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A Country Developed by Railroads.It was morning—a beautiful morning, before u* stauds a beautiful grove of nu-biv old bireat king?, whose uewy IraVe* sparkle and glisten iu the iul*tv*uuiigbt, and \vhlt;*se tuassive bruiehes ring with sweet ecboea to the songs of morning birds.This grove is situated lu the midst ol u country s level, that every dlreeihui seems up hill, and Is ftirrouudod b a network of forms and road*. Ou every side the tinkling or bells, the lowing of herds; the stroke of hammer, ni. and anvil greet the ear With all the sounds peculiar to busy, and prosperous civilisation. Twenty-live years ago this c**un-try was, but little more than it swamp—a tcnglcu wildwood, whoso ground?, seldom or never saw the light, being cover-ta in cummer with the growth peculiar to swamps, and In winter with water from li inches to 6 feet deep.A few farms, scattered along LLe highest ridges, *uirounded by almost Impossible slo ighs, were cultivated by pale men, called, iu derision, **our swamp an-gcl,’’ but nhuse sallow faces uiure resembled the pale nations »f the tomb.Our little lowu—Sliest on—consisted of a single store hotue and dwelling. The nearest shipping point was Muirid, on the Mississippi, some 20 miles sway, and the roads were Impassable iu winter.In this condition the railroad found us iu 1861. Financially a dead conntiy, with one of the most unhealthy climates iu the United States; and with many physical uillk-ulliea to meet. Surely uo country could nave bccu ranch worse. Now, here, if any place, where the least change for better will be so plainly visible, is the place to observe the reul benefits of a railroad.At the lirst .diriek of the “irvii horse the sleeping energies of a gre«e country sprang into vigorous life; forests were felled, hfdltlinga reared, swainj* drained, and laud rose from the pitiful sum of 12 U, ceuLs, to 90 cents, $4, and even 830 to per acre. I’tmr men in a few years became Immensely rich, mud to-day, count their wealth by the hundred thousand. $ikesl»B, from a single store, and dwelling, became one of the must beautiful little towns iu south east Missouri, containing many line stores, two churches. a liao school, employ lug three leaches, ?tt*am mills, livery ruble*, barber and shoe shop*, warehouses, aid soon, ibrougUvut a list loo numerous to mention; aUo a flue little country paper, published by ay« nth of 20 Mamuers. who is a favorite w’uh the people, because of hi? tireless energy. The warehouse* %:,ip •PXi.UW bushels of corn, and 200.000 bush-ul» of whom, aumiaUy. Our county i? now one of the richest, und most Itirtueu-li.il in south cast Missouri, and U cr' ssed by two tranches «*f the Iron Mountain, aud Southern; ai.d alralt;*t every sUtiou has become a town or village.Xu further proof that this is the result of our railroad. It is only necessary to state, thnt this country had been partially settled for over 60 yevra, with little or u.lt; linprvcnient. wheu the railroad was built. The era of improvement, and progTts? U so plainly marked from that ’ time that no one liric thinks, for a mo-, meat, of di-puli ug the great and lastingbenciits of a railroad, not considering thegreatly improved facSIPlcs of |MMj*mal travel, which w ith your correspondent, is an imiHStuiit item, as that is aiioiit the ouly important g*»ods be has to ship.We, aiM reuicmlicr that tin* b*als wanted to take us fioiu Montgomery, flrant pariidi, to Shreveport, which the railr .ad did for $3.96, a difference of over 86.00,; aud si monopoly, and why prefer it to a railroad monopoly? The argument baaed 1 on railroad discrimination li weak. Tne proper remedv for tills evil is in appropriate legislation, aud not in a gen.-ral opposition to railroad-. A r.roug effort Ct^Mire laws regulating the railroad piSK are being made in the North aud t:mr liraul and VVluu |*arisLcs are rich In rcsocrces. Ut the railroad conic aud it w ill develop them, bringing Immigrants tor unoccupied 1 a ndiua uiarkec for Urn** vast phie for eats, «kkapcr groceries, cfo aper eoru. cheanpr ffwosportation.I^t a work fn^lir7railroad now, and light iuomUKdi«**lt;ime other lime.° W. K Wood.SikcsioiuMo-, Sepf. Gtb? 1888.
Newspaper Details
The Southern Sentinel
Winnfield, Louisiana, US
Fri, Sep 17, 1886
Page 5
Full Page
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Anonymous
TX, USA 01 Mar 2024
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