each of the fifty
eases the company could be fined
S25, ZOO, or one million, two hundred
and fifty thousand dollars! Would
any railroad company take such risks?
Your bill is evidently calculated and
intended to stop all railroad trans
portation in Ohio Jackson county,
with her great iron and coal interests,
just beginning to be developed, enters
her protest.
Suppose, Senator, you and 1 have
$4,000 each. and we see farm which
we can purchase, in this county, and
we make calculation as to profits, by
taking the prevailing prices of farm
produce for years past, and calculat-
ing the probable development of the
coal and iron interests when we have
three railroads finished through the
county, and the fact that this will al
ways give US market at home for all
Our farm can produce. We invest our
money in the farm. We stock it,
raise grain, hay, live stock, &c. About
the time we are ready to sell the pro-
duce of our farm, some ''smart Aleck"
in the Ohio Senate introduces bill to
prevent US from selling our farm
unless we are willing to take
for them such price as jury, or COM
nilsson may think proper Or sup
pose law, like your bill proposes,