The New York herald., 1922-12-25

hopes OF getting the necessary charter
without any trouble. / was as unso-
phisticated as a bby and expected every
body was ready to lend hand or vote
whenever there was prospect of get
ting railway constructed.
To my great surprise / found after
being In Springfield short time that
the Governor of the State-Governor
French--a Democrat, was afraid the
construction Of a railroad so near the
Illinois and Michigan Canal would ruin
the business of the canal which had
just commenced business from Chicago
to La Sale. Also some of the men who
imagined themselves the main lights or
pillars upon whose shoulders the State
was resting were also much afraid of
consequences. There was no expecta-
tion at that time that there would ever
be many railroads made in this state.
The State was, in 1851. very poor from
the effects of borrowing $4,000, 600 at
10 per cent. interest i'm 1885,
Ninan w. Edwards, son of one OF the
early Governors Of the State and an old
resident of Springfield. was member of
the House and had considerable infiu-
ence. ] finally succeeded in getting him
TO say in the House of Representatives
that he had concluded that the railroad
we wanted would do more good than
harm to the State. My room in the
hotel was opposite to the room occupied
by Judge Breese. who was Speaker OF
the House. I was young and made II
convenient to do almost anything the
Speaker wanted. / got into his good
graces so far as to get very valuable
assistance from him in an official ca
pacity.
There was no difficulty in getting our
bilI through the Senate. Friends of the
bin on that side were much more nu-
merous in proportion and more expert
enced. Four or Ave weeks of session
had elapsed before the bill was passed
in the Senate.
Previous to leaving the hotel for an
afternoon session went to Judge
Breese's room and said to him: "I am
hero for the purpose of getting a char
ter for a railroad from Rock Island TO
Chicago. I have no other business here.
was elected for that very purpose, and
unless succeed am ruined"
when he raped for order after dinner
at the afternoon session ] should make
the necessary motion. This was done.
The Speaker ordered the clerk TO take
up Senate bill (our railroad bilD and
read II by the title. which was done and
II was referred to the proper committee.
This insured the passage of the bill be-
fore the end OF the session.
1T seems very strange now that there
should have been any difficulty at that
time in getting railroad charter. No
railroad charter gould pass that session
unless It terminated at Chicago or AL
ten. These two places had influence
enough then TO prevent the passage of
any charter proposed that did not name
one of these places for a terminus. The
Illinois Central Railway was chartered
at that session. There was strong oppo-
sition TO granting that charter from
vouthern members. The Chicago and
Alton charter passed at that session and
the Chicago and Galena
| came home well satisfied with that
six weeks work II was about the mid
die of February when came home.
About the middle of April. 1851. in COM
pany with Charles Atkinson. Judge Grant
and Eb Cook Of Davenport, went TO
Peoria to organize the company. We
were all directors at tha. time. Mr..
Farnam then entered into contract to
build the road. and finished II in less
than three years. went to Rock Island
on the 22d OF February. 1854. to a sup
per and celebration of its completion. IL
has since been extended 10 Council
Bluffs and is now known as the c.. r. ].
& p. Railroad. Railways have since
been made all over the state. The great
debt contracted In the winter Of 1867
has long since been paid and the state
is now almost the equal of any In the
Union.