The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-09-12
Railroad Meeting.

hzIifoad Meeting.
At meeting of the citizens of Platte |
county, No., and delegates from Law
renee and Delaware City. held at the Of
fee of Spratt and Merriman, in Platte
City, Mo-. on Saturday, Aug 10Th, DR.. Fl.
Is. Wallace was chosen chairman, and
Ethan Allen secretary.
Judge Spratt then made some remarks
explaining the object of TIE meeting, in
which ne stated that mistake had been
made in the notice-that the regular rail-
road meeting of the citizens of Platte and
Clinton counties was advertised to be held
there on the first Monday in September:
but, inasmuch as delegates had arrived
from Lawrence and Delaware, supposiDg
the general meeting to be to-day, the
citizens of the town had been invited IN |
for primary consultation, and he closed by
calling on some of the Lawrence delega-
ton to make suggestions.
Mr.. Smith, engineer OF the Delaware
and Lawrence road. responded, and pre-
sented profile of his survey so far as is
now completed.o within about FIVE miles
of Lawrence. He stated that the distance
would be from % TO so miles. Aout II
miles would be on level grade; six and
one-half miles would average from twen-
ty-eight to thirty feet to a mile; the
highest grade would be about sixty feet,
but only for short distance; that he
found the route very fayorable-far more
SO than he had anticipated-only two or
three curves would exceed three degrees,
and they would be four degrees His en-
gineers were now at work, and he would
have complete report prepared for the
next meeting.
DR.. Prentiss stated that there would be
no difficulty in building road from Del
aware TO Lawrence. The money could
and would be raised, and they wanted to
join in the enterprise with the citizens of
Platte county. 1t was the most practica-
bic route, and he thought funds could be
raised to build the road from Delaware to
Platte City, ten miles.
DIR. Harrington stated that Lawrence
was partial to the Delaware road, and
since Lawrence had notoriety for raising
money at the East, he believed they could
raise more for this road than any other.
The amount of freight received at Della
aware for the interior in the last two
months was about 1900 tons, and this was
all after the season of heavy spring freights
had passed.
VIM. Hutchinson stated that there were
controlling influences higher than money
there was one end that Western roads
were now seeking-onc object they were
feeling after, and that was the commerce
of Kansas, which would most naturally
concentrate in the Kansas valley. This
looked for an outlet towards the Hanni-
bal and St. Joseph road The road from
Lawrence to the Missouri river was the
easiest part of it, and it seemed that ma
ture had fixed the route through the val
ley of the Platte or of Smiths fork upon
the east. He had seen profile of the
survey from Grand River to Kansas City,
from which he judged that route to be
extremely uneven and expensive, with
tws tunnels; and it was evident nature
had favored the route via. Delaware.
The meeting then took conversation
al turn, when the following facts were
elected
That by Bertrude's survey it was but
six and one-haH miles from Platte CITY to
Leavenworth; that there were suspicious
that Leavenworth intended, provided the
road was built there, to either make that
the terminus, or to extend to Tecumseh
or Topeka rather than Lawrence; that
Lawrence would go for Delaware first, and
would influence more than Leavenworth;
that they would not promise more than
they could do, but would come to the
next meeting and report estimates of
grades, costs, &c, complete, aud what
they then said could be depended upon.
Delaware was the favorite route, and no
money for any other survey had been
raised in Lawrence. That, even if the
Leavenworth road was built, Delaware
would tap it at or near this point; that
the opposition shown to this route show
cd conclusiyely that it was the most prac-
ticable to the eastward; that it would cost
about 800 to complete survey from the
Missouri river to this place; and, on mo-
ton of Judge Spratt, committee of
three was raised to provide funds. &C., for
said survey, consisting of j. G. Spratt,
VIM. Dickey and Col John E. Pitts, who
will report at the next meeting.
On motion, committee of three was
appointed on each side of the river, to act
as Corresponding Gommitttee,to to prevent
further misunderstanding relative to
meetings. DIR. S. .B. PreDtiss of Law
renee, j. w. Penoyef of Delaware, Wm.
s. Yoke of Leavenwortb, WIN. NJ. Pax
ton of Platte City, Robert I. Mason of
Farley, and j. w. Ellington of Ridgelsy,
were chosen. Mr.. Ellington said he was
pledged to the Leavenworth road, there
fore declined serving, and CIV. Sayle was
supplied.
Col. Sayle moved an addition of three
members to the committee for the purpose
of appointing in other towns, when w.
II. Somers of Parkyille, Lewis Rammage
of Weston, and John L. Hewes of Platts-
burg, were added.
Judge Spratt then moved the addition
of Edmond NJ. Samucls of Liberty, which
was agreed to.
Being without business, the meeting
adjourned, to meet with the General
Convention at this place, ON the first
Monday of September.
II. B. WALLACE, Pres't.
ETHAN ALLEN, See,y.
r;.,, nox-.-..~S.x..