Taxpayers' letter to the citizens of Milwaukee, April 23, 1857

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We see, by the Madison and Janesville papers, that they are congratulating themselves upon the results that are to flow from the recent arrangement between the Milwaukee & Mississippi and the Chicago, St Paul & Fond du Lac Railroads. They have some reason to do so, but every blow aimed at Milwaukee, that really does affect us, injures the State at large. We can pereeive, as readily as they do, that the con¬ sequences flowing from this connection may prove disastrous; but will Milwaukee sit a quiet spectator, and do nothing to maintain her favorable position arid prospects? If our present Railroad facilities lead¬ ing West are not sufficient to compete with other routes, we must make them so. If our present road is too long, we must have one shorten. The distance from Milwaukee to the Mississippi, is less than it is from Chicago, and there is no reason why we should riot get there as directly and expeditidrisly as they do. But the truth is, we need a little more energy. We have awaited patiently the completion of the M. & M. R. Road, and now we awake to the fact that, so far as local benefit to Milwaukee is concerned, it is a failure. In these days of go-ahead-itiveness short roads are the ones most needed, and the ones we must have. With well managed roads, constructed on the shortest lines, we can compete favorably with Chicago for the Mississippi trade, even without the Grand Haven route.
When the N. Y. Central Company awoke to the fact that the Erie Road was going to compete success¬ fully with them, because that road was a few miles the shortest, instead of saying to themselves, " Our road is paying well now, and we are contented," they determined to shorten their line, and again turn the tide of travel by way of Albany to New York. Such men as Erastus Corning and Dean Richmond assumed the control, and constructed the " Straight Cut" from Rochester to Syracuse, shortening the distance nearly twenty-five miles.
Milwaukee must do the same. We have men as capable as they of managing such an eriterprize, and they must take hold of it. More than this, we must have a common interest with interior cities and localities. This is very important, and without it we not only lose the local trade, but drive the Eastern trade into other channels. Chicago has already constructed a road connecting her with Janesville, Beloit, and Madison; and will soon have a connection with Whitewater, Watertown and Fond du Lac; all of these connections divert trade from Milwaukee. It is true that we are connected with Madison, Janesville and Watertown by Rail Road; but with the exception of the latter, the route is long and circuitous.
The La Crosse Road, connecting us with Portage and the North-West, is very nearly direct, and when completed to the River, will undoubtedly draw a large share of the trade and travel destined to Northern Iowa and Minnesota,
But we need more than one road West, and we certainly have the foundation for as successful a system of Rail Roads, centering at Milwaukee, as has any Western city. By the completion of the Southern Wisconsin we have a straight and direct route to the Mississippi at Dubuque; with the completion of the