The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-15

you who remember that time know what
pressure was brought TO bear on the Pres
ident TO name different points far north
and far south Of this. After a long con-
versatiOn with me. obtaining my views
fully and the reasons for them. the PreSi-
dent finally determined to make il. as you
all know on the western border Of Iowa
opposite this city. That I'm my opinion.
was the settled decision that rendered be
yond all question the future OF your city
and your State.
81 wish to say here that while my sur
Veys and my conclusions may have been
of great benefit to YOU. still they were
made because there was no question from
an engineering point Of view where the
line crossing Iowa and going west from
this river should cross the Missouri river.
and ii was also my conclusion that II was
the commercial line. The Lord had so
constructed the country that any engineer
who failed TO take advantage OF the great
open road from here west TO Salt Lake
City would not have been fit to belong
to the profession; 600 miles Of IL up "A sin
gle valley without a grade TO exceed M
teen feet, the natural pass over the ROCKY
mountains; the lowest in all the range.
and the divide of the continent instead OF
being mountain summit. has basin So
feet below the general level. 1t was a graf
if1cation TO at the time TO have the
support of all the people III the vicinity
of this country i'm my views. There is no
telling how much influence II had ana
weight ii carried, and without being in
vidious or partial | really think that Omaha
and Nebraska to-day owe more to my old
supporter. DR.. George l.. Miller. for the
success of these efforts. than TO any other
man. could show you many of the ben
efits he brought TO you, even more than
he knows himself. and he was the most
unselfish and determined continuous fight
er for his city and State that | ever knew,
and i take pleasure here in his own home
in paying my tribute TO him.
HOW THE COUNTRY GREW.
Now, gentlemen, this city and State, for
their great prosperity after the fact, are
mostly indebted to the Union Pacific Rail-
way. 1t blazed the way across the CONT
nent They took all the chances and solved
the problem of building a railroad to the
Pacific not only from engineering point
of view, but also from a commercial one,
and it was therefore easy after that for all
roads to follow. 1t was at that time very
great problem If a road built could ever
earn its interest. After its completion the
board of directors of the company request
ed me to make an estimate of the gross
earnings per mile for the next ten years.
They desired an estimate from which they
could prove to the people that Ii would be
able to pay the interest. upon the frst
mortgage bonds, and after calling to my
aid all the people who had knowledge of
the capabilities of the country west Of the
Missouri river as well as those OF China
and Japan, and in fact of all Asia, the best
L could do was to report to them gross
earnings within ten years OF 5000 per mile.
and If 1 remember rightly in less
600 per mile. So you see how little
those who had the best knowledge
of this country appreciated what its
developments would bring about. The earn
ings of the Union Pacific made 1t safe for
any other road to enter the territory, and
TO the Ameses, the billions, Goulds. Scott,
Huntington and Stanford in an early day
and to Perkins, Miller. Cable, Hewitt.
Willard and many others of a latter day
this country should give great honor and
no abuse. 1t has been the fashion in our
the names of Aston, Vanderbilt and the
noted Knickerbockers as the great men
commercially for them to follow. These
men invested their money in the East,
where it was. safe and sure of dividends,
but the men who developed the country and
brought in their millions without one cent
in return-they are the ones you and all
others are indebted to for their foresight,
their risking everything and finally build
ing up a great empire west of the lakes
Most of those Of the earlier day have
| passed away, and this country is now
awakening to the credit due them, which
hope will some time be paid them. When
you come down TO the present time admit
that L am not up TO the times.
SOME NEWER DEVELOPMENTS
81 never dreamed that the Union Pacifi >
Railroad would control the Southern Pa
| cific My fear was always that the owner
ship would be in the Southern Pacific. You
must, not sit still and pass by what there
is for you here in this great control. Your
business men must get near TO the throne
and use your energies as Miller and Saun-
ders and Willard and many others did in an
earlier day to take the benefits of what
this was for. Nor need you be afraid of the
| great combination just completed in the
Northwest. 1t will not raise rates OF
freight one mill nor of passengers one cent.
| The men at the head OF that gigantic en-
! terprise are broad-minded. They have
| thought and built well and they Will bring
| stability, development and great wealth
that cannot but be OF great benefit to you.
! You must not forget one OF the great adj
| vantages of such combinations to a new
country. They have behind them such an
! immense capital that when you go to them
with any project that has merit in il for
! the development of your country they are
/ able to adopt it and carry il out. while in
/ an earlier day projects were often pre-
scented to those who controlled the internal
! improvements of this country which they
saw the merits of and were anxious to take
/ hold or, but IL was impossible for them 10
obtain the capital at those times TO do il.
! Nor must you forget what this combination
means. The country west of here has hard
! " been scratched and with the trains OF
the country pushing forward its develop
ment with steam and electricity and air.
what one here can prophesy what fifty
| years VIII develop between here and the
Pacific ocean?
Il know there is some nervousness among
people about these great combinations but
those that are not upon a solid basis will
topple over from their overweight and the
others will continue and grow and bring
stability to all kinds of business. The COM
mercial man wants TO know that he can
safely lay down plans for six months or a
! year and under such direction he can safely
! do ii, and II is a mistake TO attack them
before you are hurt You will find greater
! benefits coming to your country by sup
! porting and aiding them, rather than by
| abuse and opposition.
New blood must take the place OF old.
! and l bid you godspeed in your efforts. And
| now, my friends. i'm our old age the great
/ satisfaction to all of you and to is 10
/ know that our early efforts are both recog-
/ niZed and appreciated that the old friend
ships ACQUIRED in trials and tribulations are
I still fresh and true and TO my old friends
I and all of you I wish / knew how to ex-
press TO you what is in my heart but
cannot. ] can only say. l thank you with
all my heart"