Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 November 1874 — THE RAILROAD. [ARTICLE]

THE RAILROAD.

The day and hour has now come when those who care to have the Chicago & South Atlantic railroad built to Rensselaer must makeyp their minds and let the company know just what subsidies they will give for that purpose. The day gone by for procrastination and evasive answers. The company is in earnest now, means business, and nothing else but practical, hard-pan business talk and actions will be heard or considered by them. The Chicago and South Atlantic railroad will be buffi, and “dars’will run on ft from Delphi through Jasper county to Chicago within twelve months. — This is determined upon by men who are interested and who have Comrmatrd( of ample means to perform the work. The building of this railroadis as certain as the completion of any other projected human enterpise. It is as certain, to all outwardlap*pearance as the finishing of the government buildings at Chicago, or the completion of the house you have already commenced to build for yourself. The company do not say “The road will be built, if the people will do their duty and donate liberally.” Its completion does no depend upon any such hazardous contingency. For years has the project been working up to its present shape of certain completion. It is an enormous undertaking, one of .national importance, and so great that it was necessary to subdivide it, and complete it by detail of short sections. Herein is shown the superior wisdom of the leading mind in this work, when compared with the projector of the Continental scheme. The latter was a brilliant scheme, but so stupendous in its proportions that private capital durst not undertake its construction; the Chicago & South Atlantic project is scarcely less important, Hs consolidated proportions but a trifle less collossal, yet by undertaking its construction link by link, and dividing these links into shorter sections where necessary or more convenient, it has not been impossible to find captheir means in this tremendous enterprise. It is not the intention of this article to dilate upon the importance of this work nor to enter upon the details of its magnitude, these are sutliciently indicated in an article from the Chicago Tribune, which is republishd elsewhere in these columns for the information of readers not already advised upon the subject; but our object is to call the attention of those persons who are interested in the welfare and future prosperity of Rensselaer to the ne cessity of immediate, prompt and decisive action. The question is not Can the road be built? neither is it Will it be built through Jasper county? these are settled affirmatively; but the interrogatory put by the company to each of you indiually is. Hate much will you pay us to . build our railroad through Rensselaer, j and put your town in direct communication with Chicago markets and only four j hours distant, within a year? They jdon’t ask what your neighbor will I give, or ought to give, or what ’ would be an equitable proportion : for this man or that one to pay, but I they want to know* what you indii vidually will pay them for the benefit their railroad will confer on your business, your property, your condition and your interests. f Already seventeen miles ,of the bed is finished at its northern extremity irPTllinois and Indiana, with ties delivered, ready for laying down the iron, which has been bought and will soon be on the ground, where ample force is ready to lay it down. The link from Delphi to Monticello-was let to con- ' tractors three weeks ago, and they are now at work on it. The link between Monticello and the Kankakee ! ruts was let last week, and its survey will be commenced from the Kankakee nej± Monday. Dr. Haymond, President of the company, has written to learn what the people will do about having the road built to'this point, and Col. Healey,‘one of the directors for Jasper county, went to Monticello yesterday to see him and arrange a plan to get a public expression on the subject Meanwhile talk over the matter with your iieighliors, and be ready with a prompt and direct answer to the i question, What will you give to! have thy Chicago Sb Atlantic rail- j roadTuUniy •w-iy of R ,'nsselaer ? '