The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-03-06
CAPE GIRARDEAU
Its Railroad Interests and Pros
poets.

E-D1IOh bf4hOCRAT.-1AlS city. back
IN the seventies, between the time
work stopped on our railroad and
when Mr., Houck breathed new life in
to 1t. passed through the most trying
period of its history, Enterprise died
natural death, property deprecated
in value and went begging without 4
bidder: merchants were failing and
bankrupt business was brisk: taxes went
unpaid, people lived on credit and
numbers moved away, men gazed with
that faraway book sthat betokens
stagnatiOn, age and dispair. In truth.
the town was finished all save a rood
fence to convert it into a rich pasture
held. What caused all this gloom
and living death? Not stingines4:
for we had placed on our shoulders a
railroad debt of nearly $300.00Q. 1t
vas nothing BUT want of confidence in
ourselves In other words waiting
for some poverty stricken fictitious
company to come and build our rail
rOad'and bandit back in running.arder
free of charge. That is really wkat it
amounted 10. We ought to know
by this tire that railroad companies
are not chartered to run elemosynary
institutions. Help came. didn't it?
Yes, and came within a inch Of steal
ing our present railroad. and had
they been successful it wo9ld have
knocked The last prop from under our
prosperity, and our properly would
not be worth our tax bills. Experience
is a costly school, and sencible peo-
pie ought TO profit by its teachings.
We have been through the mill
once ard ground pretty hne. For a
second time We are sitting on the edge
OF the copper ready to aGppel over
betwecf the mill stones. Hold on.
Stop md think.
We used To send committees to
ThCcn&s Alien and others to Chicago,
ali cf whom reported failure. In fact
theT were working at the wrong end
OF tie linz. Our latest delegations
have interviewed Col. FCEdyce. a gen.
tlemGu OF some prominence, but one
that has no more power TO bind his
employers than the individuals that
consult him. viii we never learn
sense? What does q trunk line with
hundreds of miles OF track and st.
Louis as 4 terminal care for wayside
station? Nothing. only1o milk il.
IE Mr.. Aliens time we were threat
ene2 with AIlenville becoming q great
city drawing all the t-ade of this
county 10 that place. Has it done it?
No, set it has the full benefit of two
truE,l lines. Where is ii to-day? Too
dead 20 skin. Trunk lines act as a
wet blanket on all enterprises at their
way stations. Do you want one
spread over you here: Think of this
seriously. Notwithstanding all our
costly experience our people are get
ting into the same old rIt, looking
for some christian corporation to
build q road to our city and spend a
qua"tsl million dollars for our sole
use ;,Ii benefit. You are again work. |
in at tne wrong end of the iinc.
To Bring the Cotton Belt here will |
cost eur people $4,000 dollars for
frontage. Have we that amount to |
give a. Il bonus: They won't even
give you bonds for it. As business
men we had better look this
notter square in the face and make
proper arrangements that will pay
for our outlay. Suppose for mo-
ment the Cotton Belt comes here.
what benefit will we derive? We will
be a way station like Allenville Delta
As way station has had the benefit
Of three, Independent trunk lines, a way
station for each of them. yet. we do
not hear of corner lots going at fab
Ilous prices. or any merchantile or
enterprises being cs-
.ablished there. Nothing but q sta
ion agent and half dozen helpers.
Trains rush in and rush out. begrUdg-
ng evcrymOment of delay. 1t used to
De thought that the Illinois Central
Yould make Cairo city of hundred
thousand inhabitants. The bridge
vas built and Cairo has become a
way station. and were it not for the
act that it Is the county seat. Cairo
sould be blotted from the map. What
made Indianapolis the city it is: Not
runk lines. far from it. Look at the
nap and you will see her own local {
-oads built by local capital ani en- l
erprise, radiating to every point OF
he compass like spokes OF a wheel
With that city as a hub, each line !
apping the wealth of the rural dis
ricts and pouring their treasures into {
be lap of a wide-awake, liberal peo- I
lie. Is there nothing to be learned )
rom this object lesson? The same !
an be said of st. Louis, Chicago and t
'ther cities. True. We do not expect I
o rival either of those. but by =
business management we .
an control the business of Scott, S