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Shall The Toledo, Ann Arbor & Northern Railroad Be Built?

Shall The Toledo, Ann Arbor & Northern Railroad Be Built? image
Parent Issue
Day
17
Month
June
Year
1870
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The iiilial.itaiits of southeastern Michigan and ofthe ndjaccnt part of Oliio have for somc years bvtn anxlotu to open u iVe and direct rallrood communleatlon bet ween Toledo and the lamber country of Northr ern Michigan. The lamber business of the Öagliiaw Valley, whlch s Uout all that has as vel reached Toledo, has bvru consldered sufficient to warrant the constrnctfon o[ different railroads from Toledo in that dlrectlon. The need of snch a road stimuInted the orgainzation of "The Toledo, Ann Arbor & Saglnaw Railroad Co." a few years a go. Two roads have been put in operatlon fi-om Toledo northerly to the Michigan Central Rallroad, one to Detroit and one to Jackson, and large suins have been expended, and praisuworthy cxertions deserving better success have been made lo construct different railroads to conuect ivith the Plint & Pcre Marquetle Railroad at Ilolly, over routes attbrding little proniIse of localbusiness. The deTelopment o the capaclties, business, and intcrests of the country have every year showu the increascd want of such a comniujuication, and the prospect of the speedy construction of the Nortbern Paclflc Uailroad and its extensión to the Straits of Mackinaw through the Lake Superior iron and ooppei country, plalnly Indlctte to any observing person, that the most direct continiious good railroad route from the Stráks to Toledo will bc w Important link in the Northern Pacific Railroad, and it will also connect wlth all other railroads leadltag to vhe Pacific coast - and if such road can also draw its Bhare of the business of the Saginaw Valley, the BOperlorlty of such route, over any other road running north and soiith in thls State, will be apparent at once. In thls connectlon, the statement that tho distance from Saginawto New York wlll, by the T., A. A. & N. R. R. when built, be somc seventy miles less by Toledo than it is now by any olher railroad route, will asslst in showing the advantages oStrcd by this route. In view of these fucts, and to mafce the beueöt9 of such a road available to the greatest extent, the city of Toledo and the teadlng railroad companies in Ohio have combined to construct a trunk railroad lor thcir common benertt from Lexington, 01 the Bsltlmore & Ohio Ballroad, nine miles soutlnvest of Mansfleld, directly through Toledo to the Michiga,u State line; aud, in mftUng the cóntracts for the construction t'.iereof, require Conant & Ca, the contruc tors, to continue the road tbrough Ann Aibar, Ovvosso, and Uig Rapids to Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Manistcc River, and to construct it to Ann Arbor as sóon as $350,000 atock shall be subscrib cd aloug the route for that purpose, and to construct it northerly to Owosso, anrl thence on to Hanlstue as fait as sufricient stock is Bubscrlbed along the route to grade, bridge, and tie the road. The trunk railroad wiil foo extended southeasterly from Lexington to sorae polnt on the Ohio Rlyer, and it is expected that it will extend or be favorably conneeted wlth roadí reaching southeasterly to Charleston, S. C, and counect wlth all the important roads of the south. It wül, In Ohio, pass through the best bituminous coal fieldsin the United States, where coal of the vcry best quality will be dellvered on board the cars at one dollar per ton or less. Somc idea of the comparativo cheapuess of coal can be inferred írom the íact that the B. c O. R. R. olfer to furnish the N. Y. C. R. R. Co. the ooal to opérate the N. Y. C. R. R. at such a rate as to cause a saving of over one million of alone. The distance ."rom the State Une to Ann Albor, by Diindce, is over forty miles, and the Inequalltles ofthe ground must neceasarily iucivase the length ofthe road, but the route is very favorable for the easy con ■trnctlon of the road, the brldgea not cxpensiveand it is belleved that the 250.000 will grade, bridge, and tic the road from the State line to Ann Arbor. The compauy, "Conant & Co.," is composed o. wealihy easteru capitalists, and Ís an able and experlenced railroad contractIng company, wlth all the facilities for constructing railroads rapidly and wdl, and a well eanu'd honorable veputation, and ín tliis enlerprise tlu-y are f.klcd by the leadng raüroads In Ohio, lor whose benefit the road is intended. The coinpany take, and procure to !c taken, the additional stock necessary to construct, tquip, and opérate the road, and to make the bonds whlch the road niay issue desirablc in market, and their roHitation and arrangements and connections wlthan extensive association of heavy boud anct stock brokers, oiable them to dispose of the bonds and stock of tbelr railroads, and obtain )uoney on much more faor.ible terms than other, and espccially ncw companies not having such connections and arrangements. Thcy will immediately organize a Railroad Company from the State line to the mouth of the Manlstee uiuler the laws of Michigan, with whlch the Toledo, Ann Arbor & Northern R. R. Co., will be oonsolidated on fir and equitable terms, the stockholders in each having thcir equitable nmount of stock in the Consolidated company, and as soon as upon ft proper examinatiou of the diflerent routes Southeast of Lexington, they have selected. the route best calculated to acconunodate the i ent railroads with whlch it will connect, and promote the general business interests ofthe whole route, the Ohio Company will ' be organlzed onder the Ohio lavvs, and all previous organlzatlons ofcompaniestoconStmct parts of that road, be consol ulateil in tliat compuny, aiul then t]ie organisations in HIohlgftQ a mi Ohlo will both be cquitab!y Consolidated as a unit in interest, uuder ihi' same nanie and direction, the stoekholdcrs in the sevcral different organi.ations each lmving his equitable sliare of the stock of tlie Consolidated long road. The leading object of the organization of all the different eompanles so to be consolida ted, was to connect at Owosso wiih the J., L. & S. H. K. and completo tliat road to tlio Straits of Maclynaw, in timo to meet and connect vith íhe Northern Paclflc. The J. L. s'. R. R. does and will pass Dear most of the saw milis and galt #Olka i n thc Saglnaw Vallcy, and transpon most of tlic lamber and salt taken away by rail. The contemplated road from Owosso to Manletee will pass through the best and most extensivo pine región in Jtlchlgan - a portion of the State chiefly depeudent upon tlils rallroad for an outlet. No existing or contemplated rallroad in Michigan lias a better prospect of business than this rallroad between Owosso and Toledo, or more or better connectlons to furnish it business. It will open a free, direct and unrestrlcted rallroad commnnlcatlon between Northern Michigan and Toledo, and all tlio country south and east of Toledo, aflording the greatest facilltlcs for thetjnick, easy and chcap distribution and exchane of all the prnductioifii of tho north, throughout the soulh and east, in return for whatcver Michigan can use or transport from the j oast or sou til. It Is generally well understood that a 1 lyng Una of railroad, opcratcd for thc al gooi) of the whole route, can be so mnna (1, niuch more profltably, botli for.the rail oad companlea and the pobtic, tlian when llflterent parte are m&noged and run as eparate dlstfnct divtslooa and Interest, nul tlie business and management kamper■d by the narrow viws or Illlberal poliey ji' jciilousies of nctghbortog raltaroadfl or !accx - and more especlally where bulk nust be Iji'okcn in exchanglng fri ' Vom ono line or roiul to another. The ar raDgemcnt ny whlch dinirunt Oblo rsUroacte .lid in the constructiou and opcratiou of a trunk road through Ohio, aml nexten(1ing tlie road through Mlcblgan for tUelr comiiidu benefit, Becure to eacli stockholder, ns wcll as to the coHiiectiog roads and tlie public, the benefit of such cconomical management and pollcy; and In, all haman probability the stock of thls railroact, vciien ( fully in operation to Owosso, wlll be as ( profltable to the stockhoklers as that of any road in Mtlchlgan or Oliio, aside from all ' the local benefit aceruing to the country alone tlic route frora the construction of ] such a roacl. Subscriptions to this railroad should not ' bc considcred as donations, but the best Und of iiivestineiits. The inhabitauts along the prnposcd line of the T., A. A. i: N. R. R. never have had, and probably wil] never ágata have, a matter of so mnch interest to tliem subinitted to their consideration and decisión. TlicM. O. and S. K. R's. wcre never at all dependant for thelr location or construetion upon the actlon or aid of tlie inhabitants along their routes. Hut nou1 tliosc iiiterested in this road must themselvfis qolekly determine, bysubscribing or refusiiiK to lake tlie $250,000 stock required to secure the construclion of thcroud to Aun Albor, wbether they by taking this amotint of good paylog stock Wlll also secure a benefit many times greater, to continue and improve through all future time - or by a not "penny-wise" but surely "pound-foolish" policy, forever preelude themselves from the possibility ofthe benefit of such, a railroad - for it this best route which is best able to subscribe for it neglects this opportunity, some othcr less favorable route vvill have it with its altendant advautages, and this route wlll not only lack the bencflts t Tnight have had, but deserve tlie chagrín to be caused by seeiug lts prgsent advantages drawn away to the more deservlng and more iavored route. In taking tliis stock wc do uot run the risk of haring it swamped in a speculation which we cauuot carry throngh, uorof hav. ing it BWallowed up by mortg&ge, nor h.iving to look and vvaitior some eompany to iroa our road or indorse our bonds upon humiliating terms. The merits of our route are iinderstoo.'l, an4 like i Pire Iusura,uce (Jo., insuring threc fourths tUevaluc of qoj property, a powcrful association of greut corporations proposes to us to insure tlic constructiou of our railroad ïf we Wlll take a quarter interest in the risk so that Qur interests wlll lie iu tlic same direction ; tliat is, take and feel some interest in the success of wliat is to be of vastly more iinportance to us than to them. Uere too, we see and appreclate tlie advuntage of baring the oklest, ablet, and most successful niiluoad managers interestod heavily as stocks holders with us, where their stock and means must share the toto of ours. Their Interest and experlence wlll prevent tlieir permitf(it? any lraprudent management, or allowing their own interest to be jcopardizcd or sacrlflced. 'J'lie Balttmore & Odio R. R. Co., has Inrestéd over twenty-two miilion of dollars of its earnings in extending its connectious, which is a guaranty of the prudence of its managers, and that s one of the leadlng interests in this road, and Iho Wfloltliv muniunliia ,.-ill bI l-„.„ „11 ea. rnose companles wlll con tribu te tlieir ahility and united expevience tovrard the directian, ad though a new road, talg road wlll lx? gnided by experienoea heads that wil) keep In view the object of its organlzfttlon and imiie to promote it. Thaddeus stevens preferred bnrial Ia an obscure burying ground, rather than in either of the two beaatlfnl cemeteries in Lancaster, in both of which he owned lots, because colored people sould not be buried there ; and over liis grave in lys obscure resting place is a pla'.u niarble with his own inscription, "I lic here bjecanse the oarth is fVoe to all. ThacKieus Stevens - J-'-t: And wfaat of all tliat ? Didn't the same Tiiaddecs Stevens, living, prcfcr a colored mistress to honorable matrinnny and a white wife ? Isn't it about timo to ceasc stirring tip the iaemor3' of a man who was a long way fiom boing a model, notwithstanding his great show of love for the negro ? ■ 1 ■ i The dailies having got the stp.rt of us and exhausted the cyciopediaa in sketching the life of the late Charles Dickkxí, we content ourself with eivino the brief tel egrams announcing his doath, with a brief notice of his life, copied from tho N. Y. Post. Women are decidedly at a efiseount in Vermont. But one solitary member of the Constilutiooal Convention had the pluok to vote for the propoeed woman suffrage nmendirent, whilb 231 hardhearted male wretches voted in keepine bor limbs fettered with the chain of slavery. Can such a tb ing be ? Poor, unfortunato Spain. Her Cortes can't find a king, or rather her "government" can't find a king that the Cortes wil] accept. We commend to Gen. Pri.m either Zack Chandler or Oen. Butler. The Hon. Jakis KtHGSlBT, Representativo in the Legislature from this listrict, is now rusticating in Paola, Kansas. We aro not advised ns to vhether or no he will respond to the proclamation of Gov. Baldwin. i

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus