The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1869-06-18
IMPORTASr LETTER FROM AR. JoY

We find in the Fort Scott Press an
important letter from Mr.. Joy 10 ms
agent, J. T. Cox, Esq, In regard to the.
outrages on the Neutral Lands. After
promising that sthe extremely liberal
and fair terms upon which the railroad
company proposed to sell the lands TO
the occupants of June last, have not
been met with the consideration and the
fairness to which they were entitled,
and III great. q very great number of
cases, those settlers are not now entl-
tied to any greater degree of conaldera-
ton than those who have come upon the
lands SINCE he says:
In these circumstances no one can be
surprised when he learns that from all
such, the propositions heretofore made.
aud which were made for the sake OF
pe8ce, are Withdrawn. The railway
company will not sell lands to such
men at half or quarter its value, TO be
paid for when treble value has been'giy-
en- to it BY the construction of the rail-
road through il. 1t will reserve its fsv-
Ors for its friends. for those who appre-
ciate its value, and aid it along, and not
for those who resist and attempt to de-
stroy, and this is written expressly that
all men may know the determination
! made. For the present therefore, no til
ties or contracts will be made. and they
fed that We are dealing with friends in
stead of enemies.
In regard to the building of the road
through the Neutral Lands, Mr.. JOY
says:
i'As to the construction of the rail-
road through these lands, which forces
are organized to resist, l will say that
we do not deem it to be a question of
vital Importance to the company-not
hal Is tn the naOnln
of the Neutral Lands. If the road is not
| built. we shall not be compelled to exc
pend the money which it will require to
build it, and we could well afford TO
wait.
All that section Of Kansas and Mis-
souri, around the Neutral Lands, is to
be blessed with the advantages of rail-
roads. Some of us who are engaged in
the construction Of this road, will aid in
building the road from Lawrence, south
through the adjoining counties of Neo-
sho and Labette, to the Indian country.
This and the roads approaching through
Missouri, though they will not touch
Crawford and Cherokee counties, will
give value to the whole section Of couu-
try, and if our object was land fpecu-
lation purely, we could not make money
as we'll as by waiting and holding the
title of our lands. We should be much
more than compensated in the greater
price they would bring.
That, however is not our sole, or even
our principal object. Weprefer to open
the country and settle, develop and im-
prove what is probably as beautiful
section as is to be found in the great
West. 1t will remain to be seen, wheth-
er the parties who prefer no progress
no roads-no improvemeuts-are able
TO. and can resist successfully, a work so
important and so advantageous to the
State, and especially that section Of it.
This. time will demonstrate. On this
point, however, we have ourselves, as
above stated. no such interest as have
those two counties; but we have duty
to them, assumed in the purchase of this
land, to carry the road to the south line
of the State.
It is our purpose to live fully up to
that duty, and discharge it with good
conscience.