Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-01-10
Farmers Railroads.

We sometime since stated the
fact that q project was on foot to
build trunk lines of railroads from
New York to Chicago, as a means
of accommodating the constantly
increasing freights of the Vest
For this purpose it is contemplated
to build two lines from New York
to Chicago, with double tracks, the
grades not to exceed fifteen feet per
mile; one of these lines to run
through Canada, the other entirely
within the United States. The line
keeping entirely within the juris-
diction Of the United States passes
through Buffalo on the south side,
thence up the south shore of lake
Erie to Toledo, and thence over the
shortest feasible route to Chicago,
via Michigan City. The line thro'
Canada crosses the Niagara river
north Of Buffalo, runs along the
north shore of lake Erie, crosses
the river just below Detroit, and
from thence directly for Chicago,
via Michigan City. These roads
pay no attention to cities, the first
running twelve miles south of
Rochester, and the other six miles
north of the city. Both roads are
in process of construction, will run
on the shortest feasible routes, are
to be built for cash, and without
sub letting. Such are the mai1lr.c-,-
lures Of these roads, as we under
stand them.
Let these trunk lines be built from
the seaboard to Chicago and st.
Louis, with lines extending thence to
the important distributing points i'll
the West, and it would not be long
before narrow guage tracks would
be built, by local means, to intersect
them in every direction as feeders;
provided the people of the West
could be assured that they would
be run for the mutual interest Of the
producer, transporter and consumer.
1t has been estimated in the open
portions of the West, that these
lines could be graded, bridged and
tiled for 81 900 per mile, and this
being honestly accomplished, there
would be no difficulty in mortgaging
the roads for sufficient money 10
lay the iron and furnish the rolling
stock. To do this, however, there
must be no red tape; no mythical,
supernumery officers, with big sala-
ries; no army Of sub-contractors to
do the labor, while ring gobbles
the profits.
To such roads farmers could af
ford to subscribe literally, for they
could own and control them. Upon
such roads grain ought to be trans
ported from Chicago to New York
for twenty cents per bushe!, per-
haps less; and from the Mississippi,
for less than thirty cents per beshcl.
This would ut once raise the price
of grain at the farm from twenty to
twenty-five cents per bushel; and
corn now raised at loss to the
farmer would at once become one of
the most paving crops he could cnl-
tivatc.
We have heretofore shown that,
at present prices, the farmer must
cease to raise grain for export, 'eX-
cept wheat and barley. In fact,
wheat is the only grain that will
really bear transportation to the
seaboard and leave margin to the
producer. We have shown that the
real profit to the farmer was in pro-
ducing and fattening all the stock
possible. And this will hold good,
however cheap transportation may
be afforded in the future. The three
feet guagc railroads have proved a
success, and they are easily capable
Of transporting live stock.
We hope to see the experiment
tried on the prairies of the West, for,
with transportation cheapened, as
we have stated, one of the most Sc
rious problems with which the far
mcr has to contend will be solved.
The saving alone on transportation
would pay for the roads in two or
three years, if economically man
aged. SO, when the plan Shall be
fully and honestly developed, every
farmer should assist IN putting itin
operation by every means III his
power. 1t has long been apparent
that if the farmer is to have cheap
treights to the East, he must own
and have 4 controlling interest in
the carrying roads, Western RI
raj.