The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1871-01-27
From the Toledo Blade of October 20. 1870
NEW ROUTE TO ST. LOUIS.
Short Line, Via Decatur.

1
one of the great railroad corporations
of the country. Its eastern terminus is
Toledo, but it has four terminal points
in the west, viz Keokuk, Iowa Quin-
cy, Illinois; Hannibal, Mo-; st. Louis,
Mo. AT Keokuk it connects with the
Des Moins Valley road, and through
it with the Chicago and Northwestern
to Omaha, passing through the heart of
Iowa. At Quincy it strikes the Hanni-
bal and st. Joe road, and makes all
! points in Kansas, and with the the St.
Joe and Council Bluffs road, a direct
connection with the Union Pacific and
the entire state of Missouri. Leaving
the Quincy line at Bluff City, a branch
goes direct to Hannibal, Mo-, thence
over the new Hannibal and Moberiy
road to Kansas City and Leavenworth,
making by this route an almost air line
from Toledo to Kansas City. These
three terminal points control a large
portion of the West.
This Company has now completed
its new road from Decatur, Illinois, to
East St. Louis, making direct contin-
uOus line from the head of Lake Erie
to st. Louis without break or change of
cars.
The completion of this connection is
an event in the history of railroads in
this country. st. Louis is the chief city
on the Mississippi, and is the point of
departure for the vast territory of the
west, a line of road stretching from
Lake Erie to the Mississippi, passing
through two fthe greatest of the States
cannot but be considered as one of the
greatest of the country, as by its new
connection it transports passengers
from the great Lakes to the great river
without change or delay.
The Wabash route is now prepared,
as well for passenger traffic as any road
in the United States, and completion
of this most important connection
gives it a hold upon business which it
has heretofore made no SPECIAL effort to
secure.
By this line the distance from Tole do
to st. Louis is only one hundred and
thirty milee. The old Wabash road
through the heart of Indiana and Eas-
tern Illinois is used to Decatur, Illinois,
where the new line branches off, passing
counties and towns as follows:
Macon county, chief town Decatur.
Christian county, chief town Taylor
vile.
Macoupen county, chief town Staun-
ton.
Madison county, chief town Edwards
vile.
The Wabash has bridge spanning
the Mississippi at Quincy, and is build
ing two more-one at Keokuk and one
at Hannibal. The Quincy bridge is to
be magnificent structure, and the 9TH
ers are TO be not Inferior to it.
The sleeping cars now on the road
are PULLAIAN's best, but the Company
are building six in their shops in Tole-
do that excel ''Pullman's best" in almost
every particular. The finishing and
furnishing are superb, and every conve-
nience that has ever been devised, made
use of
The track on the Wabash is in most
excellent order. The road has been
thoroughly ballasted, the defective iron
and ties all removed, and the. best and
heaviest put in their place. The road
is smooth over its entire length, and SO
well built as to make the highest rate of
speed safe. The CONDITION of the track
with the care exercised in the construc-
ion of the cars on the line relieve the
traveller of the constant feeling of dam
ger one experiences on roads less care
fully constructed and less conscientious
ly managed.
The new depots at st. Louis are the
most commodious in that city. The
Company have constructed new pas
seHSSE ucpOl aL the Terry ,anu tne 1EdhS-
it Company have built a new and COM
plete equipment of Omnibusses and
Baggage wagons especially for this road,
which run to every part of the city
private houses and hotels, as well as to
depots of other railroads.
At st. Louis, direct and close connec-
tons are made with the North Nilsson
ii, Missouri Pacific Southern Pacific,
Iron Mountain and other lines to the
West and Southwest, also with first
class steamers for Memphis and New
Orleans and the intermediate points on
the Missippi.
We believe the greatest part of the
travel to the Great West viii pass over
this route-indeed we do not see how
it can be otherwise. The trains from
the East make close connection in the
Union Depot at Toledo, and from Tole-
do to the Mississippi there is no change
whatever. The traveller whose desti-
nation is Kansas saves several hours of
time by taking this route, and he goes
in such comfort, and with such perfect
assurance of safety, as to make it pref
cradle, even though he save nothing in
time thereby.
The travelling public in the East will
do well to remember the Wabash route,
when arranging for a trip to the West.
There is no better road in the country,
and the day is not far distant when it
will be so acknowledged by travelling
men.