OUR RAILROADS AND SOME 



THINGS THEY HAVE DONE 



FOR THE COUNTRY. 



BY C. B. PARKER. 



With a certain class of would-be politi- 

 cians or guardians of the better interests 

 of the dear people, such pessimistic cries 

 as "the cruel monopoly of the railroads, 

 extortionate charges of fare and traffic, 

 railroad legislation, or favoritism of the 

 corporations by Congress and State legis- 

 latures, carrying or passing friends free 

 and charging their foes and the masses 

 fare," are often heard. Now there may 

 be much of truth in these charges, and the 

 writer is inclined to believe there is, for 

 railroads are born and operated by men, 

 and human nature being much the same 

 everywhere, we have selfishness as well as 

 generosity to contend with, and we believe 

 that one blessed with a happier optimistic 

 spirit can see in the railroads of our coun- 

 try the greatest boon given to man, and 

 not alone in the development of the coun- 

 try, but of manhood, morals, the schools, 

 churches, and all that makes life worth the 

 living. 



A PEW OBSERVATIONS AND PERSONAL 

 REMINESENCES. 



During the winter of 1844-45 it was our 

 fortune (or otherwise) to make the journey 

 from Geneseo, N. Y. , to the then far west 

 delphi, Indiana, via Erie. Cleveland. Toledo 

 and Fort Wayne. These were the good 

 old days of prehistoric railroads. Our 

 modus was a team and wagon; time re- 

 quired, 30 days, suffering and discomfort 

 non-computable. Then our parents found 

 very cheap land there worth $3 and $5 to 

 $10 per acre. Years later the railroads 

 came, and twenty-five years ago those 



lands were worth $50 to $100 per acre- 

 Later, during the '60's, it was the writ- 

 er's mission to make the journey from 

 Otflaha, Neb., to Portland, Ore.; again in 

 advance of railroads this required six 

 months time, and not an acre of the land 

 passed over was considered worth the tak- 

 ing as a free gift from government, and 

 the roaming bands of wild Indians were 

 chasing the countless millions of no wilder 

 buffalo to the delight of the miserable 

 cyote, that flourished on the slain or crip- 

 pled buffalo, as would the politician crying 

 railroad monopoly off the corporations, 

 could he. 



Later the railroads followed our pioneer 

 wagon trail, and now the tourist or emi- 

 grant can make the trip in palace cars in 

 three days, for $30, and see fine towns and 

 cities all along the way, and as fine farms 

 as are in Ohio, Illinois, or New York, and 

 worth $30 to $100 per acre. And Nebraska 

 forty, years ago only a "howling desert" 

 territory, is to-day the leading. State of 

 the Union, as to railroads, schools and 

 churches, and ranks as No. 1 in lowest 

 percentage of illiteracy of any State in the 

 Union. 



While it is true the Northern Pacific 

 Co. first broke Nebraska's virgin soil for 

 railroad purposes, to the B. & M. or exten- 

 sion of the C. B. & Q. must be given the 

 credit as the great industrial as well as 

 moral reform promoter of the great West. 

 If asked how as to moral reform, we an- 

 swer, in building and causing to. be built 

 more towns, schools and churches than all 

 other causes; by giving employment to 

 more brainy young men and developing 

 them into financial and industrial giants. 

 Along this line the railroads have done 



