The Kanzas news., 1857-07-25
The Railroad Meeting.

The Railroad meeting Lell at This place
on the els. inst, although not exactly such
a meeting as we Lad anticipated, was yet
more satisfactory than we had reason to be
lieve it would be. Information had been
received the evening previous that the diff
Guilty pending at Lawrence would prevent
tho attendance of the speakers and others
who were expected from that place, and it
was feared that the same cause would pre-
vent the attendance of those expected from
Topeka.
Early in the day the settlers began to
arrive and continued coming in until near
noon. During this time Mr.. John o. Wat
ties, of Aoneka, and w. A. Ella, of Hamp-
den arrived. At IL O'Clock the people as
sembled concluded that, as interested parties
and the ones on whose shoulders the build
ing of any railroads we should ever have
would fall, they would meet and discuss the
matter among themselves and find out the
state of their own minds on the subject
They accordingly organized by appointing
of seven on Resolutions and then adjourned
until after dinner. The Committee consisted
of Messrs. John o. Watles, Of Moneka, W.
a. Ella, of Hampden, P. B. Plumb, W. B.
Swisher. Abells, A. S. Frazer and Z. Stubbs.
Soon after the meeting adjourned, Col. c..
K. Holiday, President of the Topeka and
st. Joseph Railroad, and Prof. W. Oakley,
arrived from Topeka.
At p. N. the people again assembled.
Col. Holiday being called out spoke for
about an hour in a clear and forcible manner.
His speech was replete with sound and con-
vincing arguments and uncontrovertible
facts. He commenced by abiding to the
many national thoroughfares that must one
day be opened through Kauzas in various
dire, tions, the vast wealth which they
would bring in their train, and the mighty
influence their construction would have up
on the prosperity of the whole country
His remarks were. however, chiefly confined
to the Topeka and St. Joseph Railroad, its
important connections by way of the great
lakes to all the Eastern cities, and the i'm
portanee of its extension still farther MO the
heartof Kanzas. The speaker showed that
the main current of travel was along The
shores of these lakes, and tia there fore il
was most important that tie first Kanzas
Railroad should be built with view To con-
nect with this main avenue. TIE Topeka
and st. Joseph road, when completeI,
would bring us within few hours ri of
Chicago, and thence along the lakes to New
York. This roal woulI be but six,y-six
miles long, connecting at 81. joseph with
tie Hannibal and 81. Joseph road, which
~ouli De running in one years time. The
extension of the Topeka and S.. Joseph
road to Emporia would open vast region
OF country, rich in agricultural productions
and natural resources-the wealihiest por-
ton of kanzas. Il was, therefore, the
most important of all roads, and being short
would require less to build it than any other.
Vow was the time for the people Of Kanzas
10 commence agitating the subject of build
ing railroads. If they wished TO obtain grants
OF land to aid in their construction. In
short time the desirable lands will be oecu
pied and it would be impossible to obtain
the desired aid from Congress. The St.
Joseph people were interested in the con-
struction of this road into the center of
hanzas and their representatives in Con-
Sress stood pledged TO use their IIimosk in
haenee towards procuring the necessary do
nation of land to construct it. Our next
territorial Delegate would be Free State
ih'H ard his infuenee vo7ld 10 =, she earre