Year: 1869

| The meeting held IN this city last eaeut "a }
of which report will be found In another
column-may be considered the first step 70


ward getting railroad communication between


Tnolumne County and the outside worid.
lSuch communication is the only thing capa'
BILE of restoring business prosperity to the
county. and we are glad to perceive that o


great majority of our citizens are alive to the


fact. In previous hunters OF our paper the


benefits to be derived from railroad and the
resources available for the support of rail-
road have been, to great extent, enumerat-
ed and discussed In addition to what has
already been said on the subject, We will add:
If railroad were built to Sonora, that hith-
erto poor investment, the Sonora and Mono
road, would become source of great profit to
port, Aurora, Ovens Valley, Castle Peak and
other localities on the eastern slope of the
Sierras, what Stockton now is to Sonora and
other parts of the southern mines. There
would be more travel on the Sonora and Mono
road than there now is on the Sonora and
Stockton road. During the not summer
months our mountains would be filed with
tourists; who would come to view our heauti-
ful scenery and inhale our pure and invigo-
rating mountain air. All the travel to the
Big Trees of Calaveras and to the Yo Semitic
Valley, would come through our county. So
nora as the mountain terminus of the road,
would become the depot for an immense ex
tent of country. A large portion of the freight
and travel from Calaveras County to Stockton
would come this way. In fine, it is almost
impossible to calculate the benefit which not
only Sonora and towns along the line, but the
country for at least width of thirty miles on
each side of the road would derive from it.


The great question now is: Will our peo-
pie put forth all their energies, in well di
rected ifort,-build the road, and with it
build their own material prosperity, or will
they confine themselves to mere talk? 1t
would pay every man living anywhere near
the line Of the proposed road to give to the
enterprise half of the assessed value of his
property To illustrate we know of fire.
proof brick house with dwelling house attach
ed, in the best business part of Sonora, to
have changed hands few day ago at the
price of seven hundred dollars. 1t would
pay the purchaser to give at least $3.50 to aid
the construction of ralroad because, if a
railroad were built to Sonora, his property
would he worth ut least $4,000. And, as Mr..
Dorsey remarked in his speech at the railroad
meeting, let every man give toward the con-
struction Of railroad such sum as his means
will afford donate, not invest, it. Let no
one look for any direct profit from such dona-
ton, but let him seek his profit in the enhanc


ed value of his property. OF course the peo-
pie of this county are not able to build and
put in successful operation. railroad to the
Stanslaus county line; but they can grade
the road and then give the graded road to
any company that will lay the track and start
the iron horse to travelling on it. They can,
and we believe they will, do this. Nine
tenths of our bona fde citizens take an alb
sorbing interest in the enterprise. We have
heard of several well known citizens who have
offered to give sums ranging from $500 to
$1,000. Let the people of Taolumne give
long pull, a strong pull and pull all togeth-
er. and before the expiration of two years the
railroad will be an accomplished fact.