The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-06-02
THE 5. 0. en-. RAILROAD

/ An Ottawa man recently went lo Men
.dou, AMI was met on a.) sides by anxious
Inquiries concerning ,hc seneca, ottawa,
Ids MENDOZA railroad, aud ACCORDING 90 hs
statement the m.ipny ct the busu. men
oI that city seemed to he very DESTROYS Of
having the road constructed ut the 0r.cs.
possible day. for they ike our o3u clti-
zcns, feel The need of some road to tuo east
that does not 20 through Chicago, winch
city eXact5 an humagc-taX for every pound
of freight or every passenger that crosses
its boundary, the people Of the north
western part OF the county think the c. Il.
y q. K. Il. has grip on that section and
that no other railroad company Is strong
enough to compete with 1t; they fear, also,
that the Seneca road, which would give
them the relief they desire, may be induced
to sell out to It, or the Rock Island The
question was frequently asked why its con
struction WAS not carried forward aud con
nection made with the Cincinnati, Indian
apolis, ST. Louis d Chicago road, which
controls the Kankakec & Seneca, and
thence over the Chesapeake d Ohio Rul-
road to Newport News, a sea coast town
that is rapidly building up and is destined
al no distant day to occupy prominent
place IN commercial circles.
On inquiry among those here in Ottawa
who know something of the S. o. & NJ
railroad we find that the company has Sc
cured almost all the night Of way and are
now getting estimates from contractors so
that after few more preliminary arrange
mcnts arc completed, they Will be ready to
push forward the construction, with such
rapidly that 1t Will be completed IN ninety
days after commencement.
The eastern termination, however, seems
to be matter, which if decided upon is
known only to a few, and these few refuse
to tell the secret Quite pressure Is being
brought 10 take the road across the Illinois
river and not go to Seneca at all, some of
the smaller roads thinking this one to be a
good thing to tie to, and they want IT.
There is no question but that road of
this description would be valuable property
to It's managers. Ottawa alone would con.
tribute in the matter OF ircights fully
enough to keep several cars busy, for they
could go loaded both ways. An unlimited
demand exists in the west and northwest
tor drain tile, and at no place within fifty
miles, or hundred, for that matter, can
tile be so successfully manufactured rs at
Ottawa. The works already established
here arc doing an immense business, ard
with the northern market opened by the
proposed railroad, the demand and the
supply would be greatly increased. Trains
would be loaded with tile and sent to Min
nCsOta aud Dakota and then bring back
wheat; they wouldsgO east with the prod.
ucts of our potteries and glass factories
and return with merchandise.
The stimulating influence upon present
industries would add others to the list, and
all these productions must be scattered
throughout the land, and that by the rail.
roads. Is Ottawa n point worth looking
after by the railroad magnatcsp And es-
pcclally such as are represented IN the Gin.
cinnati roads, who desire to compete with
Chicago for western trade and production?
If Cincinnati were within reach land
would not this .talkcd-of railroad
bring it there ? Ottawa, La Sale county,
and the whole Of this section would win
ingly extend to her their best wishes and
patronage Perhaps with three in the
bcd' here there would be railroad wars
low rates, and many of the other little
plcGsantries that come to c0mpetiHg points,
to say nothing OF the grandCr and more
permanent good that would surely come
TO onr citizens. There are but two IN the
bed now, and they are excellent friends
Let our southeastern friends look to this
and not allow the Seneca and Mendoza
road, which seems Just ready to burst INTO.
a certainty fail for want Of a little atten,
ton.