The true northerner., 1898-01-19
WHOLE NUMBER 2235.
RAILROAD PROPOSITION
Submitted at the Public Meeting
Last Thursday Evening

Wide Gauge Road-The Bonus not an
Exorbitsnt ono, ommittee Appointed
tn Take the Matter in Charge.
If the township of Paw Paw will vote
600 of bonds TO the ). III. x f., the
company will enter into written con
tract 10 make the present narrow gauge
into standard guage and have it COM
pletely equipped and running withstand
ard rolling stock within 80 days from
the time the money is pledged by the
township. The company also agrees to
deposit in Paw Paw bank sufficient
money to defray the expense of election,
To be paid to the township in case the
company fails to carry out its contract
Such is the proposition submitted by
Attorney S. H. Kelly for the company.
at the public meeting at the council
room Thursday evening.
The meeting was well attended. l..
Ii. Titus was selected as chairman, II.
l.. Mcneil as secretary. Besides At
torney Kelly, Vice President ID. H.
Patterson and Director Burton of the
company were present and addressed
the meeting.
Short talks in approval of the propo-
sition were made by DR.. Maynard,
Messrs. G. w. Young, Jay Reynolds, 1.
j. Cummings, IL. l.. Mcneil, b. O'Dell. j.
M. Longwell and others. No opposition
was developed.
The representatives of the company,
when questioned, refused to state to
what point they expected to extend the
road from Lawton, but said positively
an extension was intended.
On motion, the chairman was author
lied to appoint committee 30 confer
with the company and obtain from
them written proposition, to be sub
mitted at future public meeting.
Now that the railroad matter is as
suming definite form, it is well for Paw
Paw people TO carefully count the
cost and weigh the benefits, and
then avoid adding another to the long
list of railroad mistakes in the past.
Ten thousand dollars to single in
dividual, is large amount of money,
and even in the construction and equip
ment of 20 miles of railroad is of consid-
cradle Importance. But these phases
of the matter do not concern us. What
does the gift of $40, 900 mean to the tax
payers of Paw Paw township? The as
sessed valuation of the township in 1897
was 81 ,294 200. This means that should
the bonds be so made that 81 900 and in
terest at five per cent comes due each
year for 10 years, the average taxation
therefor, on the same basis of assess
ment, would be 9S4 cents per 81 900 val
uation each year. In other words, the
owner of house and lot valued at ST.
O00--a fair sample would pay 9Si cents
per year for 10 years for a standard
,, gauge road. farmer assessed at S.
600 would pay S4.93 per year, and q
business man with $4,000 assessment
would pay 80 IS per year for 10 years.
1t will thus be seen that the burden i'm
posed would be light one and one that
the taxpayers would not murmur
against if they could see adequate ad-
vantage coming therefrom. The North
erner will enumerate few only:
I've believe standard gauge road,
even if it never extended further than
Hartford and Lawton, would add much
more than $40, 900 to the value of the
real estate of the township and village.
:: "A standard guage road would make
possible the shipment of stock, grain
and fruit from Paw Paw without trans
I, fer This would establish a market in
this place, while now 1t is almost a daily
occurrence TO see stock and produce
going through our streets to other
towns.
3-With such connections as the line
would give us east and west, there is no
reason why manufacturing could not
be successfully established in Paw Paw.
, A railroad that could be depended
upon would make Paw Paw more easily
, reached for a majority of the people of
the county, than any other town in the
| county, and would stop all thought of a
removal of the county seat from this
place, and it does not require look far
: into the future, beyond the construc-
: tion of the road, to see new county
buildings that would be credit in
> stead of disgrace to the county.
4 | Ii is possible the committee may be
) able to get the proposition of the com
/ pany into a more desirable shape than
, that offered here. Perhaps they will
agree to put Paw Paws depot in the
= village instead of beyond the corpora
tion limits. Occupancy of the old
depot grounds would be very acceptable
to the people and would be of great
financial benefit to the road as well.
Perhaps the committee will be able to
; have added to the written PROPOSE
tiop a guarantee to extend the road to
some point south and east beyond Law
ton. This also would add to the attract
iveness of the proposition and to the
probability of its acceptance. Perhaps,
if the company is unwilling to make
any further pledges than are embraced
in the proposition offered, they can
) be induced to lower their figures
somewhat, as they seem to us rather
high for the mere widening of the 20
miles.
These matters all will come properly
within the scope of the committees
work. and will all receive due con
sideration We have every confidence
that the committee will secure the best
proposition possible for the best inter
est of this community, and we trust it
will be such one as can be carried into
, execution.
The Northerner favors the widening
of the road, and believes Paw Paw can
: afford to help pay for the benefits to be
. derived.
!. Under the authority conferred by the
{ railroad meeting held at the council
= | rooms in the village of Paw Paw on the