At that time the town had no railroad, but in anticipation of getting one quite a little boom was being worked up. They had a proposition from the U. & L. R. R., which offered, in consideration of a bonus of four thousand dollars per mile, to lay its rails to Logwater, and fifteen miles beyond, to a railroad town, on the other side.
To extend such aid would require $104,000.00, and it was proposed to raise this sum by issuing county bonds. A petition was circulated, asking for an election, at which the voters should decide whether or not such bonds should be issued. In a very short time sufficient signatures were procured to justify the call for an election, and it was almost a foregone conclusion that the bonds would be voted. The proposition of the company looked fair enough, the railroad would without doubt prove of great benefit to the county, and there had so far been very little opposition. Everyone in town seemed confident and jubilant.
The proclamation calling for the election was issued the very day our store was closed.
“Very well,” thought we, “you’ve had your innings; now we will try and have ours.” We immediately started in to defeat the bonds.
Did we succeed in doing it? Well, let the sequel tell.
During the week we traveled through the country—and didn’t we speak to every man we met? We drummed up audiences for evening meetings in the most convenient school house, where we showed up Logwater, its authorities and citizens in the clearest light.
On Saturdays we were in Logwater, and talking all day to the farmers who gathered around.
Curbstone oratory? Well, I should smile. We told them the railroad had offered to build to Logwater in consideration of city bonds alone (which was a fact), but that the citizens of that cut-throat place wanted to saddle the whole thing on the poor farmers, saving expense to themselves, though, in fact, the townspeople were the only ones who would be really benefitted.
To make a long story short, we exposed the whole thing from beginning to end, making it out as one of the most rotten and bare-faced efforts at robbery that had ever been conceived of or perpetrated on an intelligent community. We convinced the people of the rural districts that the scheme was not only a disgrace to the county, but a burning insult to each and every one of them, which could only be resented by voting on election day against the bonds.
As a side issue, we rang in how the merchants were robbing them, and as a convincing argument reminded them of our own experience. Because we were willing to give the people good goods at living prices, and for so much less than the monopolists at Logwater were in the habit of charging, they had forced us out of town by special license laws which were simply prohibitive.