The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1873-10-16
For the EAGLE.
The Southwestern Trans-COnti-
mental Railroad.
VALLEY CENTRE, Oct.

VALLEY CENTRE, Oct. IL.
EDITOR EAGLE: As congress Will
soon assemble again, it behooves the
friends of the projected railroad,
mental railroad, to be up and doing,
With view to secure from congress
the legislation requisite to the fur
thcrance of the enterprise. The road
in contemplation. as many of your
readers are already aware. is designed
to extend from the Mississippi river,
near the mouth of the Arkansas, to San
Francisco, California, following the
general course of the Arkansas valley
from the Father OF Waters TO the Rocky
mountains. The importance of such a
road TO the people of the Arkansas
valley is too obvious 10 require any
argument The southern states pre-
sent the only feasible market at present
for the surplus agricultural products
of the valley, and this road would give
the easiest access to that market. The
states of Georgia. Alabama and South
Carolina alone import for consumption
from the western states over fifty mill
lion dollars worth of produce annually,
and their demand is steadily incrcas-
ing. Surely no portion of the Amerl-
can Union is more favorably situated
than the Arkansas valley to furnish the
Southern states with the breadstutl
and provendcr they require.
All that we need is direct line OF
transit to the southern states, and the
road in question would Just supply
that need And here let me suggest,
that the opening of this road would
make available to the people OF tins
valley source OF great wealth which
they never yet dreamed of. aliude
to our matchlcss prairie grass. which
now, with but triiline exception. serves
| only as food for thcdevouring flames.
1t could be converted into hay. put up
in bales and shipped. by rail, to the
south, where it would always COM
mand rcmuncrativc price.
| A gentleman residing in Montgom-
| cry. Alabama, with whom | convcrsed
on the subject of ). L. II. r.. informed
me that the people there imported their
hay from Iowa, and that the lawmakers
in Iowa realized a large profit by the
| operation. Does any one believe that
| Iowa could successfully compete with
Southern Kansas in the hay business
| IN the markets of the south, if Kansas
had access to them by railroad
This road will afford the best posi-
hlc facilities TO the people of this re
gion to obtain good and cheap fuel,
from the rich coal fields of the Indian
Territory. and good and cheap lumber
| and timber from the forests OF Arkan-
sas. These facts commend themselves
| 10 the serious consideration Of the peo-
pie of the Arkansas valley in Kansas.
But to return. II is necessary to OBJ
| tain from congress charter and the
right of way through the public do
main. in order to prosecute this enter
prise. The bill introduced in congress
for that purpose. winter before last,
and referred TO the committee on Pa
ciiic railroads, in both houses, was re-
ported back with the Recommendation
that IL pass. and il would have passed
las; winter. had not the forty-second
congress spent all its precious time
investigating, or rather, whitewashing.
its own rascalitics, and taxing its in
vcntions to accomplish the back-saiary
grab. instead of icgislating for the pub
lie benefit. So the bill will have TO be
introduced anew in the forty-third COLI
gress. and pass through the same tedi-
Gus routine of reference 10 committees
and discussion by them. II the forty
second congress, obtuse. corrupt and
besotted as il was. recognized the i'm
portance and merits OF the project In
question there is reason 10 hope that
the forty-third congress will more fuiiy
recognize its Importance and merits,
and concedc to il the necessary legisla-
ton. But TO this end ii is essential
that the claims of the enterprise should
be fairly and fully presented TO the
congressional mind by some one that
has clear and comprehensive knowl-
edge of the subject. 1t is indispcnsably
necessary that some one familiar with
the scheme should appear before the
committee of the house and senate to
present facts, answer questions and