Rensselaer Standard, Volume 1, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 July 1879 — RAILROAD LETTER. [ARTICLE]

RAILROAD LETTER.

The following letter from Fort Wayne to the Rochester Sentinel is a reply to the article headed “A new railroad scheme,’’ which was published in tlint paper week before last and copied in Tuk Standa&o last weekFc.r.x Waynk, July t 4, 1879. Editor Rochester Sentinel:—While in the main, obliged to you for tho matter of your editorial in last Satntday’s paper, entitled ‘‘A new railroad scheme,’’ l feel it to be due to ihe citizens of Fort Wayne, that they should be set right in some matters about which you seen* to misunderstand them. They h'ave not been, as you say, hitherto indifferent about railroad connection with tl:e r:ch district or country west of us, between tlie Wabash river and the P.. Ft. W. &C. railroad. On Ihe contrury, they were mainly, instrumental in causing a line to be surveyed on the route as far west as Rochester, inoiv than twenty years ago. At the time of that survey, however, railroad building was a very formidable thing. A capital «'f not less titan three! millions of dollars being then deemed requisite for building a* 1 road of the standard gunge across the state, as ngaiost about one-tenth of that amount for a narrow gauge road across it at present. Nor, bus this grea't difference in cost of construvtiojn aud equipment been the only cheek upon tho wish of our people to build this road? Unfortunately for them, they some years ago took upon themselves the whole burden of railroad building in Allen county, ami to-day bear a burden of more than $490,000 of city debt contracted lor railroad bitilding in the county, and while the county at large collected an aggregate railroad, tax of $27,762.68 in 1878, the city realised but $-3,488.94 from the same service, while of tlnV Inst named sum only -$300.35 was derived from the four roads tor which her large bonded-debt of $100,00(1had bean contracted. tinder these ciroutnstances it ii Doit strange that-our city should be a little slow ivh-’Ut entering upon further enterprises tor railroad building. In fact, it may he assumed that she will not further burden herself for tho benefit of the county at large. Even if our city bail been wilting to go further, it would probably have been unavailing, ns a further material Increase of her debt, would probably have so depreciated her bonds as to make them hardly saleable.

There is, however, reason to believe lliat while our city c.\n do nothing tiiorp for railroad building, the county may be relied on for doing what may be required for fbe 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 Illinois line; one to Terre Haute; and one to South Bond, would be nbout; $5,000 each for the nineteen townships outside of Wayne, while the balance of the amount would fall upon tho 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. According to the law passed by the late Legislature, persons convicted of crimes and sentenced to imprisonment in the county jail for punishment or for non-pnyment of fines or costs, may be kept at labor in such a manner as th» board of commissioners may deem best. The board of commissioners may require all able bodied male persons imprisoned or held as aforesaid to be put at labor upon the public wharfs, streets, alleys, or other ( thorpughfarcs in any town or city in such county, or upon any public road or highway therein, or.upon any other works or improvements for tbo public good or benefit.— [Warsaw Republican. Senator Winterbotham's prospects for being Governor of this great commonwealth, and his prospects for being struck by lightning on a clear day, are about tne same. —[l'eru Herald.

Large numbers of live cattD, horses and sheep' are now being exported from the Un_ ited States. When we get to exporting asses there will be innumerable sad partings in the fiat-money districts.—[lndianapolis Journal. Senator Yoorhees will spend his vacation in hunting for that “terrible financial crash” which was to have taken place if the resumption act was not repealed. It is probably lost among the wheat shocks.—[lndianapolis Journal. An advance in wheat took place last week. The prospects are splendid for this country. The increase exports -over imports for this year is estimated at $209,600,000. A few years of this would leave but a small balance of national debt.—[Lowell Enterprise. Senator Yoorhees has been convinced that troops were not used at the polls in Indianapolis in 1864, notwithstanding all he said to that effect in the Senate during that special session. In his speech at Terre Haute Saturday nh'ht he said: “There had crept into the of this country enactments whereby the executive could, without stint or hfhdCrance, use the army of the United States to control the elections of this country. that it has been done to any large extent—to no extent in our portion of the country, to some extent in jther portions’ not generally.” That is—ah—well, hardly ever.—[lndianapolis Journal. Has anybody seen or heard of Dr. De La Matyr, the member of congress from this district? Any information concernimg him will be ihutikfully received at this office. As this is his first and last term in congress, his admiring constituents want to keep track of him,' as it were. Although in a political senso he is a thing of beauty, they do not expect to enjoy him forever.—[lndianapolis Journal. [Later.] rj The Journal’s inquiries after tho Rev. Hon. Dr. De Lt» Matyr 1 * whereabouts have elicited some information, but we regret to say it is not ns definite as could he wished. A correspondent yesterday said he wus left-" uring iu Maine on the science of niukifig money. Now conies the Lima Recorder, published at Lima, New York, and says: “Hon. Gilber t De La Matyr, IvT. (J., of Indiana, and a former residence of Wyoming County, is addressing the soft-mom-y men in Wyoming aud Allegany.’! We incline to' think the latter information correct. At least it shows that the gentleman has been alive within a short time, and removjes the dreadful suspicion that he has been put out of the way by the “money power’-.—[lndi-anapolis Journal.