The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-08-30

s,ock required was taken. The company
oroanized. and efforts Immediately com
meuced 10 get the road endowed with the
same franchises as the other branches.
The people are acquainted with this strug- |
gle. Suffice it to say that it failed, not for
the want of proper aud persistent efforts
on the part of the company. but because
Congress was aVerse to providing more
bonds for any purpose whatever. The
Legislature of 1866. through the efforts
Of the members from the Valley, gave to
to the company 1875. 900 of tie 100000
acres of internal improvement land which
belonged to the State. After strenuous
efforts the company secured from the
Atchisou, Topeka & Santa Fe Company a
release to the franchises belonging to them
lying along the Valley, and on the 26th
of July. 1856, they succeeded, by the
most persistent effort and UNITING euer-
gy. in obtaining a rich grant of lands
from Congress, making the total landed
franchises nearly 600. 600 ofacres. Sill
further efforts were made to get Govern
ment bonds Failing in this the company
asked the people for 81. 5000 in coun-
ty bonds. All the counties have respond
ed but two, by voting bonds by large
majorilies, and we have nc doubt but that
those two counties will do their duly.
This, in brief, is an imperfect history of
this struggle so far, and We repeat, con
sidering what i has had to contend with.
its uubounded success surprises Us. The
company had no money, and there was no
Influence back ng it tha. had money.
It was unk nown at Washington, and
none of our Co Dgressional delegation felt
very deep interest in its success. In
other portions of the State the company
was sneered at, and even at home it
sometimes met the "cold shoulder" But
they were not to be discouraged They
went forward. In less than tyo gears
from the time of as Incorporation. the Uu
ion Pacific Railway, Southern B ranch.
had tOO millions Of dollars north ot,frGn-
cAisesi Such thing is unprecedented
in the annals of Railroad building. And
batter than all, it had Eastern capital seek
ing investment in its construction.
The one feature of Ills whole transao-
ton that excl les the admiration of all,
and the especial comment of the contrac-
tors is the self sacrificing spirit shown by
the Board of Directors, not ouly u letting
this contract but from the commencement
of their connection with it. Is there a
case on record where Railroad company
gave up every cent of its rich franchises
for the benefit of the road? The con-
tractors expected to have to pay bonus,
but none was asked. II had been said
that the members of this company would
reserve to themselves a handsome thing.
But the sequel is that they not only asked
nothing for the franchises, but most oil
them charged nothing for their services
for two years. Col. Goss and others have
givhu almost their eotire time aud eusr-
gies to this work for two years, and yet
they preferred to throw every cent in the
scale TO insure the success of the enter
prise. The stockhol iers were not betray
ed in the confidence they reposed in their
Board of Directors. They have done
even more than they could have asked o.
them. They did not attempt to gouge
the enterprise or contractors by secur-
ing tracts of land or pay in any
shape. Their example is worthy to be
followed, and their self-sacrifcing devo
ton to the interests of the Valley should
be remembered as one of the Proudesl in.
cidents connected g7ith the history of the
Union Pacific Railway. Southern Branch