Rensselaer Union, Volume 1, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 December 1868 — Railroads. [ARTICLE]

Railroads.

Jasper county is subject to two remittaut, climatic ailments—ague and railroads. lii summer the ague rijjgns and is cured or alleviated by frequent doses of quinine and whisky. In the winter, tho railroad puts in an appearance (by attorney) and continues with more or less virulence until the summer brings .th« ague again. And ao 1t goes year in and scaSon round. The ague is an unpleasant disease, and quinine is bitter, but whisky is easy to take, so the natural law' of compensation maintains an equilibritun. The railroad only makes its appearance when winter sets in, and the blasts of old Boreas are tempered by the artificial heats engendered by tho railroad excitement, another wpnderfu| .NUS& Jif natural ooqipcnsation and equilibrium peculiar to this prairje country where wood is scarce and roads are bad. The past season has been unfavorable to the development of ague—tho summer was dry—the fall genial—whisky plenty and candidates thick —consequently a fierce attack of railroad Is anticipated this winter. Indeed, it has already made its appearance in a mild form. Seriously, what do we need of a railroad ? 'Tis true, ono would increase our facilities for communication with tho little, back, country towns of Chicago, Lafayette, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and New York,, but then so it would the dangers of travel (which everybody knows are great enough now) to say nothing of the accidents that might happen to live stock. Who has ever heard of an accident happening to any one patronizing the primitive locomotion running between Hensselier and Kemington, or between Rensselaer and Bradford, within the last fifteen years ? AA T ho in the last decade and a half past has heard of an ox or a hog being run over and killed by the hacks on either road ? Or who ever saw live stock of any kind scared out of a half year’s growth aud pounds upon pounds of fat and flpsii by tho shrill whistle of excited postmen? Then there, are no collisions of up trains mid down trains; no switches are left carelessly drawn by drunken tenders; no trains are thrown down sleep embankments by broken rails.

But it 13 said a railroad would enhance tlie value of property, increase, the population, and excite a healthy competition in trade. -.lust so. But would not increased value of property ihemtse the taxes ? Increased population would increase the necessity of improvements. Improvements cost money. Money is always a cash article and is always worth its value in the market. Who wants an i yfykHltaiw'when it WOtildtremand improvement ? and who wants improvements that require iqdney to make? Who asks for a competition in trade? Aiut everybody too poor to take advantage of it ? Wouldn’t the taxes be higher ? If there was a larger population wouldn’t we have to bujld larger scl ioo! houses.£ an d w onl dtr’t our present ones thus be wasted ? Then who wants a railroad ? a— - ■—The Chicago Tribune speaking of the fillibustering expeditions now being organized in New York, NewOrleans and Ciiicago, to in the revolution in Cuba, says: ‘‘The revolution against the Spanish Dominion has now- assumed a threatening aspect, and unless.t-he expeditions are pushed forward with dispatch, tlrrnTdependancc of the island will have been achieved and the American adventurers will have nothing to do but sit around Castle Moro sticking their thumbs. At all events, Chicago has got rid of Scores of her most troublesome inhabitants, and it is hoped that they will get to Cuba and remain there.” - i. —A freedman living near Atlanta Ga. v who had previously saved S3OO, rented seventy-five acres of land last March, and, by industriously .cultivating it, has raised a cotton crop worth $2,500. —Tn South Cai-frtbm colored farm laborers receive §IOO a year and their Board. ' —Win. Mentzncr, of Cincinnati, Cut his throat, on Fridtiy, but.'the' gash was sewed up in time to pre? vent a funeral. —At a Republican demonstration, in Guil ford, Conn., a <4erg¥man displayed the apt quotation: “Grant not the desire of the wicked.” —A. son of .Mrs. IL B. Stowe-on-joys the hospitalities of the New York'State Inebriate Asybun,-