The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-04-14
Marrow Gauge.
TRUE NoRrHERNER:

ground among the people of Paw Paw and
Lawrence that the furnace, located at this
place, will be short lived and cannot, for lack
of fuel, remain here more than two or three
this route for the narrow gauge railroad.
Why there should be such an impression is
beyond tho knowledge of those who under
stand the facts, but it is supposed that the
story has been circulated to influence, if
possible, the decision of the company in
selecting its route. The people of Bangor,
during all the controversy on the II. Il. ques-
ton, have treated Hartford courteously, and,
indeed, continue to do so. There has been
no misrepresentation made to influence the
officers of the company. We have entered
into fair competition with our neighboring
village, and have used no undetermined means
to secure the desired result.
We present our arguments with what
weight they may carry, and if Mr.. Ihling be-
lieves them strong enough to overcome those
from other sources opposed to us, we will
certainly obtain what we desire. IL is time,
however, to brand the story about the
furnace leaving here IA an unqualified false
hood. The furnace will remain in Bangor
in full blast from to years if the narrow
gauge road does not reach us. With the
road through here to the lake il will remain
here from to years longer, but if the
furnace were to shut down tomorrow we still
think we can show better reasons for the
narrow gauge reaching the lake via Bangor
than by any other route An argument, if it
can be called such, has been used that Hart
ford will grow and its business increase if
the railroad il built there. We present a
town already built, thriving and enterprising,
shipping more fruit freights than all the
other towns in Van Buren, county, located on
the w. nj. Il. IL. combined, with farming
country unexcelled in Western Michigan to
back it, and new lands constantly developing
into valuable and productive farms that
mast ship all their products from this point.
Bangor presents inducements to the Narrow
Gauge Company unequaled by any other
place in this county. With due respect for
our Hartford neighbors, it seems a ridiculous
idea that the company would contemplate
any other than the Bangor route, III view of
the fact that it presents better showing as
to the amount of business it can supply the
road, and is , miles shorter than the Hart
ford route. The supposition is that railroads
are looking after their own interests, and in
the present instance it is not probable that
the officials are SO entirely unselfish as to
desire to perform an act of philanthropy for
any one, nor will they care to run an extra
the Lake, for the purpose of accommodating
the people of any little hamlet. Six miles a
trip, only two trips day, 313 days year by
II miles, is 1856 miles for nothing. Can
the company afford it2 All! but they strike
Covert by this route; true, but Covert freight,
except the Packards' lumber, goes to South
Haven now, and the Packards' would con-
tinue TO ship their lumber from their own
pier. What does the company gain? Ban
gor can furnish the company in paying
freights, more than all of the towns between
Lake Michigan and Paw Paw combined.
Bangor can furnish more passenger traffic
than can ever be obtained from Hartford,
and it does seem that the difference in the
distance ought TO be grave consideration.
What would few thousand dollars bonus
amount to to the company in comparison
with building 3 extra miles of road and keep
ing it in repair for 10 years, and running
trains all that time 6 miles per trip more
than by our route, and lightly freighted at
that?
The whining foreigner who runs the South
Haven Messenger, seems 10 think that be-
cause Bangor will not build the road to his
hen-coop, that all South Haven ought to
favor the Hartford route, whether it is for
the best interests of all concerned or not,
and growls because the people of Bangor
don't raise more money TO run the road to
the South Haven line. Does he want to play
the part of a pauper, and ask somebody to
give him what he ought to be glad of the
privilege of paying for2 Such liberal
minded man must be appreciated by the
American citizens Of South Haven, who are
always up with the times and willing to do
their share towards advancing all public en-
terprises. II he lived in Bangor we would
fire him out" as drone. How does this
fellow know that the Bangor delegation made
misrepresentation about having obtained
the right-of-way2 Let him quote his su-
thority. He complains that Bangor has