The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-06-25
Our Illinois Railroad.

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We find several items of particular
interest to o. people in the Shawnee
town Mercury. In the first place,
the managers of the St. Louis &
Shawneetown Railroad-of which
they claim the Evansville & Carmi
Road as a branch-are putting forth
herculean efforts to secure the imme-
date construction of a road from
Shawneetown to Madisonville, KY. IF
successfulin this, they are confident
of securing all the through travel be-
tween st. Louis and the central,
and southeastern Southern States,
and thus leave Evansville wholly de-
pendent on the LEGAL trade of her lit
tie branch road to tho Wabash, which
will not touch solitary town in its
entire length. Such, we say, seems to
be the programme Of the Illinois Di-
rectors of the Winslow Road. Wheth-
or it will prove successful or not will
depend very much upon the energy,
nerve and business tact of the Di-
tors Of our road.
The Mercaay admits that the citi-
Gems of Shawneetown watched the
railroad negotiations in our city last
week with intense anxiety, and are
CORRESPONDENCE gratifed at the re-
suits Of the same, for reasons set
forth in letter to the editor of that
paper from gentleman who was
present at the Conference, which we
copy from the Mercury as follows:
:" | have been to Evansville at the
special invitation of the Board Of Di-
rcctors of the Evansville, Carmi a.
Paducah Railroad Company, TO be
present at an interview of that Com
pany with tho st. Louis, Duquoin,
Benton, McLeansboro q Evansville
Railroad Company, under contract of
Gen. Winslow, both of which were
seeking the contract to build the Ev-
ansville Railroad. After three days
and nights constantinvestigati ofthe
whole matter, 'he Evansville Company
gave the contract to build their road
Il
of railroads In Southeastern Illinois
was extensively discussed by fnan-
| ciers, railroad mana gers aud business
men, and the longer the time devoted
| to it, the more favor the original pro-
ject of the st. Louis and Southeastern
and the Belleville and Eldorado Rail-
roads received rom the Evansville
Board, end at the close of the dis
cussion the contract was oiven to
Gen. Winslow, with the full. under
/ standing that the main line from st.
Louis to Shawneetown as we'll as the
branch through Saline and Franklin
Counties were to be built as soon as
practicable, and not to be delayed or
Iuterfered with by the construction of
| the Evansville line, and all other con-
nections or combinations of that
main line were to be added to the
project as fast as sufficient basis
/ Of construction could be procured.
! The Phillips line of road to
| Evansville is in the interest of the
| Chicago. Alton & st. Louis Railroad
and which now owns the st. Louis
and Belleville and Paducah Railroad,
building under Phillips supervision
to Duquoin &c. This scheme had for
its main object the cutting off of all
roads to Shawneetown by a road ad-
verse to the interest Of both the
Southeastern Illinois and Evansville
Railroads, and would more likely have
suppressed the Duquoin aud Evans
Vile line until the limit of the Hill
nois and Vanderburgh subscriptions
was out and so have left all middle
Southeastern Illinois to seek an outlet
by way of st. Louis and Paducah or
| Cairo. Had the scheme succeeded,
the next assault would have been on
our main line from West and North,
and, backed by the capital of the Chi
cago, Alton & St. Louis Company
might have been successful.
Our next object is to secure as many
branches to the main lines as can be
| had. The contract with Evansville
includes the building from Evansville
to Wabash River on or before the LIST
| of March, 1871, and to McLeansboro
by the 31st of December, 1871, before
which time the entire line from st.
Louis to Shawneetown will be in
operation.
The st. Louis and Southeastern
Railway will be in running order
| from Mt. Vernon to st. Louis by the
10th of September, 1870, and from
| Shawneetown toward McLeans-
boro as far as possible. probably to
Rector Creek, near the Hamilton
County line, will be IN running order
in 1870. and as much of the gap be-
tween Mt. Vernon and McLeansboro
this year as can be done after the line
is built into st. Louis. The iron for
the entire line is attracted for, and
is now being de vered at New Or
leans and East st. Louis. As soon
as the grading in Gallatin is COM
pleted the rails will be sent there and
Immediately put upon the road.
There are two or three points in
this letter that are calculated to Gre
ate some anxiety on the part of the
Evansville people. The writer says
our Directors made the contract with
General Winslow, ''tCith the JuU an
derstaading that the MAIN LINE,
from 81. Louis to ShauneetowR-as
we'll as the branch line through Sa
line and Franklin Counties-wcre to
be built as soon as practicable, and
not to be delayed or interfered with