Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1882-01-19
The GREAT CORPORATIONS.

By contrasting the situation of the great
northwest now with what it was thirty
years ago, we can imagine what it would
still have been but for the railroads which
have been built across it in all directions.
Thirty years ago the population of the
northwest was clustered around the lake
ports and on the margins Of the rivers. The
scattering settlers in the interior lived in
the poorest primitive manner. # they
raised little surplus in the way Of crops,
the cost Of getting it to market exceeded its
total value. A farmer living il one Of the
interior counties would take from two to
thirty bushels, or l, 800 pounds, to market,
and half that length Of time to return to his
home, and his expenses on the road both
ways, and while transacting the little bust
ness involved in it's sale, left him but
little or nothing out of the price
for which he sold his wheat. The lakes
which were the only outlet for the produce
of the West, were closed five months in
year, and during that time there was liter
ally no market at all for grain Every pur-
suit of Industry and trade sympathized with
the depression in agriculture. The mer-
chant and mechanic were no better off than
the farmer, for, as the people had but lit
tie to buy with, the manufacturers and
no growth or prosperity in any department
of labor or commerce. This was not the
case in one state. It was so everywhere,
4 farmer who lived fifty miles from sea-
port at the East was no better off than one
In the middle Of Wisconsin or Iowa, for
his produce had to be hauled by wagon
roads to a market, and the cost of transport
tation equalled the price for which 1t could
be sold. Throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois, farming on large and
profitable scale was impossible, because
farmer could raise nothing that he could
sell at a price exceeding the cost of getting
it to the market.
Travel from place to place was a wretched
experience. It took a majority Of Con-
gressmen from three days to two weeks to
reach Washington from their homes.
Members Of the Legislature were from two
days to week reaching the Capitol. It is
but few years ago since member Of the
Wisconsin Assembly, Mr. Whittiesey, of
Bayfield,, tramped on snow-shoes 200 miles
to reach the Capitol of Wisconsin, and his
picture as he appeared in his travelling outfit
is no " in the State historical rooms at Mad
lson. SIX cents mile Was the lowest rate
at which passengers were conveyed by stage
coach, and rates by the natural water
routes were in proportion. If business
man was called to New York once wear
it took him a month and more to go and
come, and give few days to business.
Relatives and friends in parts of the coun-
try distant from each other we're as abso-
lutely separated as people now are on op-
posite sides Of the world. A man now liv-
ing in San Francisco can visit New York as.
easily as one could living in Pittsburg thrifty
years ago; and every species Of personal
and commercial communication was then
proDortionately inconvenient slow, toll
some and expensive.
NO lapse OF years, no process OF time or
change, no Influences Of growth or culture,
would have changed this condition of things.
! without means for rapid transportation
from one part Of the country to another
| The country would have become very thickly
, settled near the lakes and rivers and by the
! artificial watercourses; but the vast interi-
ors, the rich forests, the broad prairies, the
magnificent intervals would have had but
slightly increased population during this era,
and it would always have been rude popu-
lation, badly housed poorly schooled,
roughly clad with few of the comforts of
life aside from the food produced on the
soil, like the frOntlersmen and borderers,
whom we know in tradition and romance.
The land twenty miles away from the steam
boat landings would never have been worth
much more than the original government
price, certainly not to exceed $40 to 500 an
acre There would have been but little or no
wealth in houses, barns and farms, and in
stock and grain; nor but few school houses
and churches; but few and scattering remote
villages, and the nation would have been
poor, provincial, in its pupilage and Adde'S
cence.
The railroads have wrought the revolution
which mas been accomplished before our
eyes. Half the cost in money of travel,
and seven-eighths Of the time are saved. in
effect lengthening in many fold the duration
and increasing the capacities Of life The
products of the farm are now worth as much
at the farmers door as they previously we're
after being hauled a loag distance by his
teams. Land 200 miles from the Great
Lakes is worth from $40 to $75 an acre,
which, without railroads, never would have
been worth to exceed 500 an acre. A thrifty
farmer can become rich in few years bv
the sale of the surplus Of his farm, which.
but for railroads. he could Lot sell Of all.
The handsome farms, the fine school
houses, the elaborate churches, the COM
Portable dwellings, the thickly- planted vii
lagos of the whole Northwest, are the direct
result of the railroads. which have made.
every county accessible and convenient for
settlement. There are 81, 600, 600 acres Of
land in Wisconsin. which taken as whole,
has been increased in value SIS pei
acre, or $3.50, 100000 in the aggregate.
This land is assessed for taxation at $780,
600, 900, which is less than half it's actual
value, and it might also be said that every
dollar of additional value above $40 per
acre has been placed upon it by the rail-
roads which carry its products Of grain,
stock, lumber and manufactures to distant
markets which they never would have
reached but for the iron highway.
This relates to Wisconsin alone When
the mind considers the vast territory which
lies to the rorthward, between the Missis-