The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1889-01-29
THE OAHU RAILROAD,


the point. Another letter from Mr.,
Winter to the former gentleman ap-
pears also, describing the immense
development of railroad business in
/ the case Of that we'll known corpora
tiou, the Chicago, Burlington Il
Quincy Railway Company. This
communication is intended for the
benefit of all who take any stock in
the shbly utteredremark often heard,
/ to the effect that no railway on this
island can possibly pay in the life Of
the present generation at least.
People who assist in giving currency
to this stereotyped opinion may be
assured that scarcely railway is
built through new or undeveloped
territory anywhere, without the en-
terprise having to live down just
such cheap talk as the sample in
question regarding the Oahu Rail
road. The present writer has wit
messed the advent of railroads in
several such cases, everyone of which
was met in its inception and promo
ton by the croak that it would
never pay" Yet the unvarying re-
suit has been. TO the certain know
ledge of the same observer, that the
roads rapidly passed the unremun-
erative stage into profitable career.
This observation applies equally well
to several other railroad projects,
some of really vast magnitude, whose
progress throughout has been
watched i'll the newspapers. Not
that all railroad schemes result in
big dividends, for too many of bril-
liant prospectus have had their
affairs fall into the hands of the re-
eeiver in bankruptcy. there to remain
perhaps indefinitely. Bad manage
ment, undue competition, the failure
Of resources in the territory served
by the line, or some other unforeseen
cause, may produce such disap-
pointing result. Still, the fact that
railroads have failed does not Justify
people, without knowledge or exper-
ience of what they are talking about, |
in predicting Disaster for any partic-
ular scheme. Some who venture TO |
give reasons for their perhaps un-
conscious or unintentional bearing"
of projected railroad stock only |
open their mouth to put their foot
IN it, still worse. They sneer at the
smallness OF the .back country and
the limited population, and the arid
OF the soil. along the
proposed railroad route. Such flip
pant crlakers must remember that
If the country Is small so is
the proposed railroad-not more
than fifteen miles being i'm
mediately contemplated that the
to be served IS not lin
tied in proportion to the necessary
but in that respect
standing unusually high in com
parison with some Of the most pros
porous lines in operation in other
countries. and, lastly, that with the
facilities for getting
natural products to market. to be
supplied IL the railway. there VIII
De a degree OF encouragement given
10 land settlement as viii justify
III the necessary expense Of nriga-
ion that VIII make the desert bios
ON like the rose. Ths Is one OF the
ways in which the Oahu Railroad IS
5ound to make traffic for itself.
Another IS IN respect TO opening up
lew territory for agreeable home
ties to those whose a7ocations are
I the close and dusty and noisy
ity. II this line does not promote
esources for its own maintenance
Id the production Of dividends. in
he ways above mentioned and 9th
rwise, it viii work contrary to
inety-nine IN q hundred Of similar
the world over. Com
are the life Of Z coun- {
y, truth that. while illustrated in
0mmon roads, IS Illuminated in
aiIroads- The land options offered
y the promoters Of the Oahu Rail
BAD show disposition most com
lendabIe to make the line not only
re7enue-getting investment to the
but q public benefit in
-hich citizens of limited means may
hare outside Of carrying convent
1ces and indirect stimulus 10 trade
I'D industry. They have set before
lem Al opportunity not often PIE
snted in an individual lifetime.
-IthOHt an endless amount Of roam
-