Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-02-04
OF VALUE TO sOMAHA,

Arguments for the Consideration Of the
Douglas County Commissioners
Omaha Bee: The county commits
sioners have under consideration q pro-
position TO submit to the people the
question of voting 100000 in bonds
to the proposed Omaha & Yankton rail-
road. The petition asking that the peo-
pie be given she privilege of voting upon
this proposition is signed by every
prominent man in Omaha. While il is
proper tor the commissioners to exercise
due caution In the matter, they ought
not to delay final action too long. They
seem 80 be divided In opinion as TO the
amount of bonds TO be voted. Some are
in favor of 100000, while others think
that $500 600 is sufficient. 1t strikes us
that this is q matter that they should
leave to the people to decide at the
ballot box. The projectors OF the road
ask for 5000 600. They Will not be sat
isfed with 5000 900. III the people do
not vent to give 100000 they can de-
feat the proposition.
If the promoters of this railroad en-.
terprise are in earnest, and we believe
they are, and il it is provided that not
dollar of bonds shall be paid to them
until they have completed and put in
running order 100 miles OF track, the
people of Douglas county can afford to
give them generous bonus. The right
of way through this county will cost
large sum. 1t is no longer an easy mat
ter to obtain right of wsy in such a
county as this. The money paid out for
this purpose comes back to the property
owners. The worst grades on the pro-
posed line are in Douglas county, and
consequently o great deal OF money will
have to be expended here for labor,
which will be OF great benefit. Ii the
line runs northwest, as it probably will,
there Will be about twenty miles of roac:
in this county, which, if assessed at $8,
600 or $4,000 per mile, the same as
other roads, would make this road re.
turn to us sufficient money to pay the
interest on the bonds voted. The bonds
! will not be due for twenty or thirty
years-not until the next generation.
1t is understood that O guarantee is to
be given thst,Omaha is to be the southern
terminus and that the headquarters and
| shops are to be located here. This will
prove another great benefit to Omaha
But above all is the fact that the road
| Wlll Eup ElCu SeSelUu OI
country and make it tributary to
Omaha. We are at present almost com
pletely shut out from that region, the
people OF which ere anxious to reap the
| benefits OF Omaha's markets, especially
the live stock market. Eventually this
road will also prove an important factor
IN building up grain market in this
oity. 1t will give us on entry into
l lcorfharn Jlah -
tie and grain and other resources. We
| Paul and Minneapolis, and the people
OF that part of the territory are de-
| sirous to be commercially united tc
Omaha. The only way they oan bring
about this result is through the build.
ing of the Omaha & Yankton railroad
| which they propose to generously assist
The sum Of $500 900, which is asked
from Douglas county, Is nos one.tentt
that amount was voted to the Omaha
Northwestern and the Omaha & South.
western. This county then had q pop
ulation Of only about l6 900, while nov
it contains about 10000, OF ell rail.
the best one ever offered to the peopi
of this county, and appears to have th,
proper safeguards thrown around it g.
that people will get value received.
The objective point of the road i
Yankton, with branches into southern
Dakota and northwestern Nebraska
This road will in probability hold tn
key to the situation so far as Omaha j
concerned, and compel fairer treatmen
on the part Of other roads. There is n,
/ laSt h That Sho kc a wr.l
| be OF incalculable benefit to this city.