Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 July 1879 — RAILROAD LETTER. [ARTICLE]

RAILROAD LETTER.

The following letter from Fort Wayne to the Rochester Sentinel is a reply to the article hen<l< (l -‘A new railroad scheme,” which was published in that paper week before last and copied in Thk Stani>ari> last weekFort Watnb, July 14, 1879. F,ditor Rochester Sentinel:—While in the main, obliged to you for the matter of your editorial in last Saturday’s paper, entitled ‘‘A new railroad scheme,’’ I feel it to be due to the citizens of Fort Wayne, that they should be set right in some matters about which yon seem to misnt derstand them. They have not been, as you say, hitherto indifferent about railroad connection with the rich district or country west of us, between the Wabash river and the P., Ft. W. &C. railroad. On the contrary, they were mainly instrumental in causing a line to be surveyed on the route as far west as Rochester, more than twemy years ag». At the time es that survey, however, railroad building was a very formidable thing. A capital of not less than three millions of dollars being then deemed requisite for building a road of the standard guage across the state, as against about one-tenth of that amount for a narrow gauge road across it at present. Nor, has this great difference in cost of construction and equipment been the only check upon, the wish of our people to build this road? Unfortunately for them, they some years ago took upon t.hcmsclves : the whole burden of railroad building in Allen county, and to-day bear a burden of more than $400,000 of city debt contracted for railroad building in the county, and while the county at large collected an aggregate railroad tax of $27,762.68 in 1878, the city realized but $5,483.94 from the same service, whilo of this last named Hum only $360.85 was derived from the four roads lor which her large bonded debt of s4oo,ooohad been contracted. Under these circumstances it is not strange that our city should be a little slow about entering upon further eitterprises for railroad building. In fact, it may be assumed that she will not further burden herself tor the benefit of the eotmty at large. Even if our city had been willing to go farther, it would probably have been unavailing, as a further material increase of her debt, would probably have so depreciated her bunds as to make them hardly saleable. There is, however, reason to believe that '♦'bile fair city cut do nothing more for railroad building, the county may be relied on 1

for doing what may be required for the construction of the road west, through Rochester to the state line. A county vote for a subsidy of $200,000 in aid of three new roads, viz; one through Rochester to the Tllinois line; one to Terre Haute; end one to South Bend, would be abont $5,000 each for the nineteen townships outside of Wayne, while the balance of the anvount would fall upon the city and Wayne township, and such a vote there is strong reason for believing could be secured for the three roads above named. Very respectfully,

Wm. A. JONES.