Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1855-04-19
Report of the President and Directors

report:
When the present Directory, who were
elected on the Sd day Of April, 1854, assum-
ed the duties devolving on them, they found
that the predecessors who had come into Of
flee with the first organization Of the Board
on the llth day of June, 1853, had caused
TO be made most Of the surveys deemed ne
cessary for proper location, and that va
rous Intellectual efforts had been made by
them, to close satisfactory contract for the
construction Of the road. These efforts
were at once renewed by the present Direc
tory, and on the 18th day Of May, 1894,
was made the now existing contract, with
Messrs. Sanger, Stewart and Truesdail, for
"grubbing, clearing, grading, masonry,
bridging, trestle work, furnishing cross-ties
track laying and fencing, and all the work
necessary TO complete the road bed and SUI
perstructure" of the road FROM the city Of
St. Louis to the point of intersection with
the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, dis
lance of one hundred and siXty-seven and
a half miles. The whole work is contract
ed for by items, each having Its specific
price annexed and ogreed upon. By the
items of the contract The work is to be COM
pleted from ST. Louis to St. Charles by the
lNl day of May, 1856, and TO the above
mentioned terminus limited in their under
taking, by the first day Of September, 1856.
Payment is 10 be made as the work progress
es for the work actually done and the mate
rial furnished. .......
The contractors compensation is 10 he APP
propriated out Of the means Of the company
as follows: $l,500,000 Of the bonds OF the
State OF Missouri; 1915, 900 Of the bonds Of
the city of st. Louis; $4,000 Of the bonds
Of the county Of St. Louis; $4,000 cash;
$780, 600 capital stock of the company; and
the remainder in bonds OF North Missouri
Railroad Company, having twenty years 10
run, bearing interest at the rate Of seven
per cent, payable semi-annually in the city
of New York, and convertible within FIVE
years from the date of the issue into stock
of the company at the option of the holders,
oil Of these bonds, whether Of the city,
county. State or company, are 10 be taken at
par valuation.
The company has 10 furnish the iron for
the track Of the road, and the rolling stock
to equip it---erect the machine shops and de-
pots, and purchase the grounds necessary
for them and for the right Of way.
The machine shops will be located on
lands purchased of Messrs. O'Fallon, Ken
nett, and How, for that purpose, immedi-
ately east Of the Bellefontaine Cemetery.
The depot for the city of ST. Louis will be
situated on block No. 29S, fronting on
| North Market and second streets.
The titles for the right of way from St.
Louis to st. Charles have, with few excep.
tions, been perfected i'll the company. With
all the prudence and care it was possible 10
exercise, the company has in some instances
been compelled 10 submit TO eXorbiant and
unjust exactions at the hands Of the men
who seemed actuated by TO other feeling
than that having the power to obtain DANA
ges, they must have the utmost iarlhing that
could be extorted, although they well knew
either that they were not injured at all, or
TINT the Ienefits 10 be derived would far ex-
coed the injury to be sustained by them
We are happy to say, however, that these
cases were but few, and confined chiefly to
proprietors within the vicinity Of ST. Louis.
Our land agent, Edw'd A. Lewis, Esq,
is now engaged in obtaining the right Of way
and perfecting the land titles ofthe company
through st. Charles county, and will, as soon
as he has completed the work in that coun-
ty, continue his labors through the counties
successfully along the line OF the road 10 the
northern boundary OF the State. When the
time arrived for finally locating the road
there existed among the Directors diver,
sity of opinion as to which of the three prin.
cipal routes examined should be adopted
o,l ,,,h; Ok, cIp ba yIrlr
maps, submitted by the Chief Engineer
marked as the "Direct." Central" and Ridgt
routes
The direct route for many reasons seemed
to be the most desirable, being, as compared
with the ridge route, twenty eight and ;
half miles shorter, and costing $408,0Ot
less, and, as compared with the Central rout,
being fifteen miles shorter and costing !
lS6, 900 less. But the adoption of this rout
upon full examination and careful delibera
, ton, was considered totally unauthorized b!
the charter, which required that the roa
should be SO located as to pass "as near a
practicable, or as may be, along the divi
ding ridge or plain Of country, which sepa
rates tho tributaries Of the Mississippi an
Missouri rivers, TO the northern boundar
line Of the Slale," as between the other tw
the Central was found 10 be thirteen and
E half miles shorter and would cost abou
. $77S.O0 more than the ridge route. l
. consideration Of the great advantages Away
derived from shortness and dircctness j
railroads, the Central route was adopted
: This was deemed by a majority of the direc
tory to DO in substantial compliance with til
a charter. But in short time after the &C
ton was Ind, the Governor Of the State Wis
tied ST. Louis and attended a meeting of III
Board of Directors, specially convened
i confer with him. On that occasion, his e.
cellency informed the board that the locatiO
> in his opinion, did not comply with the char
: ter, and that consequently, he would te
& compelled to withhold the credit of the Stat
n from the road as located. He though
n however, that the location as far as the tow
a of Mexico, in Audran county, was consi'
tent with the terms Of the charter. Upc
e This decision Of the Governor being mad